Meet the group
Professor Anthony Green
Following his PhD in synthetic organic chemistry (total synthesis) under the supervision of Professor E. J. Thomas, Dr Anthony Green began postdoctoral research with Professor Nicholas Turner and Professor Sabine Flitsch based in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), working in the field of industrial biocatalysis.
Professor Green worked as a postdoctoral research associate in the group of Professor Donald Hilvert at ETH (Zurich), before starting his independent research career in 2016 based in the MIB (Department of Chemistry) at the University of Manchester where he is a BBSRC David Phillips research fellow, a Professor in organic & biological chemistry and holder of an ERC Consolidator grant.
See Anthony’s academic tree here.
Visit Anthony’s department page here.
Jingming Zhao
Post-Doctoral Research Assistant
jingming.zhao@manchester.ac.uk
I did my PhD training at the University of Basel in Switzerland, under the supervision of Prof. Thomas R. Ward. My PhD thesis deals with artificial metalloenzymes, including the development of an artificial metathase and carbene transferase, and the genetic engineering of an artificial transfer hydrogenase.
In late 2018, I joined the Green group for a postdoctoral training on the mechanistic enzymology and biocatalysis. I am currently working on the capture and characterization of interesting enzyme intermediates, also exploring new catalytic functions of de novo designed proteins.
Ying Zhuo
Post-Doctoral Research Assistant
I received my PhD at the Institute of Microbiology, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in biochemistry and microbiology. I joined Anthony Green’s group in 2019. Since then, my work has been involved in understanding the mechanisms of metalloenzymes, and enzyme engineering for producing high value products, expanding my skill set to include protein design, industrial biocatalysis and enzyme engineering.
Outside of work I enjoy cooking, watching movies, playing badminton and spending time with my family.
Rebecca Crawshaw
Research Fellow, specialising in Protein Engineering
rebecca.crawshaw@manchester.ac.uk
Having grown up in a small village in the Forrest of Bowland, I moved to nearby Manchester to complete an MSc in Biochemistry at the University of Manchester. In 2017 I joined Anthony Green’s group to begin my PhD as his second graduate student. As part of my project I have gained experience in enzyme engineering, directed evolution and genetic code expansion. My work has focused around the engineering of a de novo enantioselective enzyme for the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction. Recently, I have been awarded a BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Account grant, which will allow me to start a 6 month industrial placement in the USA after the completion of my PhD, which isn’t far off!
When I’m not in the lab I’m probably walking my border collie Mabel, at the pub, or cooking for my friends.
Amy Crossley
Post Doctoral Research Associate
I joined Anthony Green’s Group in September 2018 as a BBSRC iCase PhD candidate in collaboration with GSK. Before this I studied a little ways down the road at the University of Manchester where I gained my MChem in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry. Within the group I am working to create enzymes for the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction through directed evolution and genetic code expansion.
When I’m not working I enjoy running and have been part of the Universities purple wave in the Great Manchester Run for the past 5 years. I also enjoy eating out with family and friends and relaxing in front of the TV with a binge-worthy series.
Florence Hardy
florence.hardy@manchester.ac.uk
Post Doctoral Research Associate
Having grown up far south in Salisbury, Wiltshire, I’m a happy Manchester convert. I moved here in 2018 to start my PhD in the Green Group and I love the city. I studied my undergraduate degree in Chemistry (MChem) at Balliol College, Oxford, where I was a Brackenbury Exhibitioner. I did a summer placement with Veronique Gouveneur and my 4th year was spent working in the group of Chris Schofield, where I worked towards a thesis ‘Mechanistic Studies on a New Ethylene Forming Enzyme’.
For my PhD project, I used Genetic Code Expansion technology to engineer non-heme iron C-H activation enzymes to study their mechanism and understand their selectivity. As a postdoctoral researcher I have been computationally designing photoenzymes for thermally forbidden chemistry.
When I’m not in the lab I enjoy practising yoga, climbing, enjoying Manchester’s music and vinyl scene, and I’m trying to teach myself Spanish.
Fei Zhao
Post Doctoral Research Associate
I was born in Sichuan Province, the hometown of panda, mahjong and Sichuan cuisine. I got my PhD in Drug Design at Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2015. Then I was appointed as an associate professor in School of Pharmacy at Chengdu University, where I mainly worked on metal-catalyzed C−H activation. In 2019, I was awarded with KC Wong Fellowship and joined the group of Prof. Daniele Castagnolo at King’s College London (KCL). In 2021, I was sponsored by the Marie Curie Fellowship and moved to University College London (UCL). My research at KCL and UCL was focused on the biocatalytic and chemoenzymatic synthesis of chiral sulfur-containing compounds. In June 2023, I joined the Green group at Manchester Institute of Biotechnology as a PDRA. I am currently developing novel enzymes by protein engineering for the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients and key intermediates thereof.
Jonathan Trimble
Post Doctoral Research Associate
I was born in Northern Ireland in a town just outside Belfast, Dundonald. I obtained my integrated masters in Biochemistry at Queen’s University Belfast, where I worked on the development of a high-throughput metagenomic chitinase screening assay for my final masters project.
I moved to the University of Manchester in September 2019 to start my PhD on the EPSRC funded integrated catalysis (iCAT) CDT. In the first six months of the CDT I undertook two rotation projects working on the directed evolution of a monoamine oxidase in the Turner lab, and development of an activity assay for a silicone hydrolase in the Wong lab. I joined the Green group in April 2020 to begin my PhD research project where I will be using a combination of computational enzyme design, genetic code expansion and directed evolution to engineer enzymes that perform non-natural chemical reactions. My initial focus will be on the development of an enzyme that can catalyse an enantioselective photochemical [2+2] cycloaddition.
Outside of the lab I enjoy playing pool/snooker, which is normally accompanied by the occasional trip to the pub. I am also very keen on music and love going to as many concerts as I can, as well as playing guitar in my spare time.
George Roberts
Post Doctoral Research Associate
Alessia Andrews
Post Doctoral Research Associate
Jordan Berreur
Post Doctoral Research Associate
Euan Hossack
Final year PhD Candidate
Christopher Taylor
Final year PhD Candidate
I was born in Knaresborough, a small town in North Yorkshire, before moving to Manchester to study an integrated masters in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry. During my undergraduate degree, I undertook summer studentships with Nick Turner (Manchester) and Angela Russell (Oxford). I worked on the development of a mass spectrometry-based assay for lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases during my masters project in the Green group.
I am now in the second year of my CoEBio3-funded PhD studentship, researching secondary amine catalysis in designed active sites. I am currently performing genetic code expansion to allow the installation of novel non-canonical amino acids into a diverse range of protein scaffolds. Once this has been achieved, I will computationally design enzymes towards transformations of relevance to pharma and subject active designs to directed evolution to enhance enzyme properties.
Outside of my studies, I enjoy playing sports, particularly cricket and football. I also enjoy travelling, music and the occasional night in the pub.
Ross Smithson
Final year PhD Candidate
Having moved to Manchester to complete my undergraduate masters, I took on a project in my final year working on enzyme design and evolution. I joined Anthony’s group in 2019 as a PhD funded by both the IBioIC and Unilever and I’m currently investigating SynBio routes for next generation green bio-surfactants from sustainable feedstocks. I’m originally from Cambridge but have family connections in Manchester, living here allows me to regularly watch Manchester City play (the best team in the land and the world).
Zachary Price
3rd Year PhD Candidate
I grew up in Warwickshire, attending Shakespeare's school in Stratford-Upon-Avon before studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge, where I worked in the groups of Paul Dupree and Bill Broadhurst. I completed my Masters in Ben Luisi's lab, characterising the structure and function of bacterial polynucleotide phosphorylase using cryo-EM and real-time NMR assays.
In 2020 I began my PhD in Anthony Green's lab, funded by the BBSRC Manchester DTP. I work on the discovery and development of novel synthetic activities of BH32-derived enzymes, utilising genetic code expansion technologies and directed evolution workflows to create improved biocatalysts. More recently I have been leading characterisations of unexplored catalytic activities in computationally designed enzymes.
Outside of work I enjoy performing, recording and producing music with my wife, cooking, badminton and cycling.
Thomas Lister
3rd Year PhD Candidate
I grew up in Norwich before moving to the University of Bath to study for a Master's in Chemistry, graduating in 2020. During my undergraduate studies I completed a year-long industrial placement at GSK, Stevenage (medicinal chemistry) and a final year project under the supervision of Dr Alexander Cresswell performing research in the area of photoredox catalysis.
In 2020 I joined the EPSRC-funded iCAT CDT at the University of Manchester, undertaking rotation projects in the groups of Professors Nick Turner and Michael Greaney. In July 2021 I commenced my PhD project under the supervision of Professors Igor Larrosa and Anthony Green, investigating new-to-Nature enzymatic reactions for asymmetric C–C bond formations.
Outside of the lab I enjoy cooking, running and climbing.
John Davidson
3rd Year PhD Student
Jake Foster
3rd Year PhD Candidate
Emily Radley
3rd Year PhD Candidate
I grew up in Hampshire, before moving to York where I completed an Integrated Masters in Biochemistry at University of York. In my third year, I worked with Dr Michael Plevin, using rational design to optimise a DNA helicase. For my master's project, I was supervised by Dr Benjamin Lichman and characterised proteins involved in triterpene synthesis.
I joined the Green group in September 2021 where, in collaboration with BP and Johnson Matthey, I have been developing a selective and efficient enzyme for the reduction of CO2.
When not in the lab, I enjoy climbing, baking and pretending to know about Formula 1.
Chuanjie Sun
2nd Year PhD Candidate
I received an M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Manchester in 2020. After a gap year, I am happy to be back in the Green group and beginning my PhD study. Now I am working on the design and engineering of enzymes with new functions using computational enzyme design, genetic code expansion and directed evolution.
Outside of the lab, I am a big gamer of sports, pc and card games. I am very keen on Taekwondo and have achieved black belt.
Henry Jones
2rd Year PhD Candidate
I grew up in rural Shropshire before moving to Nottingham to study for my Masters in Chemistry, completing my final year project with Michael George and Sir Martyn Poliakoff in the field of asymmetric photocatalysis. I then joined the University of Manchester as part of the iCAT CDT, where I completed rotation projects with Sihai Yang and Jesus Esteban-Serrano.
In July 2022 I started my PhD project under the supervision of Micheal Shaver and Anthony Green, working on re-engieering PET depolymerase enzymes for the selective depolymerisation of alternate plastic substrates.
Anna Kohn
2nd Year PhD Candidate
I grew up in a town called Maidenhead before moving to Manchester to study Chemistry. After completing my MChem in the Green group, I was offered a BBSRC PhD studentship in collaboration with GSK to stay in the group another four years. I am using genetic code expansion to generate energy transfer biocatalysts for photochemical reactions.
Outside of the lab I love dancing, practicing yoga and climbing. Living in Manchester is great because it allows me to indulge in all my hobbies and all of the tasty food on offer in town.
Previous Group Members
Sarah Lovelock - Lecturer, University of Manchester
Sarah was an Innovation Fellow working in the Green Group from 2017-2020. Sarah started her own independent group at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology in 2020 and her group’s research focuses on the development of biocatalytic approaches to therapeutic oligonucleotide synthesis. She continues to collaborate with the Green Group on enzyme design and evolution projects.
Dr. Amina Frese
Dr. Elizabeth Bell - Izzy did her PhD in the Green group, evolving an efficient and thermostable plastic degrading enzyme. After one year with us as a postdoctoral research associate, she has recently moved for a PDRA role at the University of Colorado, working with Gregg Beckham.
Dr. Ashleigh Burke
Local Collaborators
Sarah Lovelock – Lecturer, University of Manchester
Richard Obexer - Lecturer, University of Manchester
Derren Heyes - Senior Experimental Officer, MIB Biophysics Suite
Colin Levy - Senior Experimental Officer, Manchester Protein Structure Facility
Mark Dunstan - Senior Experimental Officer, MIB Automation