BioUpdate Tutors

Tony Auffret

Tony Auffret, Ph.D., B.Sc., Manager in the Pharmaceutical Research and Development Department at Pfizer Global R&D, Sandwich Laboratories. Trained as a protein chemist his early research career included positions at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the University Chemical Laboratory, Cambridge.

Since moving to industry he has also had senior R&D management posts at Pharmacia LKB Biochrom and at Pafra Biopreservation.

Françoise Corbineau

Françoise Corbineau is Professor of Plant Physiology at the University Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris and Head of the Research Group ‘Seed Physiology’. Her scientific work centres on the physiology , biochemistry and hormonal regulation of seed germination, with emphasis on dormancy and seed responses to abiotic stresses, ageing and storage of orthodox and recalcitrant seeds, and the evaluation and improvement of seed quality. She is a Corresponding Member of the French Academy of Agriculture and author or co-author of some 190 research publications and several book chapters.

Marc Descamps

Marc Descamps Ph.D. is Professor in Condensed Matter Physics and Head of the Technological Research Group 'Therapeutic Materials' at the University of Lille. He is the author of 150 publications in international journals and he has collaborated with several large pharmaceutical companies. His research interests include: phase transitions in molecular materials, plastic crystals and and studies of the structural properties of pharmaceutical solids by a variety of physicochemical techniques.

Ian Feavers

Ian Feavers is a Principal Scientist in the Division of Bacteriology at the NIBSC, UK. In addition to his active research programme on the molecular genetics and immunology of meningococcal and pneumococcal antigens, his laboratory is responsible for the control of meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccines. With a broad experience of bacterial vaccines and molecular biology, he is closely involved with a number of vaccine developments. He regularly contributes to WHO and EU guidelines and is a member of the HPA's Vaccine Programme Board.

Felix Franks

Felix Franks PhD, DSc, FRSC is a Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge, he is a Director of the BioUpdate Foundation and has held senior positions in universities and industry. He has extensive research, teaching and consulting experience in the biophysical chemistry of proteins and carbohydrates, in solution and the dry state, with emphasis on pharmaceutical R & D, and he has for several years chaired the Royal Society of Chemistry's Biotechnology Group and the Post-Experience Education Committee.

He is editor and contributing author of the seven-volume work Water - a comprehensive treatise and of several other books, including 'Freeze-drying of Pharmaceuticals and Biopharmaceuticals – Principles and Practice' (2007).

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Linda Gilmore

Linda Gilmore, BS, PhD has been for many years Reader in Biochemistry and is now biotechnology consultant with a research base in the Structural Biochemistry Group, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh.

She has major research collaborations in the UK, Belgium and France, and Visiting Professorial positions in Chile and Thailand.

Her particular fields of expertise include protein chemistry and protein engineering.

Elaine Gray

Elaine Gray is a Principal Scientist at NIBSC, UK, with responsibilities for the control and standardisation of antithrombotics and therapeutics related to haemostasis. She is closely involved with production of reference materials for unfractionated and low molecular weight heparins and her laboratory is active in research and assay development of heparin related products for use as antithrombotics as well as other novel indications.

Stephen Harding

Stephen Harding is a Professor at the University of Nottingham School of Biosciences and co-director of the National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics. He is an expert on the biophysical properties of polysaccharides and has a particular interest in the use of polysaccharides as mucoadhesives in the pharmaceutical industry and in the use of mixed polysaccharide/protein systems in the food industry.

Chris Jones

Chris Jones is Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Structure at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, South Mimms. He has been involved in the characterisation and quality control of polysaccharide and glycoconjugate vaccines, and in the development of international regulatory standards for these products.

Barbara Mulloy

Barbara Mulloy works in the Laboratory for Molecular Structure at NIBSC, UK, as a Principal Scientist. She is responsible for the physicochemical characterisation of heparin reference materials, including the development of novel methods. Her research interests are in the field of structural glycobiology, specialising in the structures of glycosaminoglycans and other sulfated polysaccharides, and the interactions of these compounds with proteins involved in their biological activities.

Berit Smestad Paulsen

Berit Smestad Paulsen is Professor in Pharmacognosy at the University of Oslo, Norway. She is an expert on polysaccharides and glycoproteins, with emphasis on those with a biological activity.

She has been the chairperson of the Natural Science Research Council of Norway. She is also a member of the Collegium at the University of Oslo and has been secretary of the International Carbohydrate Organisation.

Antje Rohde

Antje Rohde obtained her PhD on bud dormancy in poplar at the University of Ghent (Belgium). She has continued her investigations, using physiological, molecular, genomics and genetic approaches, and she is well known for her work on the molecular biology of dormancy development and other aspects of seasonal growth in Populus. A particular focus has been on integrating the molecular biology approaches in whole organism biology in trees. She is now group leader at the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (Belgium). Her work is centred on translational research - applying knowledge generated in model plants to breeding practice in forage crops. The development is focused on branching, yet another aspect related to activity and inactivity (dormancy) of meristems. Antje Rohde has a strong publication record on dormancy and has extensive teaching experience in genetics, plant physiology, and molecular breeding.

André Schram

André Schram, MSc, PhD currently holds positions as Professor in Applied Biology and Dean of Education in the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam.

He was previously leader of the Plant Biotechnology Group at Novartis Seeds, Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

He has particular expertise in molecular cell biology, plant biotechnology and protein drug development.

Frank Thielmann

Frank Thielmann obtained his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Düsseldorf, Germany. His research was focused on the characterisation of porous materials, and he continued this work at a Materials Research Institute in Hanover, Germany and then as Manager of Scientific Applications at Surface Measurement Systems, London. He now works in Inhalation Development & Technology at Novartis Pharma AG, in Basel, Switzerland. He is a member of APS and AAPS

Greg Tucker

Greg Tucker is Professor of Plant Biochemistry at Nottingham University.

He has worked for the past 25 years on the biochemistry and molecular biology of fruit ripening, in particular into the molecular mechanisms that cause cell wall degradation, concentrating on the pectins within the wall. The research approach is based on gene silencing technology, to specifically remove the activity of cell wall hydrolases and to determine the effect of this on cell wall composition and architecture.

Greg has published over 100 papers and articles on this subject and has edited 7 books including The biochemistry of fruit ripening and Enzymes in food processing. He is currently on the editorial board of Postharvest biology and technology and Molecular Biotechnology.