The primary area of research in the Hartley group is chemical biology, i.e., the use of synthetic organic chemistry to unlock the secrets of biology. We do this in two key ways: (a) we design, make and use small molecular probes to study oxidative stress and ageing (b) we find new ways to make large numbers of drug-like compounds, through titanium carbenoid chemistry and by a platform technology that we call MPEG-assised organic synthesis. Our research is both multidisciplinary and relevant to industry, and has given rise to an SME, Antoxis. All my PhD students have submitted within four years of starting work in my laboratory, all have been awarded their PhDs

Chalmers, S., Caldwell, S. T., Quin, C., Prime, T. A., James, A. M., Cairns, A. G., Murphy, M. P., McCarron, J. G., and Hartley, R. C. (2012) Selective uncoupling of individual mitochondria within a cell using a mitochondria-targeted photoactivated protonophore. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 134(2), pp. 758-761. (doi:10.1021/ja2077922) (PMID:22239373) (PMCID:PMC3260739) Cochemé, H.M. et al. (2012) Using the mitochondria-targeted ratiometric mass spectrometry probe MitoB to measure H2O2 in living Drosophila. Nature Protocols, 7(5), pp. 946-958. (doi:10.1038/nprot.2012.035) (PMID:22517261) Cochemé, H.M. et al. (2011) Measurement of H2O2 within living drosophila during aging using a ratiometric mass spectrometry probe targeted to the mitochondrial matrix. Cell Metabolism, 13(3), pp. 340-350. (doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2011.02.003) (PMID:21356523) (PMCID:PMC4413513) Figlus, M., Tarruella, A.C., Messer, A., Sollis, S.L., and Hartley, R.C. (2010) Low molecular weight MPEG-assisted organic synthesis. Chemical Communications, 46(24), pp. 4405-4407. (doi:10.1039/c0cc00415d)