Research Associate at the University of York working the Mathematical Virology group under Reidun Twarock. Research focuses on RNA - Coat protein interactions in single-stranded RNA viruses, in-particular discovering and characterising Packaging Signals (PSs). I also work on the virus-like particle (VLP) generation by directed evolution and develop software for the analysis of X-ray foot-printed RNA samples for secondary structure interrogation.
My PhD was undertaken at the University of Manchester looking at the relationship between sequence and function in peptides, and using machine learning to design new peptide sequences for a particular function. My work focused mainly on antimicrobial peptides, which kill and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi, and placental homing peptides, which bind specifically to placental tissues and so can be used as a method of targeting drugs specifically to this organ.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland