David Russell joined the School as a lecturer in 1991. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer (1997), Reader (1999) and then to a Chair in 2002. David has been Associate Dean for Research for the Faculty of Science (2008-2010) and from August 2011 to December 2014 was Head of the School of Chemistry. In 2016 David became Professor Emeritus and in 2018 he was awarded an Innovation Fellowship by UEA in recognition of the impact of his research.

David’s research is focused within bioanalytical chemistry particularly developing nanoscale based approaches for novel chemical measurement. His research group created innovative structures on nanoparticles for the development of analytically and biomedically useful optically based molecular recognition systems. This led to the development of novel measurements of drugs and drug metabolites in the sweat of a latent fingerprint; the stabilisation of gold and silver nanoparticles with carbohydrate molecules for the detection of toxins and viruses; and the functionalisation of gold nanoparticles with antibodies or lectins for the targeted delivery of light activated photosensitiser agents for the photodynamic therapy of cancer.

David’s research has been recognized through the award of the RSC SAC Silver Medal and a Stichting Research Prize from Schlumberger.

In 2007 David founded a spin-out company Intelligent Fingerprinting Ltd. based on his research on the detection of drugs and drug metabolites in fingerprints.

In 2014, David together with Professor Rob Field (John Innes Centre) founded the spin-out company Iceni Diagnostics Ltd to commercialise their carbohydrate-nanoparticle technology for the diagnosis of toxins and viruses.

David has been a member of the RCUK Basic Technologies Strategic Advisory Team (2005-2008) and has chaired / been a member of numerous grant awarding panels for EPSRC, MRC, RCUK and DTI. He has been Vice President of the Analytical Division of the Royal Society of Chemistry. David was elected to serve as an officer of the European Society for Photobiology (2011-2013) and for a second term (2013-2015). He is currently a member of the editorial advisory board for the RSC journal Analyst (since 2008).

Selected Publications

Localised intracellular pH measurement using a ratiometric photoinduced electron-transfer-based nanosensor.
M. J. Marín, F. Galindo, P. Thomas and D. A. Russell.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2012, 51, 9657-9661.
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201203866

Targeting the oncofetal Thomsen-Friedenreich disaccharide using Jacalin-PEG phthalocyanine gold nanoparticles for photodynamic cancer therapy.
G. Obaid, I. Chambrier, M. J. Cook and D. A. Russell.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2012, 51, 6158-6162.
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201201468

Advances in fingerprint analysis.
P. Hazarika and D. A. Russell.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2012, 51, 3524-3531.
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201104313

Imaging of latent fingerprints through the detection of drugs and metabolites.
P. Hazarika, S. M. Jickells, K. Wolff and D. A. Russell.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2008, 47, 10167-10170. (plus inside cover).
DOI: 10.1002/anie.200804348
Highlighted by: Angewandte Chemie as a ‘Very Important paper’; Nature Materials (2009, 8, 5); Discovery Channel on-line; Chemical and Engineering News (Dec 22, 2008, p34) ; Interviewed for BBC World Service Radio.

“Intelligent” fingerprinting: Simultaneous identification of drug metabolites and individuals by using antibody-functionalized nanoparticles.
R. Leggett, E. E. Lee-Smith, S. M. Jickells and D. A. Russell.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2007, 46, 4100-4103.
DOI: 10.1002/anie.200700217
Paper highlighted by: Nature; Nature Nanotechnology; New Scientist, Chemistry World; Chemistry & Industry; C&E News; Analytical Chemistry; Sunday Telegraph; Daily Mirror; CNN On-line; Interviewed by German and BBC radio.

Our research group is interested in the synthesis, functionalisation and use of nanoparticles for analytical and biomedical applications. The research projects in which the group is involved are described below:

• Biofunctionalised nanoparticles for the acquisition of forensic evidence
• Intracellular measurements
• Glyconanoparticle based colorimetric bioassays and glycoarrays
• Photosensitiser-nanoparticle conjugates for photodynamic therapy of cancer

Biofunctionalised nanoparticles for the acquisition of forensic evidence

• Each person has unique fingermarks.
• Our research focusses on the development of biofunctionalised nanoparticles as novel diagnostic tools for the detection of drugs and drug metabolites that have been excreted in sweat deposited within latent fingermarks of drug users.

We have used:

• antibody-functionalised gold nanoparticles to detect cotinine (metabolite of nicotine) from smoker’s fingermarks;
• antibody-functionalised magnetic particles to detect the main psychoactive component of marijuana (Δ9-terahydrocannabinol, THC), the synthetic opioid methadone and its major metabolite 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), the metabolite of cocaine (benzoylecgonine) and the metabolite of nicotine (cotinine);
• antibody-functionalised magnetic particles for the detection of a metabolite of heroin (morphine) and a metabolite of cocaine (benzoylecgonine) simultaneously from a single fingermark.

Selected Publications

P. Hazarika and D. A. Russell (2012)
Advances in fingerprint analysis.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 51, 3524 – 3531.

A. M. Boddis and D. A. Russell (2012)
Development of aged fingermarks using antibody-magnetic particle conjugates.
Analytical Methods, 4, 637 – 641.

A. M. Boddis and D. A. Russell (2011)
Simultaneous development and detection of drug metabolites in latent fingermarks using antibody-magnetic particle conjugates.
Analytical Methods, 3, 519 – 523.

P. Hazarika, S. M. Jickells, K. Wolff and D. A. Russell (2010)
Multiplexed detection of metabolites of narcotic drugs from a single latent fingermark.
Analytical Chemistry, 82, 9150 – 9154.

P. Hazarika, S. M. Jickells and D. A. Russell (2009)
Rapid detection of drug metabolites in latent fingermarks.
Analyst, 134, 93 – 96.

P. Hazarika, S. M. Jickells, K. Wolff and D. A. Russell (2008)
Imaging of latent fingerprints through the detection of drugs and metabolites.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 47, 10167 – 10170.

R. Leggett, E. E. Lee-Smith, S. M. Jickells and D. A. Russell (2007)
“Intelligent” fingerprinting: simultaneous identification of drug metabolites and individuals by using antibody-functionalized nanoparticles.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 46, 4100 – 4103.

Intracellular measurements

• Fluorescence based molecular probes have been used, in conjunction with fluorescence imaging techniques, to image and/or quantify species of biological interest such as cations, anions, reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species.
• The main aim of our research is the optimisation of the intracellular imaging and quantification of two species of biological interest, protons (H+) and nitric oxide (NO).

• Intracellular experiments are performed using live cells and confocal laser scanning microscopy to provide images and fluorescence emission spectra from within the studied cells.
• pH area: We have developed fluorescence based molecular probes and nanoparticles functionalised with fluorescent ligands that specifically target acidic organelles within mammalian cells. Furthermore, we have developed a ratiometric pH nanosensor that allows localised pH measurements of acidic organelles such as endosomes and lysosomes.

• Nitric Oxide area: We have also focussed our research on the study of the chemical reactivity of fluorescent probes for nitric oxide when they are used for intracellular measurements.

Selected Publications

P. D. Wadhavane, M. A. Izquierdo, D. Lutters, M. I. Burguete, M. J. Marín, D. A. Russell, F. Galindo and S. V. Luis (2014)
Fluorescent macrocyclic probes with pendant functional groups as markers of acidic organelles within live cells.
Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 12, 823 – 831.
DOI: 10.1039/c3ob41773e

M. J. Marín, F. Galindo, P. Thomas, T. Wileman and D. A. Russell (2013)
A photoinduced electron transfer-based nanoprobe as a marker of acidic organelles in mammalian cells.
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 405, 6197 – 6207

M. J. Marín, F. Galindo, P. Thomas and D. A. Russell (2012)
Localized intracellular pH measurement using a ratiometric photoinduced electron-transfer-based nanosensor.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 51, 9657 – 9661.

M. J. Marín, P. Thomas, V. Fabregat, S. V. Luis, D. A. Russell and F. Galindo (2011)
Fluorescence of 1,2-diaminoanthraquinone and its nitric oxide reaction product within macrophage cells.
ChemBioChem, 12, 2471 – 2477.

F. Galindo, N. Kabir, J. Gavrilovic and D. A. Russell (2008)
Spectroscopic studies of 1,2-diaminoanthraquinone (DAQ) as a fluorescent probe for the imaging of nitric oxide in living cells.
Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, 7, 126 – 130.

F. Galindo, M. I. Burguete, L. Vigara, S. V. Luis, N. Kabir, J. Gavrilovic and D. A. Russell (2005)
Synthetic macrocyclic peptidomimetics as tunable pH probes for the fluorescence imaging of acidic organelles in live cells.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 44, 6504 – 6508.

Collaborators

• Dr Jelena Gavrilovic and Dr Paul Thomas (School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK)
• Dr Francisco Galindo and Prof Santiago V. Luis (Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Orgánica, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain)

Glyconanoparticle based colorimetric bioassays and glycoarrays

• Carbohydrates play a crucial role in recognition and binding events in nature.
• Structures such as nanoparticles functionalised with carbohydrates have the ability to mimic the multivalent cellular surfaces and provide a means to study carbohydrate interactions.
• Metal nanoparticles exhibit intense colours in solution due to the surface plasmon absorption band. Upon aggregation of metal nanoparticles, the solution changes colour due to coupling interactions between the surface plasmon fields of the particles.

• The colour changes associated with the aggregation of metal nanoparticles have led to the development of colorimetric-based assays for a variety of target species.
• We are interested in creating stabilised nanoparticles using carbohydrate ligands (glyconanoparticles) to exploit the molecular recognition properties of this class of molecules. When the surface bound carbohydrate recognises a target species, aggregation of the particles is induced and a colour change is observed in the solution of the glyconanoparticles. We have already developed glyconanoparticles aggregation bioassays for the detection of bacterial toxins, such as cholera toxin, and to measure carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions.

Selected Publications

M. J. Marín, A. Rashid, M. Rejzek, S. A. Fairhurst, S. A. Wharton, S. R. Martin, J. W. McCauley, T. Wileman, R. A. Field and D. A. Russell (2013)
Glyconanoparticles for the plasmonic detection and discrimination between human and avian influenza virus.
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 11, 7101-7107.

M. Fais, R. Karamanska, S. Allman, S. A. Fairhurst, P. Innocenti, A. J. Fairbanks, T. J. Donohoe, B. G. Davis, D. A. Russell and R. A. Field (2011)
Surface plasmon resonance imaging of glycoarrays identifies novel carbohydrate-based ligands for potential ricin sensor development.
Chemical Science, 2, 1952 – 1959.

S. M. Hardy, C. J. Roberts, P. R. Brown and D. A. Russell (2010)
Glycoprotein microarray for the fluorescence detection of antibodies produced as a result of erythropoietin (EPO) abuse.
Analytical Methods, 2, 17 – 23.

C. L. Schofield, B. Mukhopadhyay, S. M. Hardy, M. B. McDonnell, R. A. Field and D. A. Russell (2008)
Colorimetric detection of Ricinus communis Agglutinin 120 using optimally presented carborhydrate-stabilised gold nanoparticles.
Analyst, 133, 626 – 634.

R. Karamanska, J. Clarke, O. Blixt, J. I. MacRae, J. Q. Zhang, P. R. Crocker, N. Laurent, A. Wright, S. L. Flitsch, D. A. Russell and R. A. Field (2008)
Surface plasmon resonance imaging for real-time, label-free analysis of protein interactions with carbohydrate microarrays.
Glycoconjugate Journal, 25, 69 – 74.

C. L. Schofield, R. A. Field and D. A. Russell (2007)
Glyconanoparticles for the colorimetric detection of cholera toxin.
Analytical Chemistry, 79, 1356 – 1361.

C. L. Schofield, A. H. Haines, R. A. Field and D. A. Russell (2006)
Silver and gold glyconanoparticles for colorimetric bioassays.
Langmuir, 22, 6707 – 6711.

D. C. Hone, A. H. Haines and D. A. Russell (2003)
Rapid, quantitative colorimetric detection of a lectin using mannose-stabilized gold nanoparticles.
Langmuir, 19, 7141 – 7144.

Collaborators

• Prof Robert A. Field (Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK)
• Prof Tom Wileman (Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK)
• Dr Steve Wharton and Dr John Macauley (WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Division of Virology, National Institute of Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, UK)

Photosensitiser-nanoparticle conjugates for photodynamic therapy of cancer

• Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a modality of cancer treatment in which a photoactive drug (photosensitiser) is activated with a light of specific wavelength and produces cytotoxic oxygen that induces cell kill of cancerous cells/tissues.
• Our aim is to selectively deliver hydrophobic photosensitisers for the treatment of cancer indications using photodynamic therapy.
• The majority of our research focusses on the use of gold nanoparticles functionalised with phthalocyanine molecules as the photosensitiser.
• The cytotoxic singlet oxygen species generation efficiency is 50 % greater with the photosensitiser-nanoparticle conjugates than with the free photosensitiser.

• The water soluble gold nanoparticles have been functionalised with antibodies and lectins to specifically target cancer cells. After irradiation it has been shown that the targeted nanoparticles induce substantially greater phototoxicity, as compared to non-targeted nanoparticles.
• We are also interested in the use of other nanomaterials, such as upconverting nanoparticles, as potential tools for photodynamic therapy of cancer.

Selected Publications

G. Obaid, I. Chambrier, M. J. Cook and D. A. Russell (2012)
Targeting the oncofetal Thomsen-Friedenreich disaccharide using Jacalin-PEG phthalocyanine gold nanoparticles for photodynamic cancer therapy.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 51, 6158 – 6162.

D. V. Bavykin, T. L. Stuchinskaya, L. Danos and D. A. Russell (2012)
Emission wavelength tuning in rare earth fluoride upconverting nanoparticles decorated with dye-coated titanate nanotubes.
Langmuir, 28, 17419 – 17425.

G. Charron, T. Stuchinskaya, D. R. Edwards, D. A. Russell and T. Nann (2012)
Insights into the mechanism of quantum dot-sensitized singlet oxygen production for photodynamic therapy.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 116, 9334 – 9342.

T. Stuchinskaya, M. Moreno, M. J. Cook, D. R. Edwards and D. A. Russell (2011)
Targeted photodynamic therapy of breast cancer cells using antibody-phthalocyanine-gold nanoparticle conjugates.
Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, 10, 822 – 831.

M. Camerin, M. Magaraggia, M. Soncin, G. Jori, M. Moreno, I. Chambrier, M. J. Cook and D. A. Russell (2010)
The in vivo efficacy of phthalocyanine-nanoparticle conjugates for the photodynamic therapy of amelanotic melanoma.
European Journal of Cancer, 46, 1910 – 1918.

M. E. Wieder, D. C. Hone, M. J. Cook, M. M. Handsley, J. Gavrilovic and D. A. Russell (2006)
Intracellular photodynamic therapy with photosensitizer-nanoparticle conjugates: cancer therapy using a ‘Trojan horse’.
Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, 5, 727 – 734.

D. C. Hone, P. I. Walker, R. Evans-Gowing, S. FitzGerald, A. Beeby, I. Chambrier, M. J. Cook and D. A. Russell (2002)
Generation of cytotoxic singlet oxygen via phthalocyanine-stabilized gold nanoparticles: a potential delivery vehicle for photodynamic therapy.
Langmuir, 18, 2985 – 2987.

Collaborators

• Prof Mike Cook (School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK)
• Prof Dylan Edwards and Dr Jelena Gavrilovic (School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK)
• Prof Giulio Jori (Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy)
• Dr Dmitry V. Bavykin (Faculty of Engineering and Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK)
• Prof Thomas Nann (Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia)

Post-doctoral Research Associate

Dr María José Marín Altaba
[email protected]
Project Title: Theranostic nanoparticles for cancer therapy

PhD Students

Paula García Calavia
[email protected]

Brydie Moore

[email protected]

Oliver Cartright

[email protected]

Project Student

• Beth McMurchie

Former members

Past visitor students and researchers

• Dr Francisco Galindo (July 2014 - January 2015; July – August 2013; August 2012; and April – November 2004; University Jaume I, Spain).
• Oriol Penon Esteva (April – July 2013; University of Barcelona, Spain).
• Ana Oliete (October – December 2011; University of Sevilla, Spain).
• Jojanneke M. Meekes (April – September 2010; University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands).