Neil Hunt
EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow
Neil is an EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow working in the Ultrafast Chemical Physics group, part of the Nanoscience division. Research in Neil’s Multidimensional Spectroscopy Group concentrates on applying ultrafast two dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy to the study of biological systems. Recently, he obtained a high profile ERC Starting Investigator Grant to extend this technique to allow the observation of real-time changes in molecular structure during reactions (See our other research highlights). Neil also collaborates closely with the Central Laser Facility at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory on developing 2D-IR and transient 2D-IR methods for studying biological systems.
Currently, the NTH group has around £2.1M of active research grant funding and consists of 9 people (NTH, 2PDRAs, 3 PhD students and 3 MSci-level students). At present, our research interests encompass a variety of biological and related systems including model compounds of the FeFe[hydrogenase] enzyme (in collaboration with Prof Chris Pickett, UEA Norwich); the structure and dynamics of protein-ligand binding (Paul Hoskisson and Geoff Coxon, SIPBS) and self assembled bio-nanomaterial formation (Rein Ulijn, Chemistry). For more information on 2D-IR spectroscopy see the section below or have a look at our recent review article in Chem Soc Rev.
Neil received an MA (Hons) in the Natural Sciences in 1997 and a PhD in "Infrared Diode Laser Spectroscopy of Transient Species" in 2000 both from the University of Cambridge (Fitzwilliam College). Since then he has been a Welch Post-Doctoral Fellow at Rice University, Houston Texas with Nobel Laureate Robert Curl. From 2001 to 2006, he was a postdoctoral fellow with Prof Steve Meech at the University of East Anglia and in the group of Prof Klaas Wynne at the University of Strathclyde, studying applications of Ultrafast Optical Kerr Effect spectroscopy to complex liquids and biological systems.
| e: n.hunt 
phys.strath.ac.uk | t: 0141 548 3763 | u: http://bcp.phys.strath.ac.uk/ultrafast/
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Research
The focus of NTH’s research is to develop the new technique of femtosecond two dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy and to apply it to better our understanding of biological systems, specifically enzymes.
The Strathclyde 2D-IR spectrometer will use the infrared photon echo method to generate infrared spectra in which the information is spread over two frequency axes. The approach is exactly analogous to the 2D-NMR methods which have been so useful in the study of large protein systems. The advantage of 2D-IR lies in the significantly improved time resolution as compared to NMR (femtoseconds instead of milliseconds). This means that we are able to observe, in close to real time, the motions of proteins and enzymes that determine their chemical and biological behaviour. Effectively, we are working towards making molecular movies of chemical and biological processes.
The spectra obtained from 2D-IR methods show the normal, linear IR spectrum along the diagonal while cross peaks appear if two modes are coupled. These spectra allow us to assign complex spectra, determine directly the nature of solvent-solute interactions and even to obtain details of molecular structure – none of which is possible (or at the very least it is non-trivial) via normal linear IR spectroscopic methods.
Example 2D-IR spectrum of a metallocarbonyl model of the Fe-hydrogenase enzyme system.
The Fe-hydrogenase enzymes
Currently, we are interested in the Fe-hydrogenase enzyme system. These enzymes catalyse the reaction H2 <-->2 H+ + 2e- and have an active site based around a metallocarbonyl-based di-iron cluster. Interest in these species is driven by the view that a thorough understanding of the chemistry and physics of their mechanism will lead to the development of catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells that are made from cheap, abundant iron rather than the expensive platinum in use today.
We aim to apply 2D-IR and, ultimately, transient 2D-IR methods to study the active cycle and accompanying ultrafast vibrational dynamics of these enzymes.
Schematic diagram of the Fe-hydrogenase active site showing the information that we can obtain by applying 2D-IR methods to the Fe-hydrogenase enzymes.
This work is funded by an EPSRC Advanced Research Fellowship for NTH and is carried out in collaboration with the groups of Jonathan Hirst ( University of Nottingham) and Chris Pickett (UEA Norwich).
Highlights
Find out more about 2D-IR from our recent invited Tutorial Review published in Chem Soc Rev in 2009.
We published an invited review article introducing the new field of two-dimensional infared spectroscopy in Spectroscopy Europe ‘Ultrafast 2D-IR Spectroscopy – Method and Applications’ Vol 20 p. 7 (worthy of a visit for the snazzy interface alone!).
EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow 2006-11
Invited Review Article “Ultrafast Dynamics in Complex Fluids Observed Through the Ultrafast Optical Kerr Effect” in Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2007
8 weeks beam-time awarded at Max-Born Institute, Berlin (LaserLAB Europe funding) and at RAL (STFC funding)
Selected publications
N.T.Hunt, "2D-IR spectroscopy: ultrafast insights into biomolecule structure and function", Chem. Soc. Rev. 38, 1837-1848 (2009) doi: 10.1039/b819181f
A.R.Ridley, A.I.Stewart, K.Adamczyk, H.N.Ghosh, B.Kerkeni, Z.X.Guo, E.T.J.Nibbering, C.J.Pickett, N.T.Hunt, "Multiple-timescale photoreactivity of a model compound related to the active site of [FeFe]-hydrogenase", Inorg. Chem. 47, 7453-7455 (2008) doi: 10.1021/ic800568k
A.I.Stewart, I.P.Clark, M.Towrie, S.K.Ibrahim, A.W.Parker, C.J.Pickett, N.T.Hunt, "Structure and vibrational dynamics of model compounds of the [FeFe]-hydrogenase enzyme system via ultrafast two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy", J. Phys. Chem. B 112, 10023-10032 (2008) doi: 10.1021/jp803338d
N.T.Hunt, L.Kattner, R.P.Shanks, K.Wynne, "The dynamics of water-protein interaction studied by ultrafast optical Kerr-effect spectroscopy", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 3168-3172 (2007) doi: 10.1021/ja066289n
G.H.Welsh, N.T.Hunt, K.Wynne, "Terahertz-pulse emission through laser excitation of surface plasmons in a metal grating", Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 026803 (2007) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.026803
N.T.Hunt, K.Wynne, "The effect of temperature and solvation on the ultrafast dynamics of N-methylacetamide", Chem. Phys. Lett. 431, 155-159 (2006) doi: 10.1016/j.cplett.2006.09.084
N.T.Hunt, A.R.Turner, K.Wynne, "Inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding in phenol derivatives: A model system for poly-L-tyrosine", J. Phys. Chem. B 109, 19008-19017 (2005) doi: 10.1021/jp052964o
A.A.Jaye, N.T.Hunt, S.R.Meech, "Ultrafast dynamics in the dispersed phase of oil-in-water microemulsions: Monosubstituted benzenes incorporated into dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) aqueous micelles", Langmuir 21, 1238-1243 (2005) doi: 10.1021/la047599r
N.T.Hunt, A.A.Jaye, A.Hellman, S.R.Meech, "Ultrafast dynamics of styrene microemulsions, polystyrene nanolatexes, and structural analogues of polystyrene", J. Phys. Chem. B 108, 100-108 (2004) doi: 10.1021/jp035624g
N.T.Hunt, S.R.Meech, "Orientational and interaction induced dynamics in the isotropic phase of a liquid crystal: Polarization resolved ultrafast optical Kerr effect spectroscopy", J. Chem. Phys. 120, 10828-10836 (2004) doi: 10.1063/1.1737293
N.T.Hunt, A.A.Jaye, S.R.Meech, "Ultrafast dynamics in microemulsions: Optical Kerr effect study of the dispersed oil phase in a carbon disulride-dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide-water microemulsion", J. Phys. Chem. B 107, 3405-3418 (2003) doi: 10.1021/jp022301w
Funding
Current Grants
Neil Hunt
ERC (European Research Council) (2008-2012) £749808.75
Title: Introducing SPRITES
Neil Hunt
EPSRC (2006-2011) £850606
Title: Two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy - a new approach to understanding enzyme chemicals - Advanced Research Fellowship
Klaas Wynne, Neil Hunt
EPSRC (2007-2011) £496149
Title: Terahertz spectroscopy of aqueous ionic solutions to understand the role of hydrogen-bond network breaking and strengthening in the Hofmeister series
Neil Hunt
EPSRC (2009-2010) £775
Title: Systems Biology Workshop
