SNUG
Scottish NMR Users Group
Meet the SNUG members
The SNUG staff consists of NMR PI, lecturers, fellows, managers and technicians. Find out more about the members below.
University of Aberdeen
School of natural and computing sciences
Prof Marcel Jaspars, Chair in Chemistry FRSE, FRSC, CChem, Head of NMR
Keywords: Marine, natural products
My premise is that we can infer the true biological/ecological function of a natural product by careful study of its form using spectroscopic and physicochemical techniques.
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Dr Rainer Ebel, Reader in Chemistry
Keywords: Marine, natural products
Dr Jioji Tabudravu, Research Fellow
Keywords: Marine, natural products
Beatson Insitute for Cancer Research
Drug Discovery
Dr Kenneth Cameron, Senior NMR Scientist
Keywords: Structural biology, drug discovery
Our goal is to establish an integrated, industry-standard drug discovery programme to translate basic biology research from the Beatson and other CRUK centres into medicines for the treatment of cancer.
University of Dundee
Drug Discovery Unit, College of Life Sciences
Dr Dan Fletcher, Senior NMR Scientist
Keywords: Pharma, drug discovery
University of Edinburgh
School of Biology
Prof Paul Barlow, Chair of structural biology,
Head of Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Keywords: complement system, structural biology, immunology
Our main interest lies in proteins of the complement system. Overzealous or inappropriate complement activation is responsible for many of the debilitating symptoms of a multitude of inflammatory disorders. We are best known for our work on complement control protein (CCP) modules (aka as SCRs and sushi domains), which are the most common structural units within complement proteins.
Dr Janice Bramham, Lecturer in biology
Keywords: Protein structure, protein interactions, biophysical characterisation
I am interested in the 3D structures, intrinsic dynamics and intermolecular interactions of biological macromolecules with the ultimate aim of understanding their structure-function relationships. I work on a diverse range of molecules, from proteins involved in the human disease, e.g. in the complement system and in bone diseases, to insect proteins as targets for improving crop yields.
I am aligned with the NMR facilty in the School of Chemistry and with the Protein Production Facility in the School of Biological Sciences.
University of Edinburgh
School of Chemistry
Prof Dusan Uhrin, Chair of NMR Spectroscopy, Head of NMR Facility
Keywords: pulse sequence development, complex mixtures, carbohydrates, protein-carbohydrate interactions, reaction kinetics
My research interests are in the development and application of NMR spectroscopy to the structure elucidation of molecules in solution. More specifically, I study natural complex mixtures such as dissolved organic matter, man-made mixtures e.g. beverages such as Scotch Whisky, structure function and conformation of marine polysaccharides, and protein-carbohydrate interactions. I develop new NMR methodology including pulse sequences for reaction monitoring.
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Prof Guy Lloyd-Jones FRS, Forbes Chair and Head of Organic Chemistry
Keywords: Mechanism, Stop-Flow Techniques, Isotopes, Kinetics
We investigate Reaction Mechanism in the context of Synthetic Methodology and Catalysis. Intrinsic to this is the development of new tools for physical organic chemistry, including numerous stop-flow and quench-flow spectroscopic techniques.
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Dr Nicholle Bell, NERC Soil Security Research Fellow
Keywords: organic soils, nD NMR, complex mixtures structure determination
From filtering our drinking water to acting as a sink for carbon organic rich soils, such as peat, are vital to ecosytem services. My goal is to use NMR to investigate the molecular signature of soil organic matter in order to help maintain and restore organic rich soils to allow them to perform their many functions.
Juraj Bella, NMR manager
Keywords: NMR spectrometer hardware, software maintence
Dr Lorna Murray, NMR technician
EPP (Edinburgh Pharmaceutical Processes) Ltd
Dr Alan Boyd, NMR Specialist
Keywords: Quantitative NMR, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), contract research, synthesis, structure determination
EPP Ltd is unusual and different from other Contract Research Organisations. We have our own in-house, GLP compliant, NMR facility. We provide stand alone NMR services to clients in addition to supporting our other contract research work, including synthesis and structure determination. A major part of our work is quantitative NMR using proton and phosphorous-31. This is used to assay the purity of agrochemical and pharmaceutical products.
Dr Alan Boyd is EPP's NMR specialist with many years’ experience in the field spanning over 40 years. He has previously worked at both Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt universities, and also at the BP Research Centre in Sunbury-on-Thames. He has used most forms of high-resolution liquid-state NMR, and has long experience of running an efficient NMR service.
Dr David Tredgett, General Manager
Keywords: Contract research, synthesis, structure determination, quantitative NMR, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)
EPP Ltd is a Contract Research Organisation specialising in analytical and screening, physico-chemical testing, environmental science and research & development. We have our own in-house, GLP compliant, NMR facility to support all aspects of our R&D work including the synthesis of NMR certified reference standards.
Dr David Tredgett is responsible for the operational side of the business and has ultimate legal responsibility for the GLP service in his capacity of GLP Named Operator.
University of Glasgow
Institute of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology
Dr Brian O. Smith, Lecturer, Head of NMR Facility
Keywords: Protein structure, protein dynamics, protein-protein interactions, protein-ligand interactions
I use NMR as a tool to understand complex biological processes at the molecular level. My research covers a broad range of topics including natural surfactant proteins, sensors of inorganic stimuli (e.g. light, inorganic ions), and lipid binding proteins. I use NMR to determine the 3D structures of proteins and nucleic acids, and to probe their dynamics and interactions.
University of Glasgow
School of Chemistry
Dr David Adam, NMR Manager
Keywords: NMR service
Heriot-Watt University
Institute of Chemical Sciences
Dr David Ellis, Experimental NMR officer, Head of NMR Facility
Keywords: NMR spectroscopy, diffusion, photocatalysis, fluctionality.
The HW NMR unit supports research groups within the Institute of Chemical Sciences and elsewhere in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Specific areas of interest include the study of fluctionality in boron cluster compounds (with Alan Welch), the solid-state characterisation of 3D conjugated polymers for heterogeneous catalysis and 19F NMR for monitoring trifluoromethylation (with Filipe Vilela), and the self-diffusion of switchable micelles (with Ruaraidh McIntosh).
University of St Andrews
School of Biology
Dr Uli Schwarz-Linek, Senior Lecturer
Keywords: Proteins, infections, protein interactions
We investigate the molecular basis for the subversion of host cell signalling and uptake processes by Streptococcus pyogenes and the autoimmune response triggered by some streptococcal infections.
University of St Andrews
School of Chemistry
Keywords: Self-Assembly and Self-Replication Processes
Our Research Group is concerned with the study of non-covalent interactions at a fundamental level and the application of this knowledge in the transfer of concepts from biology to chemistry. We are interested in developing synthetic routes to complex mesomolecular systems through the programmed application of a fundamental understanding of non-covalent interactions in self-assembly and self-replication processes. Our research involves the interplay of experimental and computational methods - including synthetic chemistry, NMR spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations - for the design and construction of these systems.
Dr Tomas Lebl, Senior Scientific Officer, NMR manager
Keywords: NOMAD, natural products, lignin modifications, organotin compounds
My role is to run the liquid state NMR facility in St Andrews and participate in various projects as a liquid state NMR specialist. We provide a broad portfolio of experiments for elucidation of structures, dynamics and kinetics of molecules in solution
Prof Sharon Ashbrook, FRSE, FRSC, Chair in Physical Chemistry,
Keywords: solid state NMR, high-pressure minerals, microporous framework materials, first principle calculations, ceramics, quadrupolar nuclei.
Our research aims to combine NMR spectroscopy with first-principles calculations to investigate structure, disorder and dynamics in the solid state. Research involves the development of new experiments, implementation and improvement of existing experiments and the application to systems of interest in chemistry, geology and materials science. Particular emphasis is given to nuclei which possess a nuclear electric quadrupole moment, such as 17-O, 23-Na or 27-Al, which account for over 75% of all NMR-accessible nuclides. Current areas of interest include high-pressure minerals, microporous framework materials and ceramic materials proposed for the encapsulation of nuclear waste.
Dr Daniel Dawson, NMR manager
Keywords: solid state NMR,
My role is to run the solid state NMR facility in St Andrews and participate in various projects as a solid state NMR specialist.
University of Strathclyde
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry
Dr John A. Parkinson, Senior Research Fellow, Head of NMR Facility
Keywords: Biomolecules, complex mixtures, DNA, NMR methods
My interests lie in the fields of (bio)molecular structure, recognition and reactivity, molecular self-assembly, reaction monitoring, studies of small molecule structure and dynamics and applications of NMR diffusometry, pureshift and related methods for understanding data from complex mixtures to complex structures. I works closely with the medicinal chemistry group working on the development of new DNA minor-groove binding molecules with antibiotic activity. A major theme that has emerged in recent years has been the investigation by NMR spectroscopy of enzyme reaction systems in the context of venoms from bees and snakes in close collaboration with Dr. Mark Dufton and Dr. David Watson.
Mr Craig Irvine, NMR Technician
Keywords: NMR service
University of the West of Scotland
School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences
Dr Mostafa Rateb, Lecturer in Natural Product Chemistry
Keywords: NMR service