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 Benji Thoma
Benji completed his undergraduate studies in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, undertaking summer research projects in the Nitschke group and the Stoltz group (Caltech). He completed his MSci at Cambridge in 2019 in the Gaunt group, investigating activity-based protein profiling warheads. Following the completion of his PhD in the Powner group, Benji has continued his research in prebiotic chemistry as a postdoc.
Dr Jyoti Singh
I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the UCL, and my research revolves around tackling the origin of life problem by using nucleotide specific catalyst. I have conducted my doctoral study at the University of Freiburg. My PhD work involved the design and development of synthetic technologies to access phosphorus-containing compounds for the biological application efficiently and straightforwardly. I have held a dual master’s degree from the University of Delhi, India and Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Japan. During my master’s thesis, I work on the synthesis of novel biodegradable polymers as well as studying optoelectronic property of the polymer films.
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.
Abid Barat
I was born in Baghlan, Afghanistan, but as a child I grew up in Peshawar, Pakistan. I arrived in the UK in 2008 and went to school in north west London. I then went to the University of Reading to study for an MChem degree. My final year project was on the synthesis of photocaged neurotransmitters, supervised by Dr Christopher Smith. During my Undergraduate studies I also undertook another 8-week summer research project, metal-free aryne mediated C-H bond activation, under the supervision of Dr Christopher jones, at QMUL. For this I was awarded the “RSC Summer UGBursary 2019”. During my undergraduate studies, I was also awarded the organic practical and Edward Guggenheim prize. I am now working on prebiotic peptide ligation for my PhD in mwp group. In my free time I enjoy cooking, running, and going to the gym.
Arran Collis
My name is Arran, and I come from a village called Angmering in West Sussex. I did a four year integrated masters in Natural Sciences at Cambridge, specialising in Chemistry. I was at Christ’s College, which was attended by Charles Darwin; here I am pictured sitting in his chair. Throughout my undergrad, I was interested in how chemical processes gave rise to living systems. This led me to focus on organic chemistry and its application to biology, and then to apply for a PhD in the Powner Lab. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, hiking, cooking, and the occasional trip to the pub.
Andrew Cummins
After growing up near Dundee (Scotland), Andrew moved southwards to undertake his MChem at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 2020. While at Edinburgh he undertook projects in the Lloyd-Jones, Cockroft and Thomas groups, work in the latter of which on iron-catalysed B₂pin₂ deuterogenolysis has been published. His final year MChem project on nickel-catalysed Heck reactions was performed under the supervision of Prof. Snyder at the University of Chicago. His work in the Powner group is currently focused on prebiotic cobalt catalysed reactions. In his spare time he would go to the pub or think about where he might next go on holiday, but instead he stays home and watches Netflix, reads the news obsessively, cooks, eats, and sleeps. It’s like Groundhog Day (a film Andrew has seen), but less funny.
Alumni:
Postdoctoral Researchers:
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: 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:
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)