Monday, 10 February 2025 4:00pm – 5:00pm

This seminar will be delivered in Norman Gregg Lecture Theatre – Edward Ford Building

Speaker: Professor Jennifer Hiscock

Host: Prof. Kate Jolliffe

Title: The development of novel antimicrobial agents – Plus a surprise……can you stop a bullet with protein?

Abstract
Our novel patented (European Patent Application No. 18743767.8, U.S. Patent Application No. 16/632,194), Supramolecular Self-associating Amphiphiles (SSAs) technology incorporates a library of ~ 190 amphiphilic salts and associated compounds. The anionic component of this class of compounds have been shown to self-associate through the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds producing anionic dimers in the polar organic solvent DMSO. Moving into aqueous conditions, SSAs self-associate to form spherical aggregates between 100 nm and 550 nm in hydrodynamic diameter. However, the presence of inorganic salt can cause these spherical aggregates to morph from sphere to fibre, producing a series of hydrogel materials.

Within a biological context we have shown these SSAs to:

1. act as antimicrobial¹ and antibiofilm agents;²
2. increase the efficacy of other antibiotic/antiseptic agents and anticancer agents against bacteria³ and ovarian cancer cells respectively;⁴
3. selectively interact with phospholipid membranes of different compositions;⁵
4. have the potential to act as drug delivery vehicles;⁶
5. exhibit a druggable profile when delivered via i.v. in vivo to mice.⁷

Figure 1. An example SSA and the self-associated structures produced under different environmental conditions. TBA = tetrabutylammonium.

References

1. N. Allen, L. J.  White, J. E. Boles, G. T. Williams, D. F. Chu, R. J. Ellaby, H. J. Shepherd, K. K. L. Ng, L. R. Blackholly, B. Wilson, D. P. Mulvihill* and J. R. Hiscock*, ChemMedChem, 2020, 15, 2193.
2. H. J. F. Steyna, L. J. White, K. L. F. Hilton, J. R. Hiscock* and C. H. Pohla* ACS Omega, 2024, 9 (1), 1770.
3. J. E. Boles, G. T. Williams, N. Allen, L. J. White, K. L. F. Hilton, P. I. A. Popoola, D. P. Mulvihill* and J. R. Hiscock*, Adv. Therap., 2022, 5, 2200024.
4. N. O. Dora, E. Blackburn, J. E. Boles, G. T. Williams, L. J. White, S. E. G. Turner, J. D. Hothersall, T. Askwith, J. A. Doolan, D. P. Mulvihill, M. D. Garrett* and J. R. Hiscock*, RSC Advances, 2021, 11, 14213.
5. G. Townshend, G. S. Thompson, L. J. White, J. R. Hiscock* and J. L. Ortega-Roldan*, Chem. Commun., 2020, 56, 4015.
6. L. J. White, J. E. Boles, K. L. F. Hilton, R. J. Ellaby and J. R. Hiscock*, Molecules, 2020, 25, 4126.
7. J. E. Boles, C. Bennett, J. Baker, K. L. F. Hilton, H. A. Kotak, E. R. Clark, Y. Long, L. J. White, H. Y. Lai, C. K. Hind, J. M. Sutton, M. D. Garrett, A. Cheasty, J. L. Ortega-Roldan, M. Charles,* C. J. E. Haynes* and J. R. Hiscock*, Chem. Sci., 2022,13, 9761-9773.

Bio: Jennifer Hiscock is currently Professor of Supramolecular Chemistry at the University of Kent. She obtained her PhD from the University of Southampton (UK) under the supervision of Prof. Philip A. Gale in 2010, studying supramolecular host:guest chemistry. She continued her post-doctoral research between this group and Dstl (Porton Down – UK) until 2015 when she moved to the University of Kent (UK) as the Caldin research fellow. In 2016 she was awarded a permanent lectureship position at this same institution, which was followed by her promotion to Reader in Supramolecular Chemistry and Director of Innovation and Enterprise for the School of Physical Sciences in 2019. In 2020 she was awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, developing novel cell surface active therapeutics and drug adjuvants. In 2022 she was promoted to full Professor and was the recipient of the University of Kent inspirational leader of the year award, and Royal Society of Chemistry Bob Hay award in that same year. In 2023, her work supporting equality diversity and inclusion within supramolecular chemistry meant that she lead the team that was awarded the 2023 German Chemical Societies Hildegard Hamm-Brücher Prize for equal opportunities in chemistry. This was followed by a highly commended nomination for the ChemSocRev Pioneering Investigator award in 2024. Her research currently focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to applying supramolecular chemistry to solve real-world problems through the development and application of her patented Supramolecular Self-associating Amphiphile (SSA) and, jointly invented Talin Shock Absorbing Material (TSAM) technology. In addition, she is the founding member the international Women in Supramolecular Chemistry (WISC) network, currently supporting >1900 individuals internationally, and organisation that she chaired from 2019-2023, and has now moved to Chair of the WISC advisory board (2023-onwards). Finally, she is Chair of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC’s) Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (MASC) group and also sits on the international board for Supramolecular Chemistry (ISMSC).