Research Activities

SIPBS is an integrated research facility for Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery underpinned by a pharmaceutical focus in Pharmacology, Integrative Biology, Immunology and Microbiology.The research activity in the Institute is split into four main groups whose specific objectives are to

• develop novel drug design and delivery strategies
• interrogate cellular organization at the molecular protein and gene level in health and disease and to identify new drug target strategies
• understand the pathology of cardiovascular and CNS disease
• explore the pathology of infective and autoimmune disease and develop pharmaceuticals for treatment of these conditions

Our overall strategy is:

• To use pharmacological and genetic approaches to inform on biology
• To integrate biological, medicinal chemistry and formulation/delivery in drug discovery programmes focused on defined diseases where we have existing strengths (atherosclerosis, psychiatric, infection etc)

These two areas are inter-related and can be broadly characterised as a ‘Therapeutic Strategy’

Examples of successful basic and applied research include:

• Combining a novel in silico DNA footprinting technique with synthetic medicinal chemistry, NMR and molecular modelling to generate sequence-specific DNA minor groove-binding agents which are potent anti-bacterial agents
• Discovery of the importance of the G-protein coupled receptor, Protease Activated Receptor-2 (PAR-2) in chronic arthritis. This finding has stimulated attempts to develop PAR-2 antagonists as new drug therapies for the human disease
• Evidence of metabolic hypofunction and neurochemical deficits after chronic intermittent exposure to phencyclidine and modulation by antipsychotic drugs
• Demonstration that the pathogen-derived molecule ES-62 can directly inhibit mast cell function. Elucidation of mode-of-action of ES62 has highlighted the potential of ES-62 analogues as novel therapeutics for allergy

See individual academic researchers and research group pages for full descriptions of research achievements

There are numerous collaborations between and within groups and with many research groups in universities and pharmaceutical industry, both nationally and internationally. Furthermore, the Institute interacts with Strathclyde Innovations in Drug Research (SIDR), which functions to increase commercialisation opportunities. The Centre for Biophotonics is also part of the institute and enables sophisticated live imaging of biological and pharmaceutical processes.The Cancer Research UK Formulation Unit collaborates with a large number of research groups, being responsible for the development of putative anti-cancer drugs for Phase I and II clinical trials. The Institute has obtained major funding from the MRC, Wellcome Trust, BBSRC, EPSRC, CRUK, Action Research, European Union, Leverhulme Trust, Tenovus-Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Office, the Synergy fund and industry (e.g. Eli Lilly, Roche, DSM, Serologicals Inc), plus a number of other industrial sponsors.

Research groups:
For information about each research group, use the links to the right