About Us

Introduction

The Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology is a collaboration in the chemical sciences between University College Dublin (UCD), Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). The UCD centre forms part of the UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research

The centre was established in Dublin in December 2001 and currently there are over 45 principal investigators and their research groups within the centre.

In August 2005, the UCD CSCB building, containing 2,200 square metres of research space, was completed and was officially opened by An Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern TD on February 2, 2006.

• Speech by the Taoiseach at the official opening of the UCD CSCB building
• Speech by UCD President Dr Hugh Brady at the official opening of the UCD CSCB building

UCD CSCB Building

Download movie files and see how the UCD CSCB building was built.

• CSCB Building movie 1 (.mov file)
• CSCB Building movie 2 (.mov file)

Since its establishment in December 2002, CSCB researchers have published over 300 scientific publications and raised over €17m in external grant funding. In addition, there have been 100 PhD graduates and over 50 postdoctoral fellows working in labs supervised by CSCB investigators. These scientists will play a pivotal role in the existing pharmaceutical and emerging biopharmaceutical industry in Ireland.

Research Programme

Chemical biology incorporates research that provides an understanding of the chemical basis of biology, development and use of biological tools for chemistry, development and use of chemical tools for biology and medicine.

Expertise within the centre encompasses these areas with a specific emphasis in bioactive molecule design and synthesis; synthetic and biosynthetic methodology development, analytical, computational, structural and supramolecular chemistry. Specific areas of interest within the centre include: carbohydrates, combinatorial chemistry, natural products, enzyme mechanisms, enzymes in synthesis, asymmetric catalysis, medicinal chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, drug delivery, sensors and imaging.