Dr David R.W. Hodgson

Personal web page

(email at d.r.w.hodgson@durham.ac.uk)

Research Interests

The group uses physical organic chemistry to underpin projects directed towards biological and synthetic chemistry problems. In particular, we are interested in phosphorylation chemistry, both from the synthetic chemistry point of view, and also in the context of enzyme systems such as protein kinases, polymerases and cyclases. We also have broader interests in the development of aqueous synthetic chemistry techniques where we rely on physical organic understanding to be able to design and improve these methodologies. In collaborations, we have also explored aspects of polysaccharide chemistry and nucleotide gelation. Within the Durham Chemistry community, our research falls within the remits of the Sustainable Chemistry and Catalysis research grouping, that underpins the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Processes, and the Biological Chemistry grouping, which links to the Biophysical Sciences Institute.

Selected Research Highlights

1) Aqueous Phosphorylation Chemistry

We are developing methods for the N-phosphorylation of amines. These include guanosine systems that are notoriously problematic because of their poor solubility properties.^{1, 2}

In addition, we are exploring aqueous N-thiophosphorylation of amines leading to thiophosphoramidate intermediates that can be S-alkylated readily to produce phosphodiester analogues in a straightforward manner under aqueous conditions.³

2) Other Aqueous Synthetic Methods

We are also developing aqueous methodologies for nucleoside-based transformations⁴ plus the reduction of organic azides.⁵

3) Bioconjugation Chemistry

We are developing the use of guanosine derivatives as transcription initiators for T7 RNA polymerase-catalysed transcriptions.^{1, 2} The resulting transcripts can then be conjugated to amine-reactive labels or probes (e.g. activated biotin esters) for further applications such as in vitro selection of ribozymes. 

4) Ribozyme Chemistry (with Hiroaki Suga)

In vitro selection of ribozymes allows for RNA molecules with cataclytic activities to be selected from large pools of random RNA sequences. We are working on systems that are able to form amino acids.

Collaborations

We are involved in several collaborative projects including work on:

1. Protein Kinases (with Martin Schröder⁶) and Adenylyl Cyclases (with Martin Cann^{7, 8})
2. Chitin and Chitosan (with Robert Edwards and David Apperley⁹)
3. Guanosine-based gelators (with Gang Wu¹⁰)
4. Herbicide Safeners (with Robert Edwards and Patrick Steel¹¹)

Selected Publications

1. Williamson; Cann; Hodgson Chem. Commun. 2007, 5096-5098.
2. Williamson; Hodgson Org. Biomol. Chem. 2008, 6, 1056-1062.
3. Trmčić; Hodgson Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 6156-6158.
4. Brear; Freeman; Shankey; Trmčić; Hodgson Chem. Commun. 2009, 4980-4981.
5. Norcliffe; Conway; Hodgson Tetrahedron Letters 2011, 52, 2730-2732.
6. Hodgson; Schröder Chem. Commun. 2011, 40, 1211-1223.
7. Hammer; Hodgson; Cann Biochem. J. 2006, 396, 215-218.
8. Townsend; Holliday; Fenyk; Hess; Gray; Hodgson; Cann J. Biol. Chem. 2009, 284, 784-791.
9. Watson; Apperley; Dixon; Edwards; Hodgson Biomacromolecules 2009, 10, 793-797.
10. Kwan; Delley; Hodgson; Wu Chem. Commun. 2011, 3882-3884
11. Brazier-Hicks; Evans; Cunningham; Hodgson; Steel; Edwards J. Biol. Chem. 2008, 283, 21102-21112.