About the Project
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a magnetic resonance technique that is exclusively and exquisitely sensitive to unpaired electrons that are found in radicals and paramagnetic metal complexes. Despite the relative rarity of unpaired electrons EPR finds widespread application in structural biology and biophysics, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis and materials science. The research in Dr Bela Bode’s group focuses on the characterisation and development of advanced EPR methods for applications in catalysis,1 structural biology,2,3 and materials science.4 This project will take advantage of recent developments in the EPR instruments, EPR experiments and data analysis and processing tools to push the current boundaries of EPR applications. The project will contain some laboratory component preparing samples but largely focus on EPR experimentation, analysis and data modelling to maximise the sensitivity as well as information accessible from the spectra. The application projects will be highly interdisciplinary and collaborative. Past PhD graduates have found themselves very well equipped with a broad range of skills relevant to their future career ambitions. The project will be based in the StAnD (St Andrews and Dundee) EPR grouping with expertise across EPR instrumentation, experiment design and applications in biology, chemistry and physics. St Andrews has world-leading EPR infrastructure with continuous wave and pulse EPR capabilities at 9, 34 and 94 GHz at temperatures of 1.5-300 K and cryogen-free helium recirculation cryostats in the two workhorse instruments.
We are looking for a highly motivated chemistry (or related discipline) graduate with a passion for research. Training will be provided as required.
Please direct any informal enquiries to Dr Bela Bode (beb2@st-andrews.ac.uk)
References
(1) S. Chabbra, D. M. Smith, N. L. Bell, A. J. B. Watson, M. Bühl, D. J. Cole-Hamilton, B. E. Bode, First experimental evidence for a bis-ethene chromium(I) complex forming from an activated ethene oligomerization catalyst Sci. Adv. 2020, 6, eabd7057.
(2) C. Rouillon, N. Schneberger, H. Chi, K. Blumenstock, S. Da Vela, K. Ackermann, J. Moecking, M. F. Peter, W. Boenigk, R. Seifert, B. E. Bode, J. L. Schmid-Burgk, D. Svergun, M. Geyer, M. F. White, G. Hagelueken, Antiviral signaling by a cyclic nucleotide activated CRISPR protease Nature 2023, 614, 168.
(3) K. Ackermann, S. Khazaipoul, J. l Wort, A. I. S. Sobczak, H. El Mkami, A. J. Stewart, B. E. Bode, Investigating native metal ion binding sites in mammalian histidine-rich glycoprotein, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 8064.
(4) B. E. Bode, E. Fusco, R. A. Nixon, C. Buch, H. Weihe, S. Piligkos, Dipolar-Coupled Entangled Molecular 4f Qubits, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 2877.
Continue with Facebook
