Professor Christine Cardin

Professor Christine Cardin has been an X-ray crystallographer for many years, with many longstanding collaborations. Recently she is very research active in the area of nucleic acid structure, with a focus on the precise details of small molecule interactions, including the ruthenium polypyridyl "light-switch" and related metal complexes.

The purposes of the work included an understanding of the molecular basis of the "light switch" effect, and the development of new complexes. This work has featured on journal covers and is now funded by the BBSRC, the Royal Society, and Diamond Light Source, now also including programme access to the lasers for science facility (CruX programme).

Her current projects are strongly collaborative, being both interdisciplinary and inter-institutional. Within the University she works extensively with Dr John Brazier (School of Pharmacy), whose interest in the DNA i-motif lends itself to a range of joint initiatives.

Watch an animation of DNA binding modes of ruthenium polypyridyl complexes

Read more about Professor Cardin's research interests

View the Nature Chemistry cover

View the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) cover