Press Releases
February 5, 2008
Less waste in the synthesis of anti-inflammatory drugs
Dr Francesca Paradisi of the Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology (CSCB) at University College Dublin, and Professor Daria Giacomini and co-workers at the University of Bologna, Italy, have developed a highly efficient enzyme-driven process which could be applied to the synthesis of drugs such as Ibuprofen, avoiding the 50% waste of the undesired byproduct generated by current processes.
February 4, 2008
Making an advance in the war against cancer cells
Dr Matthias Tacke and his research team at the CSCB and the UCD School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology have recently published highly significant preclinical results on the anti-tumour activity of Titanocene Y on human breast tumours and in a mouse model.
October 16, 2007
RCSI chemists travel chemical space in search for new medicines
Dr Mauro Adamo is using an approach called Diversity Oriented Synthesis to generate important classes of compounds which have demonstrated antimicrobial activity and have been found to be useful as anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-tumour compounds.
July 16, 2007
Nobel laureate for "Green Chemisty" receives UCD Ulysses Medal
US Nobel Laureate Professor Robert H. Grubbs, whose work has led to more efficient and more environmentally friendly chemical synthesis methods, has been presented with the UCD Ulysses Medal. Professor Grubbs visited UCD to attend the 15th European Symposium on Organic Chemistry (ESOC 2007) on July 13, 2007.
April 26, 2007
Novel anti-inflammatory agents - UCD researchers design a lipoxin that lasts
A multi-disciplinary team including Professor Pat Guiry of the CSCB and Professor Catherine Godson, Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics at UCD Conway Institute are unravelling the story of inflammation and the role played by lipoxins in regulating the process.
April 19, 2007
Researchers develop economic system for expanding stem cells to form cartilage tissue
Professor Al-Rubeai with collaborators from the University of Birmingham and the Smith & Nephew research centre have developed an economical tissue engineering approach which could offer new possibilities for restoring damaged or lost knee cartilage tissue.
March 9, 2007
CSCB and TCD researchers team up with Teagasc to study food supplement that could prevent the development of diabetes and atherosclerosis
Research paves the way for developing a pure nutraceutical which could be incorporated into our diet to help protect us against heart disease and diabetes
January 11, 2007
Engineered biosynthesis – a path to new and improved antibiotics
Dr Patrick Caffrey is working on engineering biosynthesis of less toxic amphotericin derivatives. Initial work involved cloning and sequencing of amphotericin biosynthetic genes and developing methods for manipulating these genes within Streptomyces nodosus.
November 24, 2006
TCD researchers chart chemical space in the search for new breast cancer treatments
The research group led by CSCB investigator Dr Mary Meegan tested 12 compounds against estrogen receptor (ER) positive cancer cell lines and found that they performed up to 100 times better than Tamoxifen.
November 17, 2006
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance observes inhibitors bound to enzymes
CSCB and UCD Conway investigators Professor Paul Malthouse and Dr Chandralal Hewage are using the latest NMR technology to study proteins implicated in diabetes and obesity-related disorders.
September 12, 2006
UCD researchers a step closer to finding a new way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
A new technology being developed by CSCB researchers aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing carbon dioxide from exhaust streams before it is released into the atmosphere.
August 18, 2006
NO better way to discover potential new drugs
A research team led by CSCB researcher Dr Celine Marmion from the RCSI aims to develop a new class of metal-based anti-cancer agents beyond those currently in use.
July 5, 2006
Computer model paves way for virtual screening of treatments for prostate condition
Dr Isabel Rozas, a CSCB researcher from Trinity College Dublin has recently published work in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry which could help researchers design new drug treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BDH).
June 1, 2006
SFI PIYRA researcher designs web-based biotech tool
Dr Jens Nielsen has developed a unique online tool called the pKD web server, which allows scientists to study the biology of their protein at the click of a button.
May 25, 2006
Designer biocatalysts - Chemists, biochemists and engineers join forces
Researchers in the Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology and the UCD Conway Institute promise to offer a versatile range for amino acid production in the manufacturing industry.
May 17, 2006
From bench to business - A campus company with catalysts for success
Campus spin-off company Celtic Catalysts has successfully realised the commercial potential of novel synthetic strategies developed within the UCD School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. The company has developed new chiral catalysts, which can be scaled up efficiently for industrial use.
May 12, 2006
Understanding the role of free radicals in thrombosis could lead to new therapy
Anthranilic hydroxamic acid (AHA) derivatives synthesised by Dr Marc Devocelle, Professor Kevin Nolan and Professor Des Fitzgerald have shown significant biological activity in inhibiting the free radical activity that can contribute to cardiovascular diseases.
May 5, 2006
CSCB awards €960,000 in PhD studentships to UCD researchers
The CSCB has awarded PhD studentships to fund the work of 12 UCD PhD students. The range of projects covered aims towards discovering new therapeutic agents for a range of diseases and improving our understanding of the chemical-biological processes of life and the environment.
April 7, 2006
CSCB researchers discover potential chemotherapy agent for treating kidney cancer
CSCB researcher Dr Matthias Tacke’s work on titanocene-based anti-cancer drugs aims to promote an improved titanocene into a clinical Phase I study against renal cell cancer in the near future.
March 29, 2006
Naked-eye sensors detect biologically important anions
New naked-eye colorimetric anion sensors developed by Professor Thorri Gunnlaugsson and Dr Paul Kruger, CSCB researchers at Trinity College Dublin, have potential for checking water quality and detecting the presence of anions in biological samples.
February 2, 2006
Taoiseach opens UCD Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology building
On Thursday, February 2, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern officially opened the new UCD Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology (CSCB) building on the Belfield campus.
October 24, 2005
Astellas USA Foundation Award for UCD Researcher
Dr Paul V. Murphy, a senior lecturer in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at UCD and a principal investigator in the CSCB, received an Astellas USA Foundation award.
