Personal statement

Glenn A. Burley (GAB) is Professor of Chemical Biology at the University of Strathclyde. The main focus of GAB’s research programme is the development of molecular probes to further our understanding of processes involved in gene expression. GAB was awarded a Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry (Hon. I) and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Wollongong, Australia. GAB was a post-doctoral fellow in the Fullerene Science Centre at the University of Sussex (2001-2003) and an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the University of Munich (2004-2006). GAB began his independent career as an EPSRC Advanced Fellow in 2007 at the University of Leicester, before moving to Strathclyde in 2011.

Publications

Profiling sulfur(VI) fluorides as reactive functionalities for chemical biology tools and expansion of the ligandable proteome: Gilbert Katharine E, Vuorinen Aini, Aatkar Arron, Pogány Peter, Pettinger Jonathan, Grant Emma K, Kirkpatrick Joanna M, Rittinger  Katrin, House David, Burley Glenn A, Bush Jacob T; ACS Chemical Biology (2023); https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.2c00633
Fluorous-directed assembly of DNA origami nanostructures: Zou Jiajia, Stammers Ashley C, Taladriz-Sender Andrea, Withers Jamie M, Christie Iain, Santana Vega Marina, Aekbote Badri L, Peveler William J, Rusling David A, Burley Glenn A, Clark Alasdair W; ACS Nano Vol 17, pp. 752–759 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c10727
Surface passivation with a perfluoroalkane brush improves the precision of single-molecule measurements: Bueno-Alejo Carlos J, Santana Vega Marina, Chaplin Amanda K, Farrow Chloe, Axer Alexander, Burley Glenn A, Dominguez Cyril, Kara Hesna, Paschalis Vasileios, Tubasum Sumera, Eperon Ian C, Clark Alasdair W, Hudson Andrew J; ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Vol 14, pp. 49604-49616 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c16647
Oligonucleotide-recognizing topoisomerase inhibitors (OTIs) : precision gene editors for neurodegenerative diseases?: Bax Ben D, Sutormin Dmitry, McDonald Neil Q, Burley Glenn A, Shelkovnikova Tatyana; International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol 23 (2022); https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911541
Biophysical characterisation of the Bcl-x pre-mRNA and binding specificity of the ellipticine derivative GQC-05 : implication for alternative splicing regulation: Bhogadia Mohammed, Stone Beth, Del Villar Guerra Rafael, Muskett Frederick W, Ghosh Sudipta, Taladriz-Sender Andrea, Burley Glenn A, Eperon Ian C, Hudson Andrew J, Dominguez Cyril; Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences Vol 9 (2022); https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2022.943105
Biosynthesis of aurodox, a Type III secretion system inhibitor from Streptomyces goldiniensis: McHugh Rebecca E, Munnoch John T, Braes Robyn E, McKean Iain J W, Giard Jospehine, Taladriz-Sender Andrea, Peschke Frederik, Burley Glenn A, Roe Andrew J, Hoskisson Paul A; Applied and Environmental Microbiology Vol 88 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00692-22

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Research interests

The Burley group applies a problem-based ethos that utilizes synthetic organic chemistry, biosynthesis and physical organic chemistry to explore regulatory mechanisms of transcription and RNA processing. In collaboration with bio-engineers, the group is constructing a new generation of nucleic acid-programmed nano-assemblies for diagnostic and light-harvesting applications.

Three nodes of research are currently being pursued:

Chemical Biology of alternative RNA splicing (in collaboration with Prof. Ian Eperon, University of Leicester) – Alternative RNA splicing is a major contributor to protein diversity and genetic regulation operating in eukaryotic cells, yet the mechanisms by which it is regulated are poorly understood. This research programme is aimed at unravelling fundamental issues associated with splice site selection using small molecule and large molecule (oligonucleotides and protein hybrids) probes. These methods are being applied to further our understanding in diseases such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Prostate Cancer.
DNA-based construction of molecular devices (in collaboration with Prof. Richard Cogdell FRS & Dr Alasdair Clark, University of Glasgow) - We are currently developing self-assembly approaches for the construction of DNA-programmed optoelectronic and light-harvesting devices. DNA-binding molecules are being developed that read the genetic code of DNA and direct the assembly of noble metal nanoparticles and light-harvesting proteins in defined positions along a DNA nanostructure. We are now applying this technology to build DNA-programmed light-harvesting devices and plasmonic waveguides for molecular electronics and medical diagnostic applications.
Synthetic Organic Chemistry (in collaboration with Dr Allan Watson, University of St. Andrews) - New bioconjugation methodology is being developed using ynamines as a new generation of click chemistry reagents. These functional groups display unique reactivity relative to their alkyne cognates enabling the efficient and chemoselective construction of bioconjugates and as target identificaiton and validation tools in chemical biology.

See www.burleylabs.co.uk for further details.

Professional activities

Invited talk: Speaker; 28/11/2022
OMC2022 - Organic and Medicinal Chemistry Conference: Participant; 20/11/2022
Invited talk: Speaker; 4/11/2022
Invited talk: Speaker; 19/10/2022
Dynamic Biosensors Users Meeting: Speaker; 7/9/2022
Invited talk: Speaker; 14/6/2022

More professional activities

Projects

TargoPep: a cell selective delivery platform for therapeutic payloads (Follow on Fund): Burley, Glenn (Principal Investigator) MacKay, Simon (Co-investigator) Perrie, Yvonne (Co-investigator) McWhinnie, Fergus (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2024
Taking TargoPep Ltd. to market’: Burley, Glenn (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2024
Listening to Vibrational Whispers: The Role of Dynamics in DNA recognition: Burley, Glenn (Principal Investigator); 10-Jan-2022 - 09-Jan-2025
Industrial CASE Account - University of Strathclyde 2022 | Barr, Fraser: Tomkinson, Nick (Principal Investigator) Burley, Glenn (Co-investigator) Barr, Fraser (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2022 - 01-Jan-2026
TargoPep: A new modality for the intracellular delivery of transformative therapeutics using medicinal chemistry techniques in a chemical biology setting.: Burley, Glenn (Principal Investigator); 06-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2023
Doctoral Training Partnership 2020-2021 University of Strathclyde | Salihovic, Admir: Burley, Glenn (Principal Investigator) Hoskisson, Paul (Co-investigator) Salihovic, Admir (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2021 - 01-Jan-2025

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Address

Pure and Applied Chemistry
Thomas Graham

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