Fraser Armstrong is Professor of Chemistry and a Fellow of St John’s College. His interests are in biological chemistry, bioenergetics and in the mechanisms and exploitation of enzymes related to energy production. He has received a number of awards including the European Award for Biological Inorganic Chemistry, the Carbon Trust Innovation Award, the Max Planck Award for Frontiers in Biological Chemistry and the Royal Society of Chemistry Award for Interdisciplinary Chemistry. He travels widely giving invited lectures on topics including catalysis, bioenergetics and renewable energy. He is co-editor of Energy … beyond oil which focuses on alternative energy-generating technologies.

Outside of the office, Fraser can be found with his group at the Lamb & Flag Thursday nights in term time.

Fraser has recently been elected Fellow of the Royal Society.

I have been associated with the Armstrong Group long enough to be a ‘lifer’. Having completed a Part II, DPhil and short post-doc under Fraser’s supervision I am now a Junior Research Fellow at Merton College and pursue my own research interests within Fraser’s group. I am expanding my area of investigation from the electrochemical analysis of isolated bacterial energy catalysts (hydrogenases, carbon monoxide dehydrogenases, nitrate reductases) to studying the importance of such molecules in sustaining pathogenic bacteria. Could a future hydrogen economy be renewable, clean but deadly?

Outside the lab I have three best friends: my (actual) husband Chris, my (pretend) wife Sop and my (borrowed) dog Max and I enjoy spending my spare time with them.

I received my undergraduate education in Chemistry from the University of Vienna including a memorable ERASMUS-semester at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, where I worked in the Lobo/Prabhakar group. Thereafter, I specialized on Bio-inorganic and Coordination Chemistry resulting in a M.Sc. (2002) and Dr. (2005) diploma from the University of Vienna for studies on Electron-transfer Activated Anticancer Ruthenium Prodrugs, which were performed in the laboratories of Bernhard K. Keppler (Vienna) and Armando J. L. Pombeiro (IST, Lisbon). I then moved to MIT (Cambridge, MA) as a Schrödinger post-doctoral fellow to work on Synthetic Models of the Diiron(II) Active Site of Methane Monooxygenase, where I became a member of the scientific Stephen J. Lippard-family in 2007. Currently, I am an Inorganic Chemistry Lecturer at St. John's College in Oxford, and Research Assistant with Fraser Armstrong working on solar bio-hydrogen production with hydrogenases and photo-sensitizers co-attached to semiconducting nanoparticles.

I am a forth-year D.Phil. student from Lincoln College and I am working on Allochromatium vinosum hydrogenase and extract its membrane-bound hydrogenase which I purify for subsequent electrochemical experiments. I primarily investigate the effect of small inhibitor molecules on this enzyme.

I come from Stroud in Gloucestershire and having retired from rowing as an undergraduate I now train with the Oxford Jitsu club, there's nothing quite like regular violence for venting any lab rage :-).

I also love shoes.

Hello! I’m a D.Phil. research student at St John’s College and am working in the Armstrong group on the development of biological fuel cells utilising hydrogenases and laccases. I’m interested in what makes hydrogenases have different sensitivity to inhibitors such as O₂, CO, etc., and I’m also looking at modifying electrode to improve the stability of the resulting enzyme films.

I’m from Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, and I did my undergraduate degree here in Oxford, at Corpus Christi College (all the best things come in small packages!). My hobbies include going out for a drink with friends, playing pool, reading (Terry Pratchett and Patrick O’Brian especially) and watching old sitcoms. Since arriving in Oxford, I have enjoyed participating in activities run by the fantastic church I attend, St Ebbe’s.

I'm a fourth year Dphil student studying H₂ production by Hydrogenases and have recently been electrochemically examining the possibility for continued H₂ production in the presence of O₂ by these enzyme as their O₂-sensitivity is thought to be a major limitation to their use in future biohydrogen production. What else can I say? I think I deserve the olympic gold for being the most boring 27 year old ever to walk the earth. I used to have hobbies in the past... Now all I have is the BBC I player. Lately I’ve developed a remarkable propensity for err… swearing at my computer and I’m afraid it has consumed pretty much all my energy and attention. Which is probably why this résumé is so pitifully poor, terribly sorry.

I am a third-year DPhil student, and have been shared between the Armstrong group and the Ferguson group (in the Biochemistry Department) since April 2007. I work on several proteins more or less connected with cytochrome cd₁ nitrite reductase: enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the unique d₁ heme; proteins of the Ccm system, which attaches heme to the c-domain of cd₁; and cd₁ itself.

I come from King’s Lynn in Norfolk, and did my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at Oxford. Out of the lab, I spend my time eating, drinking, reading, travelling, shopping, and playing music.

I am a D.Phil. student from Merton College, and first joined the group as a Part II student in 2006. I am primarily studying the electrochemistry of the O₂-tolerant [NiFe]-hydrogenases from Ralstonia sp.

My home town is Poole in Dorset and I studied for my undergraduate degree at St Hilda’s College.

My main interest is dancing (ballroom, Latin, hiphop and just about every other type you can think of). I am also trying to master Mandarin Chinese, which is proving to be quite a challenge!

I am a first-year D.Phil. at St John's and I am investigating how enzymes stick to the surfaces used in electrochemistry with Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. I am also working on understanding the [Fe-S] cluster electron-transfer relay in Mitochondrial Complex I with the Hirst Group in Cambridge.

I was Alison’s Part II a couple of years back, investigating the application of Fourier Transform Voltammetry to proteins stuck on surfaces – and then went to China on a program by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) learning Mandarin at the Beijing Foreign Studies University before returning to Oxford for a D.Phil.

My main interests are dancing (Argentine Tango, Ballroom and Latin), piano, singing and photography, and I am trying to keep the Mandarin up…

I’m a former Part II student of Fraser from Univ who has just started my D.Phil. at Jesus, my home town is Maidenhead (that’s near Slough, but NOT part of it Fraser!). This year I am spending my time trying to get laccase to stick to nanotubes, to make an awesome electrode. It’s going to look something like Brussels sprouts on a stick — not my words I assure you.

When not in the lab I divide my time between kicking some butt at kick boxing, running people over in rugby, and chasing a ball like a mad thing in football!

I’m a former Part II student in the group and now in the first year of my D.Phil. I’m using electrochemistry to learn about the catalytic mechanism of P450s. Closely linked to this, I’m continuing the development of a system involving these enzymes together with hydrogenases on conducting particles, with the goal of achieving synthetically-useful catalysis driven by hydrogen as an electron source. I’m involved with the university tennis club, and also play Real Tennis (a strange cross between tennis and squash, dating back to the 16th century!), which is played on a court like this. I’m from Lancaster in the north-west, and when at home I can often be found fishing in the Lake District.

I’m a first year D.Phil. student in the Armstrong group. I’m originally from Alberta, Canada; I received my Bachelor of Science, Joint Honours in Biology and Chemistry from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada, and spent my junior year on exchange at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, where I studied in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

My project involves the properties of hydrogenases, in particular the oxygen tolerance of these enzymes. For now, I’m learning to love the protein film voltammetry technique used in this lab.

I’m a member of Linacre College, and a novice member of the rowing team. I also enjoy yoga and cycling.

(One day, Dr.) Luciano dos Santos

I’m a PhD student at the Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, in Brazil, and I’m enrolled as a guest visiting student for one year at the Armstrong group. After three years of research on Electrooxidation of H₂ and CO on Platinum Alloys for application in Conventional Fuel Cells at the Gonzalez’s group, during my undergraduate education in Brazil, I decided to challenge a new "way of life" by starting a project on Development of Biological Fuel Cell Systems, on March 2006 (that was really a huge challenge). Now, I’m carrying out my third year of PhD at the Armstrong group by studying efficient bio-catalyst for the reduction of molecular oxygen to water.

PS. Very different from many of other Brazilians, I’m not a fanatic for soccer and I hate Carnaval!!

I’m a Part II student in the group, finishing my undergraduate degree at Christchurch. I will be working on biological fuel cells with the aim of maximising voltage output to eventually power a fully functional doll’s house (if Fraser gets his way). To achieve this, we are using a hydrogenase and copper oxidase bio-catalyst.

In my spare time, I regularly go fishing both at home and around Oxford, and enjoy cycling, running, and playing squash.

I’m a Part II student in the group and I’m working with Gabrielle, trying to understand the bizarre nature of [FeFe] hydrogenases and how they could be used in future hydrogen production.

When not in the lab, you can find me practicing the cello, struggling to learn Arabic, or devising ingenious ways to complicate my life.

I’m a part II student from Christ Church, and will be working on the particles project with a particular focus on harnessing the oxidative power of P450 BM3 and examining its electrochemical properties.

Born and raised in London, my main hobbies outside the lab are wildlife photography, travel and diving (especially if there are big fish around); often at the same time. I also go on occasional white water trips with the university Kayak and Canoe Club, and play drums and guitar.

Danny has few hobbies but enjoys exercising at the gym and going out with friends. He is a keen Manchester United fan and Superman enthusiast.