Research
Research Interest 1
Glycosaminoglycan structure function relationships.
Protein-sugar interactions and spectroscopic methods for their study.
Carbohydrate chemistry.
Microbial-sugar interactions and their inhibition.
Research grants
Development of a biotechnology platform for enzymatic sulfation of industrial products based on polysaccharide sulfotransferases
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
December 2020 - December 2022
Bench Fees for Sarah Abdullah S Alsaiari (201454096)
ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA CULTURAL BUREAU IN LONDON (UK)
December 2020 - November 2024
Potential anti-viral and therapeutic activities of the enzymatic degradation products of pharmaceutical polysaccharides modulated by metal ions.
DURHAM UNIVERSITY (UK)
January 2021 - September 2021
Bench Fees for Marim Alsadun (201446690)
ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA CULTURAL BUREAU IN LONDON (UK)
January 2021 - January 2025
Heparan sulfate production
INTELLIHEP LTD (UK)
January 2022 - April 2022
Prodromal inhibitiond of beta-secretase by synthetic heparins
ALZHEIMERS SOCIETY (UK)
June 2016 - November 2024
An enzymatic approach to the understanding, design and formation of novel polysaccharides with potential industrial applications
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2018 - January 2019
Improved functional materials for wound dressings from seaweeds
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
August 2018 - January 2019
Analysis of Mucin Interactions
UNILEVER PLC (UK)
October 2017 - December 2017
Identification and evaluation of algal sulphatransferases for enzymatic polysaccharide modifications
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2017 - December 2017
Investigating the potential of non-heparin anticoagulant agents with antithrombin.
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
June 2016 - July 2016
3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate translocation in altered membrane biology: A new strategy for early population screening and halting Alzheimer’s neurodegeneration (ArrestAD)
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
January 2017 - May 2022
Generation of oligosaccharides from branched marine glycosaminoglycan – fucosylated chondroitin sulfate
IBCARB (UK)
September 2015 - November 2015
Polysaccharide analysis
SHANDONG CHENZHONG BIOPHARMACEUTICAL CO LTD (CHINA)
November 2016 - March 2017
Characterisation of polysaccharides derived from seaweeds, along with a preliminary assessment of their potential for development of nutriceutical, healthcare and functional food and beverage products.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2015 - December 2015
New tools and resources to evaluate biological sulphation
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2016 - March 2018
Bench Fees Ahmed Alzahrani
MINISTRY OF HEALTH (SAUDI ARABIA)
September 2015 - August 2016
Exploiting saccharide microarrays: towards glycomic studies of heparan sulphate-protein interactions.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2004 - January 2007
Novel semi-synthetic carbohydrates as potential therapeutics for severe malaria.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
March 2008 - August 2012
Carbohydrate isoelectric focusing: A new tool for the unprecedented separation of complex glycosaminoglycan structures.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2008 - September 2009
Spectroscopic Analysis of Protein-Polysaccharide Complexes
DIAMOND LIGHT SOURCE LTD (UK)
October 2010 - September 2014
Chemical intervention in heparan sulphate-dependent growth factor signalling systems using engineered heparin saccharides.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2006 - March 2009
CIC biomaGUNE studentship
CIC BIOMAGUNE (SPAIN)
January 2012 - December 2015
Spectroscopic tools for improved protein secondary structure analysis in protein-heparan sulfate complexes
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2006 - October 2007
Interaction of heparan sulfate with the protease beta-secretase: a novel mechanism for regulation of APP processing.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2004 - December 2007
Chemically modified low molecular weight heparins as potent disruptors of rosetting in severe malaria
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
October 2010 - September 2011
Molecular function in post-genome biology (MOLFUN).
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
October 2006 - September 2010
Highly sensitive, rapid and high throughput sequecen analysis of glycosaminoglycans
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
August 2007 - January 2010
Evaluation of optimised heparins as novel therapeutics for alzheimers disease.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
May 2006 - August 2007
University of Liverpool Institutional Discipline Bridging.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2003 - October 2006
Structures of signalling and inhibitory complexes
ROYAL SOCIETY (CHARITABLE)
April 2008 - March 2010
CASE: Detecting structural changes in protein:polysaccharide complexes: an enabling technology
M I ENGINEERING (UK)
January 2011 - December 2014
Compatibility rules for glycosaminoglycan-amyloid interactions
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
May 2014 - April 2017
Research collaborations
Marcelo Lima and Helena Nader
University of São Paulo
Dr Robert Lauder
The University of Lancaster
to conduct solution conformation and spectroscopic studies of macromolecules
DR J Shute
The University of Portsmouth
exploring the potential of modified heparin polysaccharides to promote DNase activity in cystic fibrosis patients
Dr J Smalley
analysis of LPS carbohydrates
Prof R Nichols
spectroscopic investigations of protein sugar interactions
Dr M Horsburgh
carbohydrate interactions with Staph aureus bacteria and role in adhesion and infection
Drs M Guerrini, A.Naggi and G.Torri
Ronzoni Institute for Chemical and Biochemical Research, Milan
NMR structural studies of poly- and oligosaccharides and their conformation and interactions with cations
Dr M Goldner
University of Laval, Quebec
Relationship between environmental conditions and attachment of B fragilis to ECM components
Prof DG Fernig
spectroscopic studies of protein-sugar interactions nanoparticles
Dr EO Ferreira and Prof R Domingues
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
Investigating the interaction of anaerobic pathogenic bacteria (esp B fragilis, C dificile) with components of the host extracellular matrix and the effect of environmental pH and Eh