Professor Colin Suckling

Research Professor

Pure and Applied Chemistry

Personal statement

Colin Suckling has been Freeland Professor of Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde since 1989. During the 1990s until 2002, he served successively as Dean of the Faculty of Science, Deputy Principal, and Vice Principal of the University of Strathclyde.  Much of Professor Suckling's work during that time was strategic including the development of inter-institutional and interdisciplinary research partnerships notably the research collaboration with the University of Glasgow (WestCHEM), which was recognized publicly with the award of OBE in 2006.

Recent and current research interests focus on the synthesis and properties of heterocyclic compounds designed as molecular probes for biological systems or as drugs.  Particular progress has been made in the field of fused pyrimidine compounds with anticancer and antiparasite activity and in the field of minor groove binders for DNA with antibacterial activity.  Several discoveries are entering pre-clinical development.

Professor Suckling's standing in the field of heterocyclic chemistry has been recognized by the award of the Adrien Albert Lectureship of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2009-10) and his appointment as chairman of the 2011 International Congress of Heterocyclic Chemistry to be held in Glasgow.

Publications

Insights into the spectrum of activity and mechanism of action of MGB-BP-3
Hind Charlotte, Clifford Melanie, Woolley Charlotte, Harmer Jane, McGee Leah M C, Tyson-Hirst Izaak, Tait Henry J, Brooke Daniel P, Dancer Stephanie J, Hunter Iain S, Suckling Colin J, Beveridge Rebecca, Parkinson John A, Sutton J Mark, Scott Fraser J
ACS Infectious Diseases Vol 8, pp. 2552-2563 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00445
Strathclyde Pandemic Research Journeys : Personal Accounts of Research During the Covid Period
Sutter Jens, Morton Alec, Maguire Roma, Littlejohn David, Allan Grant, Cogan Nicola, Combe Malcolm, Corrigan Damion, Cooper Benjamin, Egan Kieren, Flowers Paul, Grez Hidalgo Pablo, Inns Tom, Janssen Xanne, Kleczkowski Adam, MacBryde Jillian, Reilly Grant, Megiddo Itamar, Mwaura Samuel, Sharpe Tim, Sambajee Pratima, Suckling Colin, Carver Mark
(2022)
https://doi.org/10.17868/strath.00083221
Selective anti-Leishmanial Strathclyde minor groove binders using an N-oxide tail group modification
Perieteanu Marina C, McGee Leah MC, Shaw Craig D, MacMillan Donna S, Khalaf Abedawn I, Gillingwater Kirsten, Beveridge Rebecca, Carter Katharine C, Suckling Colin J, Scott Fraser J
International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol 23 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911912
Ratiometric imaging of minor groove binders in mammalian cells using Raman microscopy
Tentellino Christian, Tipping William J, McGee Leah M C, Bain Laura M, Wetherill Corinna, Laing Stacey, Tyson-Hirst Izaak, Suckling Colin J, Beveridge Rebecca, Scott Fraser J, Faulds Karen, Graham Duncan
RSC Chemical Biology Vol 3, pp. 1403-1415 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CB00159D
The parasitic worm product ES-62 protects the osteoimmunology axis in a mouse model of obesity-accelerated ageing
Harnett Margaret M, Doonan James, Lumb Felicity E, Crowe Jenny, Damink Roel Olde, Buitrago Geraldine, Duncombe-Moore Josephine, Wilkinson Debbie I, Suckling Colin J, Selman Colin, Harnett William
Frontiers in Immunology Vol 13 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.953053
Multitargeted anti-infective drugs : resilience to resistance in the antimicrobial resistance era
Suckling Colin J, Hunter Iain S, Scott Fraser J
Future Drug Discovery Vol 4 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.4155/fdd-2022-0001

More publications

Professional activities

From blue sky research to big data- external perspectives on making knowledge work
Speaker
6/2017
There's no escape - single target, multiple effects
Speaker
3/2015
The antibacterial drug, MGB-BP-3, from discovery to clinical trial
Speaker
2/2015
Drug discovery backwards -from biological activity to target
Speaker
7/2014
Royal Society of Chemistry, North East Region
Invited speaker
22/3/2011
International Conference on Chemistry for Mankind: Innovative Ideas in Life Sciences. ICCM-2011
Invited speaker
9/2/2011

More professional activities

Projects

S-MGBs to Treat Invasive and Serious Fungal Diseases (IFDs)
Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator) Hunter, Iain (Co-investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2022 - 30-Jan-2023
Investigating a novel class of Gram-negative active antibiotic suitable for clinical use
Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator) Hunter, Iain (Co-investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator) Tucker, Nicholas (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2020 - 30-Jan-2023
Development of a first-in-class IKKalpha inhibitor for the treatment of castrate resistant p
MacKay, Simon (Principal Investigator) Halbert, Gavin (Co-investigator) Paul, Andrew (Co-investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator) Watson, David (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2020 - 31-Jan-2024
Covid-19 Accelerated introduction of a novel class of resistance-proof antiviral drugs: Strathclyde Minor Groove Binders
Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2020 - 30-Jan-2020
Strathclyde COVID-19 Research Portfolio: Novel testing, digital health support and third sector collaboration for impact on social care
Bedford, Tim (Principal Investigator) Corrigan, Damion (Co-investigator) Dunlop, Mark (Co-investigator) Egan, Kieren (Co-investigator) Fleming, Leanne (Co-investigator) Flowers, Paul (Co-investigator) Grealy, Madeleine (Co-investigator) Hoskisson, Paul (Co-investigator) Hunter, Iain (Co-investigator) Janssen, Xanne (Co-investigator) Kirk, Alison (Co-investigator) Knifton, Lee (Co-investigator) Lenhart, Otto (Co-investigator) Maguire, Roma (Co-investigator) Morton, Alec (Co-investigator) Quinn, Neil (Co-investigator) Scott, Fraser (Co-investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator) Ward, Andrew (Co-investigator) Williams, Lynn (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2020 - 16-Jan-2021
A new drug discovery pipeline for animal African trypanosomiasis / R150401-2
Suckling, Colin (Principal Investigator) Burley, Glenn (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2016 - 30-Jan-2019

More projects