About
A brief description of who you are and what you do.
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Write about yourself in the third person. Aim for 100 to 150 words covering the main points about who you are and what you currently do. Clear, simple language is best. You can include specialist or technical terms.
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Research
Research interests
- DNA chemistry
- Nucleic acid chemistry
- Nucleic acid therapeutics
- Chemical biology
- Organic chemistry
Current research
We design and synthesise new analogues of DNA for analytical and biomedical applications. Our research lies at the interface between synthetic organic chemistry, medicine, and the life sciences. Current projects are described below.
Novel chemical modifications for nucleic acid therapeutics
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are analogues of DNA that selectively bind and regulate disease-causing RNA, enabling the precise targeting of disease. Consequently, ASOs are fast emerging as potent therapies for fighting severe, life-limiting illnesses where other approaches fail. In this project, we are developing new ASO analogues with the aim of developing cheaper, safer, and more effective treatments.
New bioconjugation tools for nucleic acid therapeutics
Targeted delivery remains a major challenge when developing therapeutic oligonucleotides. One option is to link the oligonucleotide to a targeting moiety or biomolecule to improve biodistribution. In addition, oligonucleotide-protein conjugates are gaining importance as diagnostic tools. Despite these exciting applications, conjugating an oligonucleotide to other moieties can be challenging. We are interested in developing new approaches for conjugating oligonucleotides with other biomolecules.
New tools to study nucleic acids
We design and apply chemically modified DNA to study and manipulate biological systems. By better understanding how nucleic acids behave in biological environments, we can start to develop new, more potent therapeutic agents.
Please visit our group website for more information
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Research groups
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Research interests
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Current research
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Describe your current research in 100 to 200 words. Write in the third person. Include broad key terms to help people discover your work, for example, “sustainability” or “fashion textiles”.
Research projects
Research Council funded projects will automatically appear here. The active project name is taken from the finance system.
Publications
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Supervision
Current PhD Students
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Teaching
A short description of your teaching interests and responsibilities.
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Courses and modules
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External roles and responsibilities
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Biography
Ysobel is a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Southampton. She was awarded her PhD in 2015 from the University of Cambridge, where she used chemical probes to study how pathogenic bacteria talk to each other under the supervision of Professor David Spring. From 2015–2021, she was a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Professor Tom Brown at the University of Oxford, where she designed and synthesised new chemical modifications for therapeutic oligonucleotides. Before joining the University of Southampton, she was a senior chemist at the Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA), a new Medical Research Council (MRC) unit.
Professional appointments
2022 - current: Royal Society University Research Fellow, School of Chemistry, University of Southampton
2021 - 2022: Senior Researcher, The Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA), Harwell
2015 - 2021: Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford
Qualifications
2015: PhD in Chemistry, University of Cambridge
2011: MChem (Master of Chemistry), University of Southampton: 1st Class (Hons)
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Prizes
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