Professor Bruce Turnbull

Profile

Bruce Turnbull is a synthetic chemist with interests in re-engineering biological systems for new applications.

• BSc in Chemistry (1991-1995, University of St Andrews)
• PhD in Carbohydrate Chemistry (1995-1998, University of St Andrews)
• Wellcome Trust International Prize Travelling Research Fellow (1998-2001, UCLA)
• Wellcome Trust International Prize Travelling Research Fellow and PDRA (2001-2004, School of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Leeds)
• Lecturer in Chemical Biology (2004-2005, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds)
• Royal Society University Research Fellow (2005-2013, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds)
• Associate Professor (2013-2016, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds)
• Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry (2016-present, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds)

Bruce received the 2013 Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Carbohydrate Award and the 2024 RSC Bader Award for his work developing methods to re-engineer medically-important proteins and carbohydrates. He is a member of the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, and represents the UK on the European Carbohydrate Organisation. He is a member of the RSC Carbohydrate Interest Group, for which he was the Chair during its 50th Anniversary Year (2016-17).

He has led three EU networks:

• COST Action CM1102 that brought together over 60 research groups from 21 countries to pursue interdisciplinary projects in “Multivalent Glycosystems for Nanoscience” (2011-15)
• ERASynBio network SynGlycTis on applications of glycoscience for functionalising artificial cells (2014-17)
• Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network synBIOcarb that trained 15 early stage researchers in the field of synthetic glycobiology (2018-2022)

He was also co-organiser of a Royal Society Theo Murphy Meeting entitled "Synthetic Glycobiology" which took place at the Royal Society’s Kavli Centre in October 2018. The meeting led to a dedicated issue of the Royal Society journal Interface Focus.

Responsibilities

• Programme Manager for MSc in Chemistry

Research interests

Bruce’s current research interests encompass the use of chemical and enzymatic methods to make and modify carbohydrates and proteins for use in targeted delivery and engineering biology, including:

• re-engineering bacterial toxins for targeted delivery of molecules into cells
• targeted delivery of microbubbles to bacterial biofilms
• superselective probes for neuronal cells and cancer cells
• synthesis of fluorinated glycans to make microarrays that can distinguish proteins that bind to the same natural glycan
• glycopolymers for protein-mediated wrapping of surfaces and biological objects
• synthesis of glucose derivatives for isotopic analysis of historical rainfall records in tree rings

Professional memberships

• CChem FRSC

Student education

Bruce currently teaches organic and biological chemistry from first year undergraduate to masters level. He is also the programme manager for our MSc in Chemistry and deputy programme manager for MSc in Drug Discovery and Development.

Research groups and institutes

• Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry