MANA Postdoctoral Fellow, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan
Ed returned to MANA, NIMS in 2021 to join the Functional Chromophores Group under Dr Jonathan Hill. Awarded a MANA postdoctoral fellowship, he briefly combined his heterocycle, polycyclic aromatics and co-ordination chemistry interests towards the development of novel photoelectronic assemblies, before discovering some molecules with remarkable and unusual self-assembly properties (publications in progress...)
Dr Chris Jones (Sep 2017-Jan 2019; Oct 2020-Apr 2021)
Teaching Laboratory Technician/Teaching Fellow, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London
Ed remained at QMUL as a Teaching Laboratory Technician, remaining in the group of Dr Chris Jones to explore aryne chemistry towards novel conjugated systems for semiconducting devices. Later, he continued this collaboration as a Teaching Fellow. After his first stint at NIMS (see below), he returned to complete two further works on aryne methodology and vanadium (in production).
JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow (Short-Term)/NIMS Postdoc, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan
Ed joined the Frontier Molecules Group at MANA-NIMS, Tsukuba, Japan under Dr Takashi Nakanishi to develop functional supramolecular liquids based on pyridines.
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry
In 2016, Ed started his current PDRA position in the group of Prof Denise Sheer in the Blizard Institute, working both with Dr Johan Aarum on protein assays and in the lab of Dr Chris Jones in the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences to make molecules and metal-ligand complexes to screen.
Research Technician, University of Southampton
Ed worked on a collaborative project for three months between Jon and Steve, making rotaxanes suitable for affecting the photophysical properties of lanthanides.
JSPS Summer Programme Fellow, University of Kanazawa, Japan
Having developed an interest in macrocyclic and supramolecular chemistry with the Goldup group, Ed was awarded a JSPS Summer Programme Fellowship to visit Kanazawa and work on the host-guest properties of pillarenes with a view to rotaxane formation.
Prof Stephen Goldup (Sep 2011-Sep 2015; Oct 2015-Jan 2016, joint)
PhD Studentship (QMUL Graduate Teaching Studentship), Queen Mary, University of London
(Visitor/Technician at Southampton Oct 2014-Sep 2015/Oct 2015-Jan 2016)
An Active-Template Mechanistic Approach to Homo- and Hetero-Circuit [3]Rotaxanes: Ed joined Steve's group at QMUL originally to work on his interests in rotaxanes in catalysis, but the unexpected discovery of a novel mechanically-interlocked molecule -- where two or more components are inseparable without breaking a covalent bond but are covalently bonded to each other -- as a side-product of an existing Copper-mediated Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition (CuAAC) synthesis prompted a full mechanistic investigation involving condition screens; testing new macrocycle, azide and alkyne components; developing new macrocycle syntheses; and a lot of ROESY analysis.
The group relocated to Southampton in 2014 where Ed joined them as a visitor, being adopted at QMUL by Prof Mike Watkinson -- now at Manchester Met -- then after completing his thesis, continued in Southampton as a technician to work on some novel rotaxanes for lanthanide complexation with Dr Jon Kitchen.
Prof Ganesan (Sep 2009-Mar 2011) (now at UEA)
MSc by Research (ISCE:Chem Studentship), University of Southampton
Analogues of Nelfinavir and Proteasome Inhibitors: During his MSc at Southampton, worked on the synthesis of a set of analogues of the HIV drug, Nelfinavir, for future screens for proteosome inhibition. Ed then passed the modular method onto another student who continued the work when Ganesan took up a professorship at UEA.
BSc(Hons), University of Bristol
Synthesis of 4-Mercapto-3-oxobutyric Acid as a Polyketide Synthase Trap: Ed worked in the group of Prof Tom Simpson during his BSc project year at Bristol, working on a small molecule to probe the actinorhodin Polyketide Synthase (actPKS) system. Under the guidance of Dr Chris Arthur, this involved the making and characterising of a new compound, as well as the transformation of E. coli to produce a protein for assays.
