Our principal research interests lie in the development of novel therapeutic agents for potential use in the treatment of cancer, HIV-1 and bacterial infections. We also have interests in the development of novel nucleic acid biosensors and new in vitro methods for determining key pharmacological parameters of pharmaceutical drugs (e.g. log P, permeability, etc); the latter is undertaken in collaboration with Dr. Arno Kraft.

Peptides derived from nucleoside beta-amino acids form an unusual 8-helix', R. Threlfall, A. Davies, N.M. Howarth, J. Fisher and R. Cosstick, Chem. Commun., 2008, 585. Investigation of novel lipid-functionalized PNA monomers as potential HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase and/or integrase inhibitors', M.G. Thomas, G. Maga, J.F. Mouscadet and N.M. Howarth, Nucleosides Nucleotides Nucleic Acids, 2007, 26, 1063. N-2-Benzyloxycarbonylguan-9-yl acetic acid derivatives as HIV-1 reverse transcriptase non-nucleoside inhibitors with decreased loss of potency against common drug-resistance mutations', K.F. Adebambo, S. Zanoli, M.G. Thomas, R. Cancio, N.M. Howarth and G. Maga, ChemMedChem, 2007, 2, 1405. Single diastereomers of polyhydroxylated 9-oxa-1-azabicyclo[4.2.1] nonanes from intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of omega-unsaturated nitrones', P. Padar, A. Bokros, G. Paragi, P. Forgo, Z. Kele, N.M. Howarth and L. Kovacs, J. Org. Chem., 2006, 71, 8669. Lipophilic peptide nucleic acids containing a 1,3-diyne function: synthesis, characterization and production of derived polydiacetylene liposomes', N.M. Howarth, W.E. Lindsell, E. Murray and P.N. Preston, Tetrahedron, 2005, 61, 8875.