Research
Koel, Mihkel. Do we need green analytical chemistry? Green Chemistry. 2016, 18, 923-931 (view)
Although there is a large demand for simple sensors that are usable without specialized training, the current development of analytical methods focuses primarily on highly specialized techniques that cannot be used by a broad audience.
The Ashby research group is interested in developing methods that can serve as alternatives to commonly-used biochemical and toxicological assays. Many commonly-used methods require the use of specialized or expensive equipment, and are inherently low-throughput in nature. The methods that we seek to develop in this research group will act as low-cost, higher-throughput alternatives that can be used without highly specialized training.
One of these projects focuses on developing methods for selection of high-affinity aptamers towards small molecules, specifically apatamers that undergo a conformational change upon binding to the small molecule target. Aptamers that undergo significant conformational change upon binding to small molecules can then be utilized in colorimetric, fluorescent or electrochemical assays for rapid screening of analytes in a variety of samples.
Our other primary focus is in using using amino-acid specific tags to probe protein structure, as well as protein-biomolecule interactions. These tags are specific to amino acids on the surface of a protein; if the protein undergoes structural change due to changes in its environment, then the degree of tagging of the protein should also change. This could be an increase in tagging (unfolding of the protein in question) or a decrease in tagging (caused by interactions between the protein and another biomolecule).