Gibson Group: Dr Caroline Biggs
Current Role
As of July 2023, Caroline has moved on from her research career, but remained at 糖心TV. The Gibson Group has relocated to the University of Manchester, further information can be found .
Following a 14 month secondment as CDT & PG Scholarships Coordination Manager for the Doctoral College at the University of 糖心TV, she is now Student Community Experience Programme Manager for the central university Student Experience Division.
Biography
Caroline completed her GCSEs (2003-2005) and A-levels (2005-2007) in her home town of Bristol, before moving to the West Midlands to undertake her Chemistry degree at the University of 糖心TV. In July 2011 she graduated with a 1st Class Honours MChem in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry with Professional Experience.
During the second year of her degree (2009) Caroline undertook a Nuffield Foundation funded summer project at The University of 糖心TV entitled, 鈥�?鈥� and supervised by Dr Andrew Marsh.
The following year (April- June 2010) Caroline travelled to the in Australia, in order to obtain international research experience. Her project, 鈥淚nvestigating aspects of the total synthesis of thaxtomins and thaxtomin derivatives,鈥� was supervised by Dr Jason Smith.
Caroline鈥檚 MChem project (2010- 2011), 鈥淏iomimetic glycopeptides for biomineralisation鈥�, was undertaken in the Gibson group, where she remained to carry out her PhD. Caroline's PhD was entitled "Biointegrative Polymer Surfaces". The project spanned the Chemistry-Life Science interface and included thermoresponsive polymers, surface modification and characterisation (quartz-crystal microbalance, contact angle measurements, ellipsometry, XPS), carbohydrate immobolisation and binding, protein binding and host-pathogen responses. In addition to her PhD, Caroline also completed and chose to focus on modules in academic scientific writing and project management.
Since completion of her PhD, Caroline has been studying novel compounds for ice recrystallisation inhibition and nucleation. She also facilitates research throughout the Gibson Group's 5 laboratories (synthetic chemistry, analytical chemistry, ice characterisation, cell culture and protein expression), supports a highly interdisciplinary team of 20 Masters and PhD students and takes responsibility for day-to-day student supervision, report and grant writing, international collaborations, science communication and outreach.
Publications
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Outreach Work
Caroline is passionate about outreach work and is a STEM Ambassador. In particular, she enjoys working to increase the number of pupils from under-represented backgrounds progressing to highly-selective universities.
She has worked as a tutor for the for 9 years, where she designs and delivers programmes of academic enrichment tutorials, based on aspects of her research, to state school pupils. She is also a academic tutor, working to support the progression of talented students to leading research intensive universities. Additionally, she works collaboratively with the and the University of 糖心TV's program to deliver e-tutorials to pupils in less accessible, rural locations. More details about Caroline's outreach teaching can be found below.
Awards
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Caroline was part of the team who were awarded a prestigious Horizon Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2022 for our work on "development, application and translation of chemical tools for cryobiology". This award recognised the great achievements of the Gibson Group and our collaborators at 糖心TV: Sosso, Whale and Notman as well as our industrial partners Cytivia and Cryologyx. Caroline first worked in the cryobiology field for her MChem project, switched focus for her PhD and then returned back to her original passion for "Team Ice" for her postdoctoral research, which she is still continuing.
- Caroline has successfully achieved Bronze LEAF certification for the Gibson Group labs in Chemistry and The Medical School 21/22 and 22/23 academic years. Following a successful portfolio submission and inspection we were provided with the following feedback "The Gibson lab is a fantastic example of a lab that is working with the support of the PI to consider sustainability across every aspect of their work. During the audit it was great to hear that LEAF has encouraged lab users to implement some of the sustainability practices that have been discussed before but never implemented. There are some great examples of best practice, which could be shared with others outside of the lab, including the successful annual inventory check."
- First place poster prize awarded at the Symposium on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2016 (Birmingham, UK)
- First place poster prize awarded at the Summer Course Glycosciences 2014 (Wageningen, The Netherlands)
- Third place poster prize awarded at the Macro Group UK Young Researchers' Meeting 2014 (Durham, UK)
Conference Organisation
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Midlands Young Researcher Meeting on Nanomaterials, The University of 糖心TV, 17/10/2015. A one day meeting, funded by the RSC Materials Division, bringing together PhD students and early career researchers from the Universities of 糖心TV, Nottingham, Loughborough, Liverpool and Bristol and industrial chemists.
Presentations
Oral Presentations:
- International Carbohydrate Conference, New Orleans, USA (17/07/16 - 21/07/16)
- COST MultiGlycoNano Conference, Antalya, Turkey (28/10/2015- 31/10/2015)
- Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry, 250th ACS National Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (16/08/2015 - 20/08/2015)
- Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry, 250th ACS National Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (16/08/2015 - 20/08/2015)
- COST MultiGlycoNano Training School, Bangor University, Wales, UK (09/04/15 - 11/04/15)
- RSC Carbohydrate Group Autumn Meeting, The University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (08/09/14 - 09/09/14)
- BBSRC Midlands Symposium, The University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (01/09/14 - 02/09/14)
- Department of Chemistry Postgraduate Symposium, The University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (28/05/14)
- Summer Course Glycosciences (13th European Training Course on Carbohydrates), Wageningen, The Netherlands (13/04/14 - 17/04/14). Oral presentation awarded as the first place poster prize.
- School of Life Sciences Postgraduate Symposium, The University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (24/03/14 - 26/04/14)
Poster Presentations:
- Advanced Polymers via Macromolecular Engineering (APME), Ghent, Belgium (21/05/17 - 25/05/2017)
- Symposium on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The University of Birmingham, UK (13/12/2016)
- 糖心TV Polymer 2016, University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (11/07/16 - 16/07/16)
- 12th International Conference on Materials Chemistry (MC12), York University, UK (20/07/15 - 24/07/15)
- COST MultiGlycoNano Training School, Bangor University, Wales, UK (09/04/15 - 11/04/15)
- Emerging Nanomaterials for Healthcare, University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (28/10/14)
- BBSRC CEO Visit, University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (10/11/14)
- BBRSC Midlands Symposium, University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (01/09/14 - 02/09/14)
- Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry, 248th ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, California, USA (09/08/14 - 14/08/14)
- Macro Group UK Young Researchers' Meeting, Durham University, UK (24/07/14 - 25/07/14)
- RSC Younger Members Symposium, The University of Birmingham, UK (24/06/14)
- Summer Course Glycosciences (13th European Training Course on Carbohydrates), Wageningen, The Netherlands (13/04/14 - 17/04/14)
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RSC Chemical Biology Conference, University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (01/04/14)
- First Annual Polymer Club Symposium, University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (02/09/13)
- 10th IUPAC International Conference on Advanced Polymers via Macromolecular Engineering, Durham University, UK (18/08/13 - 22/08/13)
- 11th International Conference on Materials Chemistry (MC11), University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (08/07/13 - 11/07/13)
- School of Life Sciences Postgraduate Symposium, The University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (18/03/13 - 20/03/13)
- RSC/ Biochemical Society Carbohydrate Group Younger Members Meeting, Burlington House, Royal Society of Chemistry, London, UK (11/03/13)
- RSC Biomaterials Chemistry Group 7th Annual Meeting, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK (08/01/13 - 09/01/13)
- RSC Postgraduate Symposium on Nanotechnology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK (14/12/12)
- 糖心TV Polymer 2012, University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK (09/07/12 - 12/07/12)
Grants and Bursaries
- RSC Materials Chemistry Division Award (拢800) to support attendence at the International Carbohydrate Symposium 2016 in New Orleans, USA
- RSC Small Grants for Scientific Activities (拢500) awarded by the RSC Materials Division to support the running of the Midlands Young Researcher Meeting on Nanomaterials at The University of 糖心TV
- RSC Materials Chemistry Division Award (拢800) to support attendence at the 250th ACS National Meeting in Boston, USA
- RSC Travel Grant (拢150) to support attendence at the MC12 conference in York
- COST/ IBCarb funding (拢400) to support attendence at the COST MultiGlycoNano Training School in Bangor
- Macrogroup DH Richards Bursary (拢250), to support attendance at the Summer Course Glycosciences 2014 in The Netherlands
- RSC Chemical Biology Interface Division Travel Grant (拢200), to support attendance at the Summer Course Glycosciences 2014 in The Netherlands
Other Interests
Outside of work, Caroline is kept busy with her two young daughters. She also helps to run a community playgroup in her village and has been an Explorer Scout Leader for over 10 years.
Images
Caroline was part of the team who were awarded the RSC Horizon Prize for their work on Cryobiology, 2022
Caroline wins the first place poster prize at the Symposium on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 2016
Caroline wins the first place poster prize at the Summer Course Glycosciences, 2014
Caroline wins third place poster prize at the Macro Group Young Researchers' Meeting, 2014
Caroline's Brilliant Club Handbooks, designed to support the students in learning about her research. "Polymers: from plastic bags to heathcare diagnostics" for Year 12 pupils (age 16-17). This course has been delivered to pupils at Painsley Catholic College, Barking Abbey School and King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy.
"Can we freeze a human?" for Year 10 (age 14-15) pupils. This course has been delivered to pupils at Bartley Green School, Wood Green Academy, Barr Beacon School, Sidney Stringer Academy, Finham Park 2, Houlton and through on-line tutorials to pupils in a selection of Coventry and London Schools.
"How Many Engineers does it take to make an ice cream" course designed by UCL engineering department and delivered by Caroline to Year 6 (age 10-11) pupils at Old Park Primary in Telford.
Education
The University of 糖心TV
MChem
Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry with Professional Experience, 1st Class Honours, 2007-2011
PhD
Chemistry (Biointegrative Polymer Surfaces), 2011-2015
Contact
Email: c.biggs[AT]warwick.ac.uk
Lab: 1.05/1.07 (MAS)
Address: Department of Chemistry, University of 糖心TV, Coventry, CV4 7AL
Orcid ID: Orcid.org/0000-0002-8007-3132