... understanding life in molecular detail

Dr Stuart Warriner

Chemical Biology, Chemical Genetics, Organic Synthesis


Research is focussed on using chemical methods to investigate biological problems across a range of biological processes including protein trafficking in plants to probing dynamic processes in proteins, investigating molecular interactions and devisign new strategies for the efficient discovery of bioactive molecules.

Current major projects include:
  • Chemical Modulators of peroxisomal protein trafficking
  • Chemical tools to probe protein dynamics
  • Activity directed synthesis
  • New methods for identification of small molecule protein targets

All our research is based on multidisciplinary science using the tools of chemistry to investigate a wide range of different biological processes. We collaborate extensively around the Astbury centre to make sure that we always use the latest state of the art technique to get insights into these exciting problems. A long standing programme of collaboration with Prof Alison Baker of the Centre for Plant Sciences uses chemical tools to give new insights into the process of peroxisomal protein trafficking and we have developed a number of new small molecule inhibitors of the process. In parallel a combination of peptide and molecular biology methods is giving us new insight into the events that control this key protein trafficking pathway. We also use our understanding of peptide chemistry and biophysical assays to explore protein protein interactions in a number of collaborations with Andy Wilson.

The relationship between protein structure and function is becoming more widely understood however proteins are dynamic species and understanding how dynamical properties affect function is very challenging. With Mike Webb and Arwen Pearson we are developing new photo-active derivitising agents that will enable the study of the dynamic changes involved in catalysis.

We are also interested in novel synthetic strategies to enable us to efficiently prepare biologically active molecules quickly and efficiently and collaborate with Prof. Adam Nelson on the development of Activity Directed Synthesis.  

Detailed research programme                  Close ▲
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Senior Lecturer

Royal Society European Postdoctoral Fellowship, (Louvain-la -Neuve, Be
University Research Fellow (Leeds) l998-2003
Lecturer (Leeds) 2003-2005

G13b, Chemistry
School of Chemistry
0113 343 6437
s.l.warriner@chem.leeds.ac.uk

http://www.chem.leeds.ac.uk/People/Warriner.html

Selected Publications

  1. Efficient discovery of bioactive scaffolds by activity-directed synthesis, Karageorgis G, Warriner S, Nelson A Nature Chemistry (2014) 6 872-876  DOI:10.1038/NCHEM.2034

  2. Experimental validation of plant peroxisomal targeting prediction algorithms by systematic comparison of in vivo import efficiency and in vitro PTS1 binding affinity, Skoulding NS, Chowdhary G, Deus MJ, Baker A, Reumann S, Warriner SL Journal of Molecular Biology (2015)  427 1085-1101. DOI:10.1016/j.jmb.2014.12.003

  3. Directed Synthesis with Intermolecular Reactions: Development of a Fragment into a Range of Androgen Receptor Agonists, Karageorgis G, Dow M, Aimon A, Warriner S, Nelson A Activity- Angewandte Chemie - International Edition (2015) 54 13538-13544. DOI:10.1002/anie.201506944

     

  4. Hydrocarbon constrained peptides-understanding preorganisation and binding affinity  Miles JA, Yeo DJ, Rowell P, Rodriguez-Marin S, Pask CM, Warriner SL, Edwards TA, Wilson AJ Chemical Science (2016) 7 3694-3702. DOI:10.1039/c5sc04048e