UCL Chemistry

• Chemical Biology
• Confirmationally constrained peptides
• Lantibiotics
• Non-viral gene therapy 

We are developing new synthetic chemistry methodologies to synthesise biologically active peptides of unusual structure, and using biophysical techniques to probe their mode of action. We are currently working on the synthesis and lipid binding of the lantibiotic nisin; the design and synthesis of new targeting peptide and glycopeptides for use in ternary gene delivery vectors and in investigation antigen processing; and in new biomaterials for stem cell culture.

1. I. Tranchant, A.-C. Herve, S. Carlisle, P. Lowe, C. J. Slevin, C. Forssten, J. Dilleen, D. E. Williams, A. B. Tabor, H. C. Hailes, 'Design and synthesis of ferrocene probe molecules for detection by electrochemical methods' 
   Bioconj. Chem., 17, 1256 - 1264 (2006).
2. M. A. Pilkington-Miksa, M. J. Writer, S. Sarkar, Q.-H. Meng, S. E. Barker, P. Ayazi Shamlou, S. L. Hart, H. C. Hailes, A. B. Tabor, 'Targeting Lipopolyplexes Using Bifunctional Peptides Incorporating Hydrophobic Spacer Amino Acids: Synthesis, Transfection and Biophysical Studies' Bioconj. Chem., 18, 1800 - 1810 (2007).
3. M. F. Mohd Mustapa, P. C. Bell, C. A. Hurley, A. Nicol, E. Guénin, S. Sarkar, M. J. Writer, S. E. Barker, J. B. Wong, M. A. Pilkington-Miksa, B. Papahadjopoulos-Sternberg, P. Ayazi Shamlou, H. C. Hailes, S. L. Hart, D. Zicha, A B. Tabor, 'Biophysical characterization of an integrin-targeted lipopolyplex gene delivery vector' 
   Biochemistry, 46, 12930  12944 (2007).
4. M. A. Pilkington-Miksa, S. Sarkar, M. J. Writer, S. E. Barker, P. Ayazi Shamlou, S. L. Hart, H. C. Hailes, A. B. Tabor, 'Synthesis of Bifunctional Integrin-Binding Peptides Containing PEG Spacers of Defined Length for Non-Viral Gene Delivery' Eur. J. Org. Chem, 2900 - 2914 (2008).
5. M. F. Mohd Mustapa, S. M. Grosse, L. Kudsiova, M. Elbs, E.-A. Raiber, J. B.Wong, A. P. R. Brain, H. E. J. Armer, A. Warley, M. Keppler, T. Ng, M. J.Lawrence, S. L. Hart, H. C. Hailes, A. B. Tabor, 'Stabilized Integrin-Targeting Ternary LPD (Lipopolyplex) Vectors for Gene Delivery Designed To Disassemble Within the Target Cell'Bioconj.Chem., 20, 518 532 (2009). 

1982-1985: B. A. (Natural Sciences) (Hons) St. Catharine's College, Cambridge

1985-1989: Ph. D. University of Cambridge, Professor A. B. Holmes FRS

1987-1989: Denman Baynes Fellowship, Clare College , Cambridge

1989-1991: NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard University , Professor S. L. Schreiber

1991-1994: Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh

1994-2001: Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, University College London

2001-2004: Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, University College London

2004: Reader in Chemical Biology, University College London