The Biomolecular spectroscopy & dynamics Cluster (BioC)

The machinery of biology is amazing: nanoscale machines reading information, building new cells, transforming and storing energy, fighting against invaders, and cleaning up afterwards. These amazing machines are molecules such as proteins, DNA, and smaller molecules such as sugars and water. Biochemistry has already given us an amazing insight into this interconnected world. The next big scientific challenge is to understand and then apply the physics of these biological processes in order to control biochemical processes and create synthetic forms of life. One of the most important tools to probe these biophysical processes is biomolecular spectroscopy.

We are a group of researchers that specialise in biomolecular spectroscopy and in particular in dynamical (typically femtosecond to second) processes. Many of the techniques we develop and employ are world leading and involve femtosecond spectroscopy, imaging, plasmonics, and many more. Our facilities allow the full range of modern biochemistry and biophysical characterisation techniques. Our group includes computer scientists specialising in simulations of molecular dynamics and quantum processes in biomolecules.

The core group at Glasgow University (Kadodwala, Kelly, Lapthorn, Smith, and Wynne) have a portfolio of internationally leading research funded by RCUK worth £4.2M. This team is very well equipped with refurbished laser lab suites, 3 ultrafast laser systems, 3 state-of-the-art microscopes (including FLIM), NMR, CD, SPR, FTIR, etc. The group publishes widely in high impact factor journals, for example, Lapthorn, Wynne, et al., Nature Commun. 5, 3999 (2014) and Nature Comm. 7, 11799 (2016); Kelly et al., Nature Commun. 5, 4763 (2014); Kelly, Smith, et al., Science 335, 1492 (2012); and Lapthorn, Kelly, Kadodwala, et al., Nature Nano. 5, 783 (2010).

Mosquitoes

Mosquito spectroscopy project involving Klaas Wynne (Chemistry), Dr Lisa Ranford-Cartwright(IIII, GU), Dr Heather Ferguson (IBAHCM, GU), Dr Francesco Baldini (IBAHCM, GU) – spectroscopy of mosquitoes.

Also visit the web sites of the Dynamics & Structure grouping in the School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow

WestChem

ScotCHEM

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08-Mar-2017