معرفی
Associate Professor Stephen Bell is a faculty member in the School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences at the University of Adelaide, within the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology. He holds an academic rank of Associate Professor and leads research focused on enzyme catalysis, particularly cytochrome P450 enzymes. His work emphasizes biocatalysis applications in sustainable chemical synthesis and bioremediation, leveraging interdisciplinary methods from biochemistry, synthetic biology, and chemistry.
Research Interests: Dr. Bell’s lab studies cytochrome P450 enzymes for their potential in oxidizing organic compounds, including steroids and terpenoids, with a focus on extremophile-derived enzymes for robust biocatalytic processes. Key areas include enzyme engineering, electron transfer partner identification, whole-cell oxidation systems, and structural studies via X-ray crystallography. Collaborative projects involve drug metabolism mechanisms, enzyme structure determination, and immobilization technologies for enhanced stability.
Awards and Grants: His research has been supported by Australian Research Council grants, including Discovery Projects and a Future Fellowship. Notable achievements include founding the spin-out company Oxford Biotrans, which commercialized biocatalytic production of high-value compounds like flavor and fragrance ingredients.
Teaching: He teaches inorganic, medicinal, and biological chemistry courses, covering reaction mechanisms, electron transfer processes, and transition metal chemistry. Supervision: Currently oversees 7-8 PhD students and has extensive experience mentoring Honours students. His group actively recruits candidates interested in enzyme engineering, biocatalysis, and synthetic biology.
Labs and Teams: The lab focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to enzyme-based biocatalysis, with emphasis on scaling up reactions using fermentor technology and bioprocess engineering. Collaborations span structural biology, spectroscopy, and industrial partners for application development.
