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David Miller

Dr David Miller

Senior Lecturer in Biological Chemistry and Director of Post Graduate Taught (PGT) Programmes

School of Chemistry

Email
MillerDJ@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29208 74068

Overview

I am interested in the use of synthetic organic chemistry as applied to the solution of biological problems and vice versa.   The understanding of how Nature's macromolecules such as proteins and DNA work and interact with one another can often be probed by use of small organic molecules.   Such molecules are often not available from the natural pool and so the synthetic chemist is central to solving such problems.   Similarly, synthetic chemistry although well capable of preparing the most complex and intricate of molecules can often only do so at great expense of time and resources. Natural systems, if harnessed correctly offer the opportunity to construct molecules of such complexity much more quickly and efficiently.

Publication

2023

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1998

Articles

Research

I am interested in the use of synthetic organic chemistry as applied to the solution of biological problems and vice versa.   The understanding of how Nature's macromolecules such as proteins and DNA work and interact with one another can often be probed by use of small organic molecules.   Such molecules are often not available from the natural pool and so the synthetic chemist is central to solving such problems.   Similarly, synthetic chemistry although well capable of preparing the most complex and intricate of molecules can often only do so at great expense of time and resources. Natural systems, if harnessed correctly offer the opportunity to construct molecules of such complexity much more quickly and efficiently.

Inositol monophoshphatase.

Inositol monophosphatase is an enzyme that is involved in a crucial signal transduction pathway within our cells that has been implicated as a target for drugs that treat bipolar disorders.   We are interested in the study of the mechanism of action of this enzyme and in the discovery of new inhibitors that may ultimately lead to better treatments for this debilitating condition.

mu-Calpain

Calpains are cysteine proteases that are activated by calcium ions.   mu-Calpain is a member of this family of enzymes that appears to have a key role in cell-membrane expansion and hence motility of white blood cells (neutrophils).   Development of potent and selective mu-calpain inhibitors may lead to a treatment for a variety of autoimmune diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Biosynthesis of terpenoids

Terpenes are the largest and most diverse group of natural products but originate from only a tiny group of prenyl diphosphate precursors.   Diversity is generated in nature by the structurally similar terpene cyclases that form many different products from each prenyl diphosphate.   By a combination of chemical synthesis, enzymology and molecular biology we seek to understand how such diversity can be created by enzymes that share a common fold.

Teaching

CH3216 Chemical Biology II: Introduction to Enzyme and Nucleic Acid Chemistry

CH3408 Modern Catalytic Processes

CHT008 Research Project

CHT214 Biocatalysis I: Modern Approaches to Biocatalysis

CHT215 Key Skills in Catalysis

CHT223 Biocatalysis II: Industrial Applications of Biocatalysis

CHT224 Medicinal Chemistry

CHT225 Practical Catalytic Chemistry

CHT401 Advanced Heterogeneous Catalysis

Details of modules can be found in course finder.

Biography

PhD, Southampton University (under Prof. T. D. H. Bugg). Postdoctoral research Fellow, University of St. Andrews 1997-1998. Post doctoral research fellow, Birmingham University 1998-2005. Post doctoral research fellow, Cardiff University 2005-2007. Appointed research fellow, 2007.