Postdoctoral researchers:
Dr Megan Shipton
Hi, I'm Megan and I joined the Powner group as a postdoctoral researcher in 2023. Before coming to UCL, I first completed an MSci in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry at Imperial College London, followed by a DPhil in Pharmacology at the University of Oxford as part of the Potter group. During my doctoral degree, I focused on the synthesis and chemical biology of inositol polyphosphates.
Dr Tasos Charitou
Tasos grew up in Drama, Greece. After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Ioannina, he moved to Manchester to work on visible light-enabled C-H activation within the Greaney group. He then stayed on for a PhD in CDT Integrated Catalysis (iCAT), during which he developed diverse methods for transition metal-free biaryl synthesis. Upon completion of his PhD studies, he joined the Powner group as a postdoctoral research associate, currently exploring prebiotic photochemical peptide ligation.
Dr Jasper Fairchild
After a brief foray into teaching at UCL, I decided to rejoin the Powner group as a postdoctoral research associate. Previously in the group, I worked on a prebiotic synthesis of pantetheine and the photochemical reaction of thioacids. Before my PhD, I completed my masters also at UCL under Prof. Jim Anderson on the synthesis of novel firefly luciferin and infra-luciferin analogues for bioluminescence imaging. Outside of the lab I like to tend to my marine aquarium and travel.
PhD Students:
Max Satterly Webley
I am from Southampton on the south coast of the UK. I completed an MSci in Chemistry with industrial experience at the University of Bristol, also undertaking a 12-month research internship at Bayer CropScience in the Early Discovery department where I synthesised herbicidally active small molecules for in vivo and in vitro testing. During my final year MSci project, I investigated the automatability of photochemical reactions in the Aggarwal Lab using the Chemspeed Swing automation platform. My work in the Powner Lab is centred around developing nucleic acid coded peptide synthesis to investigate how the central dogma of molecular biology emerged on a prebiotic earth. When not in the lab, I enjoy film photography, playing guitar and piano and playing chess.
Emily Goff
I’m Emily and I grew up in Waterford, in the “Sunny South-East” of Ireland. I completed my four year undergraduate degree in Chemistry of Pharmaceutical Compounds at University College Cork. During this time, I completed a five month internship as a chemist at Merck Sharpe and Dohme (MSD). My final year research project explored the potential of enantioselective copper bis(oxazoline) catalysts in intermolecular C-H insertion. My project aims to build on our knowledge of Catalytic Peptide Ligation (CPL). With this in mind, we aim to advance our understanding of the origins of the central dogma of molecular biology and develop a novel methodology for orthogonally controlled organocatalytic synthesis of peptides and nucleic acids in water. Outside of the lab I enjoy running, baking, and going out with friends.
Shane Barrett Kavanagh
Shane grew up in Waterford, a small historical city in the southeast of Ireland. He read Chemical Sciences at Trinity College Dublin, specialising in Medicinal Chemistry. He carried out his Capstone Project on the total synthesis of natural products in the Lawrence Group at the University of Edinburgh via an Erasmus+ Traineeship. For this work, he was awarded the Cocker Prize in Chemistry at Trinity. He has undertaken industrial placements at Sanofi and Bausch + Lomb, respectively. His research in the Powner Lab is currently focused on prebiotic phosphorylation reactions. He is passionate about education equality and STEM outreach and enjoys working in these areas. In his spare time, Shane is trying to identify London’s finest pint of Guinness!
Luis Ohlendorf
For my BSc and MPhil, I worked on SARS-CoV-2 evolution and vaccine development (Regensburg University and University of Cambridge). I am interested in the interactions between different RNA species in a hypothetical RNA world, the catalytic capabilities of RNA, and general questions about the origin of life and evolution.
Maoyan Dou
Hi, I’m Maoyan. I obtained my BSc in Applied Chemistry from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology. I subsequently completed my MSc at UCL in 2025, carrying out my research project in the Powner group, and returned in 2026 to begin my PhD. My research focuses on catalysis by short peptides in water, exploring how this can promote selective coupling between RNA and amino acids in a prebiotic context. Outside the lab, I enjoy finding interesting videos online and playing video games.
Joel Sergeant
I’m Joel and I come from the rural southwest of England. I did an MSci degree in chemistry at UCL with a final year project focused on improving antibody-drug conjugates in the Baker/Chudasama lab. In the Powner lab I’m investigating the chemistry of RNA and peptides, aiming to build the bridge between non-life and life. When away from the lab I'll either be be playing piano, enjoying nature, or finding various side projects to keep busy, often involving comp chem.
Alumni:
Postdoctoral Researchers:
Present: 2020-2026
Research:RNA Aminoacylation and peptidyl-RNA synthesis
Subsequent position: Assistant professor, IIT Roorkee
Present: 2023-2024
Research: RNA aminoacylation
Subsequent position: Chemical Biologist, Siftr Bio
Present: 2017-2024
Research: Prebiotic nucleic acid and peptide synthesis
Subsequent position: Senior Research Fellow, University College London
Present: 2013-2022
Research: Prebiotic nucleic acid and peptide synthesis
Subsequent position: Lecturer in Chemistry, Kings College London
Present: 2014-2020
Research: Prebiotic synthesis of RNA nucleotides, lipids and amino acids.
Subsequent position: Senior Chemist at Concept Life Sciences
Present: 2017-2020
Research: Prebiotic synthesis of cysteine peptides
Subsequent position: Higher Medical Device Specialist at Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Present: 2019-2020
Research: Crystallisation techniques and strategies for the synthesis of key prebiotic molecules.
Subsequent position: Scientific writer and Application project leader, Merck KGaA
Present: 2013-2016
Research: Prebiotic nucleotide synthesis
Subsequent position: Pharmaron, Inc.
PhD Students:
Graduated: 2026
Thesis: Investigations of cofactor structure and function at the origins of life
Subsequent position: Entrepreneur/tutor
Graduated: 2025
Thesis: Investigations in the prebiotic chemistry of thioethers
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Lane group, UCL
Graduated: 2024
Thesis: On the spontaneous formation of peptides and the aetiology of proline peptides
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Miller group, Imperial
Graduated: 2023
Thesis: Chemoselective Syntheses of Pantetheine with Prebiotic Nitrile Chemistry and an Investigation of the Photochemical Reactivity of Thioacids in Water
Subsequent position: Organic Chemistry Experimental Officer, UCL
Graduated: 2023
Thesis: Studies towards organocatalytic triose glycolysis and sulfide mediated peptide ligation at the origins of life
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Todd group, UCL
Graduated: 2023
Thesis: Chemical studies into the aetiology of proteinogenic amino acids
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Powner group, UCL
Graduated: 2021
Thesis: Studies Towards Nucleic Acids at the Origins of Life
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Szostak Lab, UChicago
Graduated: 2020
Thesis: Studies of prebiotic physical models towards understanding the emergence of biological homochirality
Subsequent position: Programme manager, Bridge Valley Ventures
Graduated: 2019
Thesis: Thiol catalysed prebiotic peptide ligations in water
Subsequent position: Business management consultant
Graduated: 2019
Thesis: Prebiotic peptide elongation by the chemoselective ligation of aminonitriles
Subsequent position: Data scientist
Graduated: 2018
Thesis: Studies towards the prebiotic synthesis of nucleotides and amino acids
Subsequent position: Associate editor, Nature Chemistry
Graduated: 2018
Thesis: The prebiotic synthesis of furanosyl-nucleosides
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Balasubramanian group, Cambridge
Graduated: 2017
Thesis: Studies towards the prebiotic synthesis and phosphorylation of ribonucleotides
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral fellow, Santa Fe Institute
Graduated: 2016
Thesis: Studies Towards a Chemical Origins of RNA: Divergent Prebiotic Synthesis of Pyrimidine and 8-oxo-Purines Ribonucleotides
Subsequent position: Teaching GCSE and A-level chemistry
Graduated: 2016
Thesis: Studies toward a prebiotic protometabolism
Subsequent position: Analyst
Masters Students:
Rafeef Al-Shuwaykh, MSc
Dou Maoyan, MSc
Yuan Yao, MSci
Feixue Meng, MRes
Francesca Ridgeway Bishop, MSci
William Sheppard, MSci
Atthapol Tweesri, MRes
Ruocen Sun, MSci
Harry Bell, MSci
Huajing Lui, MRes
Rang Wan, MRes
Sophie Walpole, MSci
Aminat Amoo, MSci
Yisi (Jasmina) Lui, MRes
Alex Heaton MSci
Cheng (Frank) Cen, MSci
Jawaher Al Nawah, MRes
Benjamin Colville, MSci
Marcos Fernandez, MSci
James Rushworth, MSci
Giuliamonica Leonardi, MRes
Conrad Lim, MSci
Kevin O’Loughlin, MRes
Xinglin (Lynne) Yang, MSci
Raquel Fraquel, MSci
Chenye Sun, MSci
Izaak Fryer-Kanssen, MSci
Harriet Story, MSci
Summer Students:
Min Gyu Choi (Seoul National University)
Conrad Lim (RSC-Nuffield Scholarship)
Raquel Fraquel (Nuffield Scholarship)