Our research is focused on creating and developing chemical solutions to humanitarian challenges impacting marginalised groups

We are primarily interested in small molecule, peptide, polymer and carbohydrate solutions to understanding and treating neglected tropical diseases

Our work aims to contribute to the following United Nations Sustainable development goals

Group Aims

  1. Improve the quality of life of marginalised groups through exploring and developing solutions to chemical and biological challenges

  2. Develop international collaborations for the benefit of marginalised groups

  3. Raise awareness of humanitarian challenges

Current Focus

  1. Develop diagnostic platforms stable in a wide range of conditions, for a wide range of applications, for under $1 USD

  2. Understand the chemical and biological challenges of snake envenomation as a WHO Neglected Tropical Disease

  3. Raise awareness of Neglected Tropical Diseases

Current Research Streams

These are current projects the group is actively working on or are looking to explore further in the near future

Improving the robustness of lateral flow glyco-assay devices in biological and medically relevant media for researchers and public users

Understanding the components of snake venoms, specifically the sugar-binding components for targeting in diagnostics and use in pharmaceuticals

Develop synthetic chemical solutions for replacing protein-based lateral flow components

Key Publications

1. Baker A.N., Richards SJ., Guy C.S., Congdon T. R., Hasan M., Zwetsloot A.J., Straube A., Walker M., Chessa S., Pergolizzi G., Dedola S., Field R., Gibson M.I.,The SARS-COV-2 Spike Protein Binds Sialic Acids, and Enables Rapid Detection in a Lateral Flow Point of Care Diagnostic Device (The pre-print paper can be found on ChemRxiv here, Published online 15/6/20)

2. Baker A.N., Richard, SJ., Guy C.S., Congdon T. R., Hasan M., Zwetsloot A.J., Gallo A., Lewandowski J. R., Stansfeld P. J., Straube A., Walker M., Chessa S., Pergolizzi G., Dedola S., Field R., Gibson M.I., ACS Central Science, 2020, 6, 2046-52, The SARS-COV-2 Spike Protein Binds Sialic Acids and Enables Rapid Detection in a Lateral Flow Point of Care Diagnostic Device

Top 20 "Most Read Articles" on ACS Central Science 1 year after publication & Top 10 most cited articles of 2021 ACS Central Science

3. Baker A.N., Richards SJ., Pandey S., Guy C.S., Ahmad A., Hasan M., Biggs C.I., Georgiou P.G., Zwetsloot A.J., Straube A., Dedola S., Field R.A., Anderson N.R., Walker M., Grammatopoulos D., Gibson M.I., ACS Sensors, 2021, 6, 10, 3696-3705, Glycan-based Flow-Through Device for the Detection of SARS-COV-2 from Patient Swabs

These three publications demonstrated, for the first-time, the glycan binding specificity of SARS-COV-2 and used that knowledge to produce a rapid glycan-based diagnostic for COVID-19.

These papers were a collaboration between chemists, physicists, industry and the NHS.

4. Baker A.N., Congdon T. R., Richards SJ., Georgiou P.G., Walker M., Dedola S., Field R.A., Gibson M.I., ACS Polymer Au, 2021, End-Functionalized Poly(Vinyl Pyrrolidone) for Ligand Display in Lateral Flow Device Test Lines

Selected for the front cover of ACS Polymer Au & included in the ACS virtual issue - COVID-19: Challenges, Progress and Future Implications

5. Baker A.N., Muguruza A.R., Richards SJ., Georgiou P.G., Goetz S., Walker M., Dedola S., Field R.A., Gibson M.I., Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2021, Lateral Flow Glyco-Assays for the Rapid and Low-Cost Detection of Lectins - Polymeric Linkers and Particle Engineering are Essential for Selectivity and Performance

6. Baker A.N., Hawker-Bond W.G., Georgiou P.G., Dedola S., Field R.A., Gibson M.I., Chem. Soc. Rev., 2022, Glycosylated gold nanoparticles in point of care diagnostics: from aggregation to lateral flow

These publication refined the lateral flow glyco-assay concept and demonstrated its robustness and tune-ability. They also produced a “vegan” lateral flow device using synthetic polymers rather than proteins

This was a collaboration between chemists, physicists, industry and the NHS

Funders

BBSRC MIBTP Career Development Fellowships

The Royal Society Partnership Fund

EPSRC

VenomAid dx

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship

University of Warwick

Royal Society of Chemistry

Interested in joining or supporting?

Dr Baker is always on the look out for collaborators, students and funders. If you would like to join or support the group then please email Dr Baker using the link below