Department of Chemistry

Our research in biological chemistry is strongly interdisciplinary and involves enzymology, organic synthesis, protein crystallography, molecular biology, and nanotechnology. Current areas of interest include:

• The use of microdroplets for reactions in biology and chemistry (with Professor Wilhelm Huck, Professor Carol Robinson, Dr Florian Hollfelder, [Biochemistry] and Professor Andrew deMello [Imperial] and Dr Josh Edel [Imperial]).
• Novel fragment-based approaches to enzyme inhibition (with Professor Tom Blundell, [Biochemistry] and Professor Ashok Venkitaraman [Oncology]).
• The chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology of riboswitches in bacteria and plants (with Dr Finian Leeper, Professor Alison Smith [Plant Sciences], and Professor Martin Warren [Kent]).
• Chemical and biological nanotechnology, e.g. development of novel biosensors (with Professor David Klenerman).

Selected Publications

From microdroplets to microfluidics: selective emulsion separation in microfluidic devices. L M Fidalgo, G Whyte, D Bratton, C Abell, W T S Huck Angew. Chimie Intl. Ed. 2008, 47, 2042-2045

Fragment-based approaches to enzyme inhibition. A Ciulli & C Abell Curr. Op. Biotech. 2007, 18, 489-496

Nucleophile selectivity of chorismate-utilizing enzymes. ChemBioChem 2007, 8, 622-624

The application of fragment screening and fragment linking to the discovery of novel thrombin inhibitors. J. Med. Chem. 2006, 49, 1346-1355