Mark Dickman

Professor Mark Dickman, affiliated with the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield, is a leading expert in Bioanalytical Science and Engineering. His research focuses on developing advanced analytical techniques for characterizing nucleic acid therapeutics, particularly oligonucleotide and mRNA-based drugs. Industry collaborations include ThermoFisher, AstraZeneca, Syngenta, and RedShift Bio.

• Academic Background: First Class BSc (Biochemistry/Chemistry), PhD at the Krebs Institute (University of Sheffield).
• Professional History: Research Scientist at Transgenomic Ltd (1993-2003), then academic staff at the University of Sheffield.

Key research areas include:

• Bioseparations (HPLC, 2D-LC, ion-pair chromatography)
• Biological Mass Spectrometry for RNA and protein analysis
• Nucleic Acid Therapeutics (mRNA vaccines, oligonucleotide drugs)
• CRISPR-Cas Systems and RNA interference

His publications (over 40) demonstrate expertise in chromatographic methods, bacterial cell wall analysis, and epigenetic studies. Recent work explores:

• mRNA critical quality attribute monitoring
• RNA biocontrol purification
• Peptidoglycan structural characterization
• Mass spectrometry-based RNA sequence mapping

Professional memberships include the Royal Society of Chemistry and American Society for Mass Spectrometry. He contributes to teaching through the CPE 240 Engineering From Living Systems course.