Dr Bela Bode
Reader
Reader in Chemistry
Biography
Dr Bode gained an MChem (Dipl. Chem.) in 2004 and PhD (Dr. phil. nat.) in 2008 from the Goethe University (Frankfurt, Germany) for electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) related projects under the supervision of Prof Olav Schiemann and Prof Thomas Prisner. He then moved to Leiden University (The Netherlands) as Marie Curie Intra-European Fellow and a Feodor Lynen Fellow (Alexander von Humbold Foundation) investigating optical methods in solid-state NMR spectroscopy. He joined the Faculty of the School of Chemistry in 2011 as an EaStCHEM Hirst Fellow before becoming a lecturer and being promoted to Reader in due course.
Teaching
Bela teaches inorganic chemistry on both sub-honours and honours level with a special focus on bioinorganic, physical inorganic chemistry and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Current contributions include lectures in CH3514 Physical Inorganic Chemistry (8 lectures 'Inorganic Spectroscopy', module convenor) and CH5517 Advanced Physical Inorganic Chemistry (20 lectures 'Paramagnetic Inorganic Molecules'). Bela also demonstrates in the CH2501 Inorganic Chemistry 2 laboratory and contributes to tutorials in CH1401, CH1402, CH2501, CH3512, and CH3514.
Research areas
The group's research focusses on using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to study the microscopic structure and dynamics of (bio)molecules and materials.
When investigating (bio)molecular structures we often find that the methods available have not been proven to be reliably applicable under the specific circumstances of a given research question. The group embraces the challenge of adapting and implementing EPR methodology to obtain the maximum information content. The ultimate vision is a geneneral approach to determine macromolecular complex structures from EPR data through both long-range interactions between spins and their interactions with their surrounding probing the local chemical environment.
In a nutshell, EPR detects the magnetism arising from the “spin”, a quantum mechanical property of unpaired electrons. Although electrons are contained in all matter, they are commonly paired, quenching their magnetism. However, some molecules and materials, such as radicals and paramagnetic metal ions, exhibit unpaired electrons. Using EPR, it is possible to study the unpaired electron and its surrounding through its magnetic spin measuring distances on the nanometre (one billionth of a metre) scale. Over the past 15 years, these distance measurements have developed into an important and powerful method for investigating the nanoworld of large (bio)molecules.
http://chemistry.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/beb/group/index.php
PhD supervision
- Yannik Limbach
- Aisika Chakraborty
Selected publications
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Open access
CRISPR antiphage defence mediated by the cyclic nucleotide-binding membrane protein Csx23
Grüschow, S., McQuarrie, S., Ackermann, K., McMahon, S., Bode, B., Gloster, T. & White, M., 12 Apr 2024, In: Nucleic Acids Research. 52, 6, p. 2761-2775 15 p., gkae167.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Activation of Csm6 ribonuclease by cyclic nucleotide binding: in an emergency, twist to open
McQuarrie, S., Athukoralage, J. S., McMahon, S. A., Graham, S., Ackermann, K., Bode, B. E., White, M. F. & Gloster, T. M., 27 Oct 2023, In: Nucleic Acids Research. 51, 19, p. 10590-10605 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Investigating native metal ion binding sites in mammalian histidine-rich glycoprotein
Ackermann, K., Khazaipoul, S., Wort, J., Sobczak, A. I. S., El Mkami, H., Stewart, A. J. & Bode, B. E., 12 Apr 2023, In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. 145, 14, p. 8064-8072 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Dipolar-coupled entangled molecular 4f qubits
Bode, B. E., Fusco, E., Nixon, R., Buch, C., Weihe, H. & Piligkos, S., 8 Feb 2023, In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. 145, 5, p. 2877-2883 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Antiviral signalling by a cyclic nucleotide activated CRISPR protease
Rouillon, C. M. J., Schneberger, N., Chi, H., Blumenstock, K., Da Vela, S., Ackermann, K., Moecking, J., Peter, M. F., Boenigk, W., Seifert, R., Bode, B. E., Schmid-Burgk, J. L., Svergun, D., Geyer, M., White, M. & Hageluken, G., 2 Feb 2023, In: Nature. 614, p. 168–174Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Pulse dipolar EPR for determining nanomolar binding affinities
Ackermann, K., Wort, J. & Bode, B. E., 14 Aug 2022, In: Chemical Communications. 58, 63, p. 8790-8793 4 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Pulse dipolar electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals buffer modulated cooperativity of metal templated protein dimerization
Oranges, M., Wort, J., Fukushima, M., Fusco, E., Ackermann, K. & Bode, B. E., 25 Aug 2022, In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. 13, 33, p. 7847-7852Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review
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Open access
Pulse dipolar EPR reveals double-histidine motif CuII-NTA spin-labelling robustness against competitor ions
Wort, J., Arya, S., Ackermann, K., Stewart, A. J. & Bode, B. E., 25 Mar 2021, In: Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. 12, 11, p. 2815-2819 5 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Benchmark test and guidelines for DEER/PELDOR experiments on nitroxide-labeled biomolecules
Schiemann, O., Heubach, C., Abdullin, D., Ackermann, K., Azarkh, M., Bagryanskaya, E., Drescher, M., Endeward, B., Freed, J., Galazzo, L., Goldfarb, D., Hett, T., Esteban Hofer, L., Fábregas Ibáñez, L., Hustedt, E., Kucher, S., Kuprov, I., Lovett, J. E., Meyer, A., Ruthstein, S., & 10 others , 19 Oct 2021, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. Articles ASAP, 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
First experimental evidence for a bis-ethene chromium(I) complex forming from an activated ethene oligomerization catalyst
Chabbra, S., Smith, D. M., Bell, N. L., Watson, A. J. B., Buehl, M., Cole-Hamilton, D. J. & Bode, B. E., 18 Dec 2020, In: Science Advances. 6, 51, 7 p., eabd7057.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review