One of the biggest challenges in biological chemistry is the design of small molecules that interact selectively with macromolecules. We are pioneering the development of the use of fragments to address this challenge. This approach involves close synergistic interaction between synthetic organic chemistry, biophysics and structural biology. We are using fragment-based methods to identify inhibitors of enzymes from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and to develop small molecules that modulate protein-protein interactions. We are also keen to explore new applications for fragments e.g. to identify molecules that modulate the activity of riboswitches, and to assign function to orphan proteins.
Our second major area of research is to develop the use of microdroplets in microfluidics as a novel experimental platform for biological chemistry. This research is highly interdisciplinary and involves biological chemistry, microfluidics, nanofabrication, laser spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. We are particularly interested in looking at cells in droplets, e.g. bacteria to study quorum sensing, algae for bio-fuel development.
A novel phase-switching protecting group for multi-step parallel solution phase synthesis.
X Li, C Abell, MS Congreve, BH Warrington, M Ladlow - Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry (
2004)
2, 989
(DOI:
10.1039/b400110a)
Method to determine the spring constant of atomic force microscope cantilevers
CT Gibson, DJ Johnson, C Anderson, C Abell, T Rayment - Review of Scientific Instruments (
2004)
75, 565
(DOI:
10.1063/1.1642750)
Organisation of the pantothenate (vitamin B-5) biosynthesis pathway in higher plants
HH Ottenhof, JL Ashurst, HM Whitney, SA Saldanha, F Schmitzberger, HS Gweon, TL Blundell, C Abell, AG Smith - Plant J (
2004)
37, 61
(DOI:
10.1046/j.1365-313X.2003.01940.x)
Polymer-assisted solution phase synthesis of the antihyperglycemic agent Rosiglitazone (Avandia (TM))
X Li, C Abell, BH Warrington, M Ladlow - Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry (
2003)
1, 4392
(DOI:
10.1039/b307549d)
Parallel solid-phase synthesis and evaluation of inhibitors of Streptomyces coelicolor type II dehydroquinase
C Gonzalez-Bello, E Lence, MD Toscano, L Castedo, JR Coggins, C Abell - JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY (
2003)
46, 5735
(DOI:
10.1021/jm030987q)
AFM study on protein immobilization on charged surfaces at the nanoscale: Toward the fabrication of three-dimensional protein nanostructures
DJ Zhou, XZ Wang, L Birch, T Rayment, C Abell - Langmuir (
2003)
19, 10557
(DOI:
10.1021/la035491q)
Structural constraints on protein self-processing in L-aspartate-α -decarboxylase
F Schmitzberger, ML Kilkenny, CMC Lobley, ME Webb, M Vinkovic, D Matak-Vinkovic, M Witty, DY Chirgadze, AG Smith, C Abell, TL Blundell - EMBO Journal (
2003)
22, 6193
(DOI:
10.1093/emboj/cdg575)
Building three-dimensional surface biological assemblies on the nanometer scale
D Zhou, A Bruckbauer, LM Ying, C Abell, D Klenerman - Nano Letters (
2003)
3, 1517
(DOI:
10.1021/nl0345926)
Novel selenium containing non-detergent sulphobetaines
M Frederickson, L Vuillard, C Abell - TETRAHEDRON LETT (
2003)
44, 7925
(DOI:
10.1016/j.tetlet.2003.09.004)
Label-Free Detection of DNA Hybridization at the Nanoscale: A Highly Sensitive and Selective Approach Using Atomic-Force Microscopy
DJ Zhou, K Sinniah, C Abell, T Rayment - Angew Chem Int Ed Engl (
2003)
42, 4934
(DOI:
10.1002/anie.200352178)
