Project
Link4Lectin is a four-year project that aims to exploit the unique properties of mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs like [n]catenanes and [n]rotaxanes) to create modular hybrid compounds with potential for antimicrobial activity, by bringing together lectin-targeting and active metal complexes.
Personnel and Partners
This Starting Laureate Award was awarded to Dr Joseph Byrne in 2022. PhD students Thomas Rabbitte and Sophie Kavanagh are developing new molecules as part of this project at University College Dublin
Funding
This project is supported by the Irish Research Council as part of the Laureate Awards 2022.
Outputs
This work has also been presented at ICI Congress
Related News:
Joe speaks at European Glycoscience Community webinar series
Joe was invited to present recent results from the group as part of the EGC webinar series. A video of the webinar is available on YouTube.
Welcome to Rosa, Finn and Hubert
The group now has 6 full-time researchers, with the arrival of postdoc Rosa and two new PhD students Finn and Hubert. [click for details]
Lab Awarded Sustainability Certificate
The Byrne, Hooper and Phillips Groups were awarded Green Certification by MyGreenLabs as part of a Research Ireland pilot programme on sustainability [click for more]
New publication: Metallodrugs in OBC
In this article, we show how metal complexation can modulate biological activity of glycoconjugate ligands against pathogens. Well done to Karolina and our collaborators on this work [click image for more]
Thomas & Joe speak at EuChemS-9, Sophie and Hannah present posters
Thomas & Joe gave talks at ECC-9, while Sophie and Hannah presented their research in poster sessions at this major international conference. [click image for more…]
Welcome to our summer students!
This summer we are joined by two visiting students from Arcadia University Study Abroad Programme and one student from Zhejiang Normal University (as part of UCD Chemistry’s ZJNU Summer School). Wanyujin is also back with us as a research assistant on the SugarCoat project. We hope it is a productive exchange for everyone!
Sophie leads student visit as part of CuriosiTY programme
Sophie Kavanagh wrote about her experience hosting TY school students on the CuriosiTY programme in our lab for some engaging science outreach as part of Systems Biology Ireland’s blog. [click to read more]
Hannah wins poster prize at ICI Congress
Members of the group attended the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland’s Congress in Queens University Belfast this week. Two projects were presented as posters and Hannah won a poster prize for her work! [click image for more]
Joe awarded IRC Laureate Starting Award
Joe has been awarded an IRC Laureate Starting Award (€399k) for a new project “Mechanically linked molecular strategy for novel antimicrobial agents, pairing bioactive metal complexes with targeting of the carbohydrate-binding proteins of bacteria”. [click for more info]
Byrne Research Group 