Ross Anderson’s research is focussed on the engineering of de novo designed redox proteins and enzymes, and their subsequent integration into both living organisms and artificial cell-like entities. Ross studied Chemistry at Newcastle University and carried out his PhD in Biomimetic Macrocyclic Chemistry at Heriot-Watt University. He then moved into the field of Biological Inorganic Chemistry with Prof. Stephen Chapman, FRSE, at the University of Edinburgh, studying the natural heme-containing dioxygenases indoleamine and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase. From here Ross undertook further postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania in the lab of Prof. Les Dutton, FRS, where he worked on the assembly of simple artificial proteins capable of reproducing sophisticated functional elements common to oxidoreductase enzymes.  

Ross was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship in 2009 to set up his lab in the School of Biochemistry at the University of Bristol. Since then, his lab has extensively explored the in vivo assembly of functional artificial proteins and enzymes funded by the Royal Society and the BBSRC. He collaborates with: Prof Adrian Mulholland (Bristol Chemistry) on the computational design and analysis of de novo proteins; Dr Paul Curnow (Bristol, Biochemistry) on the de novo design of membrane proteins; Prof Stephen Mann, FRS (Bristol, Chemistry), Prof Adam Perriman (Bristol, CMM) and Dr Nicolas Martin (CNRS, Bordeaux) on the design of artificial protocells; Prof Paddy Royal (Bristol, Physics) and Dr John Russo (Bristol, Maths) on critical soft matter and the construction of multiprotein gels; Dr Chris Pudney (Bath, Chemistry) on catalysis in de novo proteins; Dr Dmitri Svistunenko (Essex, Biological Sciences) on the identification of reactive heme species in de novo enzymes.

  • 2019-present    Associate Professor in Biological Chemistry, University of Bristol
  • 2017-2019        Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol
  • 2009-2017        Royal Society University Research Fellow (URF), School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol 
  • 2006-2009        Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania
  • 2003-2006        Postdoctoral Research Associate, School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh
  • 1999-2003        PhD, Heriot-Watt University
  • 1996-1999        BSc, Chemistry, Newcastle University

Teaching

  • Biological Chemistry 1A/1B – the chemistry of nucleotides and cofactors, metals in biology, quantum tunnelling in biology
  • Macromolecular Structure, Dynamics and Function – cellular redox homeostasis, oxidative stress and non-respiratory use of oxygen & enzyme kinetics labs.
  • Advanced Options in Biochemistry – computational and iterative de novo enzyme design, ethics in synthetic biology
  • MSci Synthetic Biology Options – directed evolution, computational protein and enzyme design, high throughput selection and analysis
  • MSc Biophysics and Molecular Life Sciences – enzymology and metalloprotein chemistry and biophysics
  • Year in Industry Coordinator for the School of Biochemistry
  • Internationalisation Champion for the School of Biochemistry