Chemistry seminars
Find out about all of the upcoming seminars in the Department of Chemistry.
Autumn-Winter 2025-26
Departmental Seminars are generally held on Wednesdays. Please always check the time as it might change for some speakers.
- October
Departmental Seminar: Optical microcavity sensors: from the lab to the river
1 October 12:00 DB-LT01
Speakers: Prof. Claire Vallance
(University of Oxford)
Contact: Prof Anthony MeijerAbstract
Optical microcavities are small structures that trap light through multiple reflections. When combined with spectroscopic measurements they provide a signal amplification of several orders of magnitude, enabling the development of miniaturised optical sensors with very low power and reagent requirements. I will start by explaining how optical microcavities work and how they can be used in applications ranging from refractive index and absorption spectroscopy measurements to micron-scale dye lasers and dosimeters for nanomedicines. I will also talk about the journey (so far) to commercialisation of the technology via a new spin-out company, Mode Labs, which is developing remotely deployable environmental sensors to provide accurate real-time data on river water quality.
Departmental Seminar: Discovery of new enzymes and pathways for sustainable (bio)synthesis
8 October 12:00 DB-LT01
Speaker: Prof Jason Micklefield
(Imperial College)Contact: Prof Nadav Amdursky
Abstract
Jason's lab discovers novel enzymes from unusual bacteria in nature. They characterise these enzymes to determine their structures and mechanisms. With this knowledge, they are able to re-programme the enzymes to create variants that can catalyse new reactions. These engineered enzymes are used to produce novel antibiotics to combat antimicrobial resistance, antiviral agents, anticancer agents and other useful molecules.
Key references:
Torri et al Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202422185 (https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202422185);
Xu et al Nature Chem Biol 2024, 20, 1371–1379 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-024-01657-7);
Bering et al Nature Commun. 2022, 13, 380. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28005-4).
Winn et al. Nature 2021, 593, 391–398. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03447-w);
Thong et al. Nature Commun 2021, 12, 6872. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27139-1);
Craven et al. Nature Catalysis 2021, 4, 385–394. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-021-00603-3).Departmental Seminar: Modular Synthesis and Machine Learning for the Discovery of Novel Metalloantibiotics
15 October 12:00 DB-LT-01
Speaker: Dr Angelo Frei
(University of York)Contact: Prof Jim Thomas
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is already causing over 1 million deaths each year. With the clinical pipeline for novel antibiotics with new modes of actions very sparse, this number is expected to further increase in the coming years. As conventional approaches to bacterial infections are failing to provide novel and effective drugs, alternative treatment modalities need to be considered. Over the last decade, metal-based compounds (metalloantibiotics), have emerged as potential new classes of antimicrobial agents. In this talk I highlight the promise of transition metal complexes as antimicrobial agents and how we employ modular synthesis, automation and machine learning to systematically explore this vast chemical space for promising compounds. This includes our recent training of machine learning models able to increase the hit-rate for Gram-positive active ruthenium metalloantibiotics by a factor of 5x and very new work to expand high-throughput modular metal complex synthesis to novel ligand scaffolds.
Departmental Seminar: Nucleic acid conjugates: remote control, targeting, and entirely new functions
22 October, 12:00 DB-LT01
Speaker: Dr Mike Booth
(Uniiversity College London)Contact: Prof Nick Turner
Abstract
We are entering the age of nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) technologies. DNA and RNA form the basis for many therapeutic and experimental technologies, including gene editing and silencing, several aspects of nanotechnology, aptamers and their applications, and cell-free gene expression. However, their application is limited by the chemistry of nucleic acids. A major goal of the Booth group is the generation of nucleic acid conjugates to overcome current major challenges in their delivery and targeting, and to produce entirely new functions to increase their therapeutic potential. Controlling nucleic acid function would greatly expand their application in biology and medicine, by reducing toxic on/off-target effects. To this end, we have generated remote-controlled nucleic acids under the control of orthogonal wavelengths of light (JACS, Chem. Sci.) and magnetism (Nat. Chem.). These controllable nucleic acids have also been applied in synthetic cells to control their communication with living cells (Nat. Chem. Biol.). Antisense oligonucleotides, short single stranded synthetic oligos, are the predominant form of nucleic acid therapeutics in the clinic. However, despite their success, approved ASOs target a narrow spectrum of diseases and their key mechanisms of action are predominantly localised within the nucleus. We have attached a nuclear importer to improve their activity in the nucleus (JACS) and developed a new mechanism of action for targeted mRNA degradation in the cytoplasm (Chem. Sci.). These nucleic acid conjugates will form the basis of a whole new suite of targeted therapeutics and technologies for basic research.
Departmental Seminar: Complementary tools for in situ analysis of porous materials – some perspectives
29 October, 12:00 DB-LT01
Speaker: Prof Len Barbour
(University of Lincoln )Contact: Dr Jona Foster
Abstract
The inclusion of small guest molecules into porous crystalline materials promises several exciting innovations in a wide range of areas, including separation and storage of gases or vapours, chemical sensing, and catalysis. Using now well-established principles of crystal engineering we can aspire to design porous materials with tailored structural and physical properties. However, there is still a need to develop new approaches to understanding the sometimes-complicated relationships between molecular-level structure and physico-chemical properties. In this regard, devising a range of complementary experiments to characterize materials under controlled environments such as gas pressure can be particularly challenging. This presentation will describe the development and application of a suite of approaches to structural analysis by means of in situ X-ray diffraction, complemented by physicochemical characterization using a combination of sorption analysis and thermoanalytical techniques.
- November
Departmental Seminar: TBA
5 November 12:00 DB-LT01
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12 November 12:00 DB-LT01
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19 November 12:00 DB-LT01
Speaker: Dr Denis Hartman
(University of York)Contact: Dr David Williams
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26 November 12:00 DB-LT01
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(University of )
Contact: Prof Julia WeinsteinAbstract
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- December
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3 December 12:00 DB-LT01
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10 December 12:00 DB-LT01
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17 December 12:00 DB-LT01
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Spring-Summer 2025-26
- January
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28 January 12:00 DB-LT01
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28 January 12:00 DB-LT01
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- February
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4 February 12:00 DB-LT01
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11 February 12:00 DB-LT01
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18 February 12:00 DB-LT01
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(University of )Contact: Prof Anthony Meijer
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Departmental Seminar: TBA
25 February 16:00 DB-LT01
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(University of)Contact: Prof Julia Weinstein
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- March
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4 March 12:00 DB-LT01
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(University of )Contact: Prof Nadav Amdursky
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11 March 12:00 DB-LT01
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18 March 12:00 DB-LT01
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25 March 12:00 DB-LT01
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TBA- April
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22 April 12:00 DB-LT01
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29 April 12:00 DB-LT01
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- May
Departmental Seminar: TBA
6 May 12:00 DB-LT01
Speaker:
(University of )Contact: Prof Nadav Amdursky
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13 May 12:00 DB-LT01
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Contact: Prof Nadav Amdursky
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20 May 12:00 DB-LT-01
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TBA- June
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3 June 12:00 DB-LT01
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10 June 12:00 DB-LT01
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