Department of Chemistry,
University of Oxford,
Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory,
South Parks Road, OX1 3QR
kylie.vincent@chem.ox.ac.uk
Kylie Vincent
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Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, Associate Head of Department (People), Fellow and Tutor in Inorganic Chemistry at Jesus College Oxford, Associate-Director of OxICFM and IMAT Centres for Doctoral Training Kylie Vincent is a graduate of the University of Melbourne, Australia (BA/ BSc(Hons), Ph.D. (2004)). Her research interests include mechanistic studies of small molecule activation in biology, and applications of biocatalysis in cleaner, more sustainable chemical synthesis. She has pioneered new spectroscopic and structural approaches for addressing the mechanism of complex redox enzymes, and translated applications of enzyme catalysis to market. In 2021 she co-founded the spin-out company HydRegen, and took on a newly-created University role as Academic Champion for Women in Entrepreneurship, aiming to help increase diversity in the founders and co-founders of the University's spin-outs. She is currently serving as Associate Head of Department (People) with an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion remit, and oversight of the Department of Chemistry's Athena Swan status. Kylie teaches in Inorganic Chemistry. Kylie's PhD research was conducted in the group of Stephen Best (University of Melbourne) and involved a 12 month collaborative visit to the group of Chris Pickett (John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK) supported by a Rae and Edith Bennett Travelling Scholarship. She carried out postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford with Fraser Armstrong from 2002-2007 and held an R. J. P. Williams Junior Research Fellowship at Wadham College, Oxford from 2003-2007. In October 2007 she took up a Royal Society University Research Fellowship in the Chemistry Department at Oxford University and a Senior Research Fellowship at Wadham College, Oxford. In October 2008 she was appointed to an RCUK Academic Fellowship in the Chemistry Department and a Senior Research Fellowship at Jesus College Oxford. She was appointed Associate Professor in 2013, and Professor in 2017. | |
Postdoctoral Scientists |
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Stephen CarrSteve is a structural biologist with labs at the Research Complex at Harwell. We rely heavily on Steve's expertise in protein preparation and crystallisation, x-ray diffraction and other areas of structural biology. |
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Elizabeth (Liz) PhillipsLiz completed her PhD in Earth Sciences at the University of Toronto using stable isotopes to investigate microbial degradation of organic contaminants. As part of her Schmidt placement she has pivoted into bioinorganic chemistry in the Vincent group, studying the catalytic cycles involved in hydrogen production and oxidation by hydrogenases. |
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Daria SokolovaDaria received her Master's degree at the Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia) and moved to Switzerland for her PhD at the University of Basel in the group of Prof Tiefenbacher. Her research was focused on supramolecular chemistry, particularly supramolecular catalysis. Daria has received an SNSF Poctdoc. Mobility Fellowship and is working on the development of novel sustainable synthesis of natural products uniting chemo- and biocatalysis. She enjoys cooking and playing tennis in her free time and dreams of a little corgi. |
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Lab. Technician |
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Plastida Synteng UmwiPlastida is a lab. technician who helps us with preparation of hydrogenases. She is employed on the BBSRC grant Next Generation Structural Biology and prepares enzymes for crystallisation and other aspects of research. |
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DPhil and MSc Students |
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Maya LandisMaya is a DPhil student at Jesus College and is part of the Oxford Inorganic Chemistry for Future Manufacturing CDT (OxICFM), and is jointly supervised by Prof. Nicole Grobert in the Department of Materials. Her research focuses on the implementation of biocatalytic synthesis in flow while exploring carbon nanotube supports. For her undergraduate degree she studied at Barnard College of Columbia University. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, singing with the Jesus College Choir, and occasionally some yoga. |
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Lucy BrowneLucy is a 4th year DPhil student at St Peter's College. She graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2018 with an "MChem with Industrial Placement" - her placement was at Johnson Matthey in Cambridge which involved working on homogeneous hydrogenation of esters. After graduating, Lucy returned to work at Johnson Matthey as a Research Chemist, working on optimising various homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyst systems for commercial customers. Now, in the Vincent group, Lucy is working on the applications of NiFe hydrogenases. In her free time, Lucy enjoys finding new running routes and travelling (when possible!). |
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Zehui DuanZehui is a 3rd year DPhil student at Jesus College. She is co-supervised by Prof. Vincent and Dr. Patricia Rodríguez Macía. She focuses on using advanced spectroscopy techniques to study the iron-sulfur clusters of FeFe-hydrogenase. She graduated from Imperial College London with a MRes in Plastic Electronic Materials. She got her B.S. in Chemical Engineering in Taiwan and was also an invited student in Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden). In her spare time, she enjoys debating and traveling. |
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Kin Long Wong (Chris)I am a 3rd-year DPhil student at Jesus College. I earned my BSc at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). My research focus is related to protein crystallography together with spectroelectrochemical techniques for NiFe hydrogenases. |
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Jiayu Peng (Adam)My name is Jiayu Peng; I am the one on the left of the photo and my brother is on the right; we are twins. Before coming to Oxford, I completed my BSc in Pharmaceutical Science at Nanjing Tech University. In my free time I like to play games, basketball, watch some animations and live stream. |
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Sofia HelinSofia is a second year DPhil student at Linacre College on the Interdisciplinary Bioscience DTP. She studied at York for her MChem Industry, with a placement at Oxford NanoSystems. Her project focuses on optimising HydRegen enzyme systems and converting them into flow with industry partner, StoliChem. In her spare time, she enjoys first aid, weightlifting and German. |
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Alison TamAlison is a DPhil student at University College on the Oxford Inorganic Chemistry for Future Manufacturing (OxICFM) CDT, co-supervised by Prof. Andy Baldwin (and Dr Jack Rowbotham at the University of Manchester). Her project focusses on the synthesis of isotopically labelled biomolecules, using cofactor deuteration methods developed in the Vincent group. For her undergraduate degree, Alison studied Biochemistry at Imperial College London. Outside of lab work she enjoys crocheting, baking, and changing hair colours. |
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Tara LurshayTara is a final year DPhil student working on biocatalytic nitro reductions. She completed her undergraduate studies in Chemistry at the University of Bath and has spent time in industry, including at the Vincent Group spin-out, HydRegen. |
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Shoba LaxmiShoba is a 2nd year DPhil student at Brasenose College from Singapore, interested in uncovering the intricacies of metalloenzymes, and working on single crystal spectroelectrochemistry for structure-function studies of nitrogenases. She obtained both her BSc and Master's degree in Chemistry from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Apart from research, she loves travelling, does photography, dabbles in scrapbooking and is a big fan of F1. Currently, she is the HCR IT rep for her college and is part of the Brasenose choir. |
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Prasita DuttaPrasita is a 2nd year DPhil student. She is currently working on single crystal spectroelectrochemistry for structure-function studies of NiFe CODH, working closely with Stephen Carr. Prasita completed her bachelor's degree in chemistry from St. Stephen's College in Delhi, India. Besides chemistry, she is particularly enthusiastic about hitting a good workout at the gym, dancing her heart out on-stage or simply the fact that she is quadrilingual. |
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Nazakat Ali |
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Euan SarsonEuan is an OxICFM CDT DPhil student at Trinity College researching europium redox systems to image transient hypoxia. His project is co-supervised by Prof. Stephen Faulkner. Before arriving in Oxford, he studied for his MChem at Durham University, with the research for his master's thesis conducted at KU Leuven. Outside the lab, he enjoys keeping up-to-date with politics, cooking for friends, and grooving to groovy tunes. |
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Zhengxi Ou (Kevin)I am a DPhil student at Wolfson College. Before coming to Oxford, I completed my Master's degree in Chemical Science at the National University of Singapore. My project mainly focuses on the reduction of nitro groups in aromatic compounds. In my leisure time, I usually play video games and watch movies. Besides, I also enjoy playing table tennis and swimming. |
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Xinyue Wu (Luna)Luna is a 1st year DPhil student at St Hilda's College. Her project is to explore the use of hydrogenase to support the application of enzymes involved in oxygenation reactions, via supply of electrons for partial reduction of dioxygen. In her spare time, she enjoys running, reading, singing, dancing and learning different languages and new things. |
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Anina KureekalAnina is a DPhil student at Jesus College, currently working on an EPSRC iCASE project. She obtained her BSc and MSc degrees in Chemistry from the University of Basel. Her research primarily focuses on more sustainable biocatalytic imine reductions, using a hydrogen-driven cofactor recycling system. In addition to her passion for Chemistry, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and creating digital art. |
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Shreya SharmaShreya is a DPhil student at Somerville College, supported by the Oxford Indira Gandhi Graduate Scholarship. In the Vincent group, she is particularly interested in optimizing biocatalytic pathways of enzymes, transforming the deemed "expensive" processes into cost-effective chemical reactions for sustainable polymer synthesis and degradation. Shreya envisions revolutionising clean chemical manufacturing and recycling, for a greener, more sustainable future. She holds a Master of Research in Catalysis: Chemistry and Engineering from Imperial College London as a former Commonwealth Master's Scholar. Outside the lab, Shreya is a wanderer at heart, delighting in exploring new places, and savoring diverse cuisines!! |
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Zhexu Xi (Tom)Tom is a DPhil student at St Catherine's College. He completed his study in Xiamen University, China and in University of Bristol subsequently. His project is mainly focused on the synthesis of carbon layer modified magnetic NPs for easy attachment of enzymes for biocatalysis and easy removal of catalysts. Apart from his research, he is good at singing and his favourite singer is JJ Lin from Singapore. Also, he likes badminton, cycling, hiking and cooking Chinese meals for friends. |
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Part II (MChem) students | ||
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Louis HillLouis is a Part II student at St John's College, supervised by Alison Tam. His project focuses on selective biocatalytic methylation for synthesis of isotopically labelled substrates, with a focus on keto/amino acids, hopefully yielding triply labelled targets. Outside of the lab, Louis will probably be at the pub or a music gig and in his free time he listens to lots of music, plays piano and guitar, and tries to practise languages and loves cooking and travelling when time permits! |
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Sophie LittlewoodSophie is a Part II student at Magdalen College. Her project focuses on analysis of infrared spectral data for NiFe hydrogenase crystals. Sophie was a part-time research assistant at Oxford Net Zero during her undergraduate studies and has a long-held interest in sustainability. Outside of the lab, she enjoys going to art exhibitions, learning languages, and travelling. |
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Max RobertsonMax is a Part II student at Jesus College working with Daria Sokolova. His project focuses on controlling the selectivity of a NiFe hydrogenase biocatalyst, providing a more sustainable route for synthesis. Outside the lab, he is a fan of all things sport - football, cricket, tennis, golf, F1, - the list goes on! |
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Frankie FrazerFrankie is a Part II student at Jesus College. His project focuses on using EPR spectroscopy to establish protocols for electrochemical control of iron sulfur protein crystals. |
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DPhil students writing up outside Oxford | ||
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Charlotte HancoxCharlotte is a 4th DPhil student on a BBSRC industrial CASE project with Johnson Matthey. |
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Peter ToddPeter is a 4th year DPhil student at Hertford College. He carried out his Part II project with the Vincent group on H2-driven biocatalysis for the synthesis of pharmaceutical building blocks, evaluating the substrate scope of two alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes. His DPhil research will investigate the mechanism and applications of a hydrogenase enzyme and the scale up of biocatalytic amino acid syntheses. Outside of the lab, you're likely to find Peter down at Iffley Pool, rowing on the Isis or getting involved in film and musical theatre. |
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Xu ZhaoXu Zhao is a final year DPhil student at Exeter College. His work includes but not limited to the application of oxidoreductase and research towards scale-up of the Vincent group's HydRegen technology. He got his bachelor degree in chemical engineering at China University of Petroleum (Beijing, China) and his master degree at University of British Columbia (Canada). |
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Jiawen ZhangJiawen Zhang is a final year DPhil student at Jesus College. His research involves the mechanisms of biocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction. He got his bachelor degree at Tsinghua University, and he got his master degree at University of Sheffield. In his free time, he loves basketball and PC gaming! |
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Yu SunYu is a final year DPhil student working on metalloenzyme mechanisms. |
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Wangzhe LiWangzhe is a final year DPhil student at Lincare College and he completed his BSc degree at Durham University. His research in the Vincent group involves studying NiFe hydrogenases via spectroelectrochemical methods. |
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Sam (Tin) LaiSam is a final year DPhil student whose research focuses on the mechanistic study of [FeFe] Hydrogenase. He got his bachelor degree from Durham University. He loves to play basketball in his free time. |
Former Postdocs |
2017 to 2022 |
Tim Sudmeier left the group in 2023 after contributing to a wide range of projects in the group as a postdoc and also carrying out science policy work at the Royce Institute. | |
2017 to 2022 |
Patricia Rodriguez was a postdoc in the Vincent group, bringing lots of expertise in FeFe hydrogenases to the group, and then held a Glasstone Fellowship. In 2023 she was appointed a Lecturer at the University of Leicester. | |
2017 to 2022 |
Rhiannon (Non) Evans was a long-serving PDRA in Oxford Chemistry, in Fraser's Armstrong's group and then the Vincent group, and we benefitted enormously from her molecular biology skills. She is now employed at HydRegen | |
2017 to 2022 |
Miguel Ramirez was a long-serving PDRA on the HydRegen project, bringing expertise in protein expression and engineering. | |
2016 to 2021 |
Jack Rowbotham was a long-serving PDRA on the HydRegen project, bringing expertise in organic reactions and implementation of biocatalysis in new ways. He now holds Fellowships at the University of Manchester. | |
to 2021 |
Holly Reeve wins the prize for longest-serving member of the Vincent group. During her Part II and DPhil research in the group, she developed the HydRegen technology. She then took on a Project Manager / Co-Investigator role on a major 5-year Translation grant from EPSRC/BBSRC/IUK under the Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst scheme to translate the technology to market. Under Holly's expert leadership, this project was a fantastic success, spawning new IP, numerous high-profile publications and new research directions. Near the completion of this project, Holly was accepted onto the iCURE programme, secured R&D funding and spun out the company HydRegen Ltd with Kylie Vincent as co-founder. Holly is now CEO of HydRegen Ltd, located at Begbroke Science Park. | |
2018-2021 |
Sarah Cleary joined the Vincent group after a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Vermont (USA). She helped to bring green chemistry metrics to evaluate our HydRegen catalyst system and to develop new catalytic applications and reaction scale up in batch and flow. She has now moved into a role as Chief Scientific Officer at spin out company, HydRegen Ltd. | |
2019-2021 |
Koji Urata is a graduate of Oxford University, and his DPhil was a joint project between the Wong and Vincent groups, specialising in hydrogen driven biocatalysis reactions. Koji rejoined the group in 2019 as a PDRA, after a period working for Hawk-Eye Innovations. Koji has now gone on to Lab Management role. | |
2020-2021 |
Michele Ruggeri worked in the Vincent group on translating biocatlaytic processes into flow. He left to take up a postdoctoral position in Europe. | |
2020-2021 |
Adrian Barranco was a Postdoc in the group, working on chemo-biocatalysis. He is now a Marketing Officer at Biosynth Carbosynth. | |
2020 |
Katrina Madden was a Postdoc in the group, working on biocatalysis for medicinal chemistry. She is now a Newcastle University Academic Track Fellow in Drug Discovery (School of Natural and Environmental Sciences). | |
2017-2020 |
Erin Dodd was a Postdoc in the group, working on nitrosylation of iron-sulfur proteins. She is now Assistant Professor of Bioinorganic Chemistry at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal. | |
2019-2020 |
Renee Haver worked in the HydRegen team on developing multistep bio- and chemo-bio cascade reactions. She has now gone on to teacher training. | |
2017-2019 |
Simone Morra held a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship and specialised in mechanistic studies of FeFe hydrogenases. In 2020, he was appointed to an independent Fellowship at the University of Nottingham, UK. | |
2011-2019 |
Philip Ash was a Postdoc in the group, specialising in spectroelectrochemistry of metalloproteins. In 2019, he was appointed as a Lecturer in the School of Chemistry, University of Leicester, UK. | |
2015-2017 |
Simantini Nayak held a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship and worked on operando infrared studies of the oxygen reduction reaction at supported metal nanoparticle catalyst sites. She then went on to work for ZapGo Ltd., and is now a Scientist at CSIR-IMMT, India. | |
2014-2016 |
Matteo Duca held a Marie Curie Fellowship, his research in the Vincent Group was at the interface between metal- and bioelectrocatalysis for the nitrogen and carbon cycles. He is now Development and Scientific Affairs Director at Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials, Canada. | |
2012 |
Lars Lauterbach worked on the HydRegen project for H2-driven NADH regeneration during 2012. He now works in the Institute for Chemistry at the Technical University, Berlin, Germany. | |
Former Research Scientists |
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2018-2019 |
Jake Nicholson was a research scientist in the group, specialising in reductive deuteration strategies. In 2019, he started a PhD at King's College London in the group of Dr Alex Brogan. | Former DPhil Students |
2022 |
Sophie Kendall-Price | |
2022 |
Shiny Joseph Srinivasan | |
2021 |
Barnabas Poznansky (Barney) | |
2021 |
Jiaao Wei | |
2020 |
Ting Chen | |
2020 |
Tianze Zhu | |
2020 |
Justin Weeks | |
2017 |
Thomas Lonsdale | |
2017 |
Kouji Urata | |
2016 |
Ricardo Hidalgo Gonzalez | |
2016 |
Gary Chang | |
2015 |
Ian McPherson | |
2015 |
Min-Wen Chung | |
2015 |
Jonathan Quinson (joint with Nicole Grobert at Materials) | |
2015 |
Holly Reeve | |
2014 |
Daniel Grabarczyk | |
2014 |
Pathinan Paengnakorn | |
2013 |
Adam Healy | |
2012 |
Zulkifli Idris | |
2012 |
Juan Liu | |
Former MRes Students |
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2016 |
Ceren Zor (joint with Nicole Grobert at Materials) |
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Former Part II (MChem 4th Year) Students |
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2022-2023 |
Oliver Neville
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2021-2022 |
Hazel Rycroft Joe Addy Zipporah Hodder Georgia Stonadge
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2020-2021 |
Yifei (Jefferson) Chen Amy Lian Asher Winter Hannah Taylor
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2019-2020 |
Simona Everts Nina Jenkins Sharoon Lassen Saloni Pun Peter Todd
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2018-2019 |
Nisa (Raja) Ashman Amelia Brasnett Maria Ryan
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2017-2018 |
Jake Nicholson Ben Rackham |
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2016-2017 |
Sophie Kendall-Price Katherine Page Rachael Ng |
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2015-2016 |
Farieha Altaf Matthew Burnett Rebecca Shutt |
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2014-2015 |
Michael Ash Justin Weeks |
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2013-2014 |
Benjamin Aucott Eleanor Hall Chloe Tomlinson Ingvild Gudim |
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2012-2013 |
Ben Bluestone Charlie Stevens Jenny Bradley Thomas Lonsdale |
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2011-2012 |
Tom Lyle Lucie Dearlove Thomas Bloomfield Robert Spence |
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2010-2011 |
Charlotte McKenna Henry Waite Kate Simpson-Wells Ian McPherson
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2009-2010 |
Ean Ong Holly Reeve |
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2008-2009 |
Adam Healy Rachel White |
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