Professor Colin Suckling
Research Professor
Pure and Applied Chemistry
Personal statement
Colin Suckling has been Freeland Professor of Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde since 1989. During the 1990s until 2002, he served successively as Dean of the Faculty of Science, Deputy Principal, and Vice Principal of the University of Strathclyde. Much of Professor Suckling's work during that time was strategic including the development of inter-institutional and interdisciplinary research partnerships notably the research collaboration with the University of Glasgow (WestCHEM), which was recognized publicly with the award of OBE in 2006.
Recent and current research interests focus on the synthesis and properties of heterocyclic compounds designed as molecular probes for biological systems or as drugs. Particular progress has been made in the field of fused pyrimidine compounds with anticancer and antiparasite activity and in the field of minor groove binders for DNA with antibacterial activity. Several discoveries are entering pre-clinical development.
Professor Suckling's standing in the field of heterocyclic chemistry has been recognized by the award of the Adrien Albert Lectureship of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2009-10) and his appointment as chairman of the 2011 International Congress of Heterocyclic Chemistry to be held in Glasgow.
Prize And Awards
- Honorary Life Fellowship of Indian Society of Chemists and Biologists
- Recipient
- 2/2015
- Gold medal of Indian Society of Chemists and Biologists
- Recipient
- 2/2011
- Nexxus Lifetime achievement award
- Recipient
- 2011
- Royal Society of Chemistry Adrien Albert Lecturer
- Recipient
- 2008
- OBE
- Recipient
- 6/2006
- Honorary Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
- Recipient
- 2005
Publications
- S-MGBs bearing amidine tail groups are potent, selective antiplasmodial agents
- Perieteanu Marina, Rodriguez Garzon Tayner, McGee Leah M C, Khalaf Abedawn I, Suckling Colin J, Beveridge Rebecca, Avery Vicky M, Scott Fraser J
- RSC Medicinal Chemistry Vol 16, pp. 412-419 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1039/D4MD00619D
- Strathclyde Minor Groove Binders (S-MGBs) with activity against Acanthamoeba castellanii
- McGee Leah MC, Carpinteyro Sanchez Alemao G, Perieteanu Marina, Eskandari Kaveh, Bian Yan, Mackie Logan, Young Louise, Beveridge Rebecca, Suckling Colin J, Roberts Craig W, Scott Fraser J
- Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Vol 79, pp. 2251-2258 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkae221
- Design and synthesis of novel aminoindazole-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine inhibitors of IKKα that selectively perturb cellular non-canonical NF-κB signalling
- Riley Christopher, Ammar Usama, Alsfouk Aisha, Anthony Nahoum G, Baiget Jessica, Berretta Giacomo, Breen David, Huggan Judith, Lawson Christopher, McIntosh Kathryn, Plevin Robin, Suckling Colin J, Young Louise C, Paul Andrew, Mackay Simon P
- Molecules Vol 29 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29153515
- Reduction in creatine metabolites in macrophages exposed to small molecule analogues of the anti-inflammatory parasitic worm product ES-62
- Alanazi S, Doonan J, Lumb F E, Alenzi N, Jabbar S, Al-Riyami L, Suckling C J, Harnett W, Watson D G
- Parasite Immunology Vol 46 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1111/pim.13026
- MptpB inhibitor improves the action of antibiotics against mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacterium avium infections
- Rodríguez-Fernández Pablo, Botella Laure, Cavet Jennifer S, Domínguez Jose, Gutierrez Maximiliano G, Suckling Colin J, Scott Fraser J, Tabernero Lydia
- ACS Infectious Diseases Vol 10, pp. 170–183 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00446
- Protection against lung pathology during obesity-accelerated ageing in mice by the parasitic worm product ES-62
- Harnett Margaret M, Lumb Felicity E, Crowe Jenny, Doonan James, Buitrago Geraldine, Brown Stephanie, Thom Gillian, MacDonald Amy, Suckling Colin J, Selman Colin, Harnett William
- Frontiers in Immunology Vol 14 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1285069
Professional Activities
- From blue sky research to big data- external perspectives on making knowledge work
- Speaker
- 6/2017
- There's no escape - single target, multiple effects
- Speaker
- 3/2015
- The antibacterial drug, MGB-BP-3, from discovery to clinical trial
- Speaker
- 2/2015
- Drug discovery backwards -from biological activity to target
- Speaker
- 7/2014
- Royal Society of Chemistry, North East Region
- Invited speaker
- 22/3/2011
- International Conference on Chemistry for Mankind: Innovative Ideas in Life Sciences. ICCM-2011
- Invited speaker
- 9/2/2011
Projects
- Novel Therapeutics for the Treatment of Candida infections
- Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator) Hunter, Iain (Co-investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 28-Jan-2026
- S-MGBs to Treat Invasive and Serious Fungal Diseases (IFDs)
- Suckling, Colin (Principal Investigator) Hunter, Iain (Co-investigator) Scott, Fraser (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 30-Jan-2024
- S-MGBs to Treat Invasive and Serious Fungal Diseases (IFDs)
- Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator) Hunter, Iain (Co-investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 30-Jan-2023
- Investigating a novel class of Gram-negative active antibiotic suitable for clinical use
- Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator) Hunter, Iain (Co-investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator) Tucker, Nicholas (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2020 - 30-Jan-2023
- Development of a first-in-class IKKalpha inhibitor for the treatment of castrate resistant p
- MacKay, Simon (Principal Investigator) Halbert, Gavin (Co-investigator) Paul, Andrew (Co-investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator) Watson, David (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2020 - 31-Jan-2024
- Covid-19 Accelerated introduction of a novel class of resistance-proof antiviral drugs: Strathclyde Minor Groove Binders
- Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2020 - 30-Jan-2020
Contact
Professor
Colin
Suckling
Research Professor
Pure and Applied Chemistry
Email: c.j.suckling@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 2271