We are an interdisciplinary research group led by Dr Lewis E. MacKenzie. We are based within the Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow city centre, and we are part of the BioNano and Analytical Chemistry section of the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde.
We believe that advanced nanophotonic constructs - engineered by combining physics, chemistry, and biology - can enable bioscientists to unlock new disease therapies, pursue research more efficiently, and gain quality data to better understand health and diseases
Our Edinburgh Instruments FS5 V2 upconversion spectrometer - the only dedicated upconversion spectrometer in the UK!
Our primary research focus is currently on the development of light emitting upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) constructs and their applications to challenging problems in biosciences, including non-invasive sensing of oxygen within cells, blood, and tissue. We have cutting edge UCNP synthesis and chractersiation equipment, including the UK’s only dedicated high-performance upconversion spectrometer, with 980 nm, 808 nm, and 1550 nm laser excitation, high-sensitivity detection, upconversion lifetime, and quantum yield measurement capabilities. We also have dedicated microwave and autoclave synthesis reactors to make UCNPs.
The Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) building where our lab is based.
Beyond bionanotechology, we are also interested in how UCNPs and other nanophotonic materials can be utilized in larger-scale applications, including security, displays, and energy sectors. We are also interested in optics, focusing on biophotonics, chiral molecular spectroscopy (e.g. circularly polarised luminescence), and imaging/microscopy.
We also publish research into how new media, such as podcasts and YouTube, are changing the way the global public learns about science.
We are always happy to hear from potential students, postdoctoral researchers, and collaborators from all areas of science, as well as interested parties. Please get in touch!
A “nano beehive” pattern. Beautiful oleic-acid coated NaYF4:Yb,Er,Mn upconversion nanoparticles made by M.Chem student Jodie Glasgow in 2023.
Oleic-acid coated NaYF4:Yb,Er,Mn upconversion nanoparticles made by M.Chem student Jodie Glasgow in 2023. Does this pattern remind you of a brain?
