Gill Stephens

Contact

• workRoom A21 Coates
  University Park
  Nottingham
  NG7 2RD
  UK
• work0115 951 4002
• gill.stephens@nottingham.ac.uk

Expertise Summary

Gill's main research interest is in using cells and enzymes as biocatalysts to manufacture chemicals. Gill graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Kent, and a PhD on microbial metabolism from the University of Warwick. She did postdoctoral research on the acetone-butanol fermentation with Professor Gareth Morris FRS at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and then she worked on oxygenase-catalysed biotransformations with Professor Sir Howard Dalton FRS, at the University of Warwick. Gill then joined the Department of Chemical Engineering, UMIST in 1988 (now part of the University of Manchester), and established a research group working on biotransformations using anaerobic bacteria. She was seconded for 3 years as Research Director of Pro-Bio Faraday Partnership from 2001-4. She joined the University of Nottingham in 2010 as Chair of Bioprocessing and BBSRC Research Development Fellow.

Research Summary

Gill holds a BBSRC fellowship which enables her to work full time on research. She works on biocatalytic methods to produce chemicals, primarily from renewable feedstocks. Current… read more

Selected Publications

• N WOOD, G STEPHENS, 2010. Accelerating the discovery of biocompatible ionic liquids. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 12, 1670-1674
• K SEDDON, N GUNARATNE, M EARLE, M GILEA, G STEPHENS, E IVANOVA, L REHMANN, E GREEN, 2010. Compositions and methods for the removal of chewing gum residues from substrates. 2009-GB51097 2010023 11/01/2010 00:00:00
• A FRYSZKOWSKA, K FISHER, JM GARDINER, GM STEPHENS, 2010. A short, chemoenzymatic route to chiral beta-aryl-gamma-amino acids using reductases from anaerobic bacteria. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry. 8, 533-535
• S. LIU, M. REBROS, G. STEPHENS, A.C. MARR, 2009. Adding Value to Renewables: A One Pot Process Combining Microbial Cells and Hydrogen Transfer Catalysis to Utilise Waste Glycerol from Biodiesel Production. Chemical Communications. 2009, 2308-2310

• View all publications

Current Research

Gill holds a BBSRC fellowship which enables her to work full time on research. She works on biocatalytic methods to produce chemicals, primarily from renewable feedstocks. Current applications-focussed projects include:

• Metabolic engineering to produce bulk chemicals and monomers from renewable feedstocks
• Enzymatic depolymerisation of lignin
• Biocatalytic reductions to produce amines

Gill's group also works on process and method development for biocatalysis. Our areas of competence include:

• Design of metabolic routes to produce bulk chemicals
• Overcoming product inhibition in microbial processes
• Integrating microbial fermentations with chemical catalysis
• Discovery of cell- and enzyme-friendly ionic liquids for use in biocatalytic processes
• Improved delivery of water-insoluble substrates and polymers using ionic liquids
• Biphasic ionic liquid/water systems for product recovery
• Toxicity evaluation for substrates and products in bioprocesses
• Anaerobic biotransformations

Gill's research is sponsored by BBSRC, EPSRC, TSB and industry.

Future Research

Postgraduate opportunities

Gill welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD students for projects. Gill advertises funded PhD projects and projects for postdocs on jobs.ac.uk and findaphd.com

• REHMANN, LARS, IVANOVA, EKATERINA, FERGUSON, JAMIE L., GUNARATNE, H. Q. NIMAL, SEDDON, KENNETH R. and STEPHENS, GILLIAN M., 2012. Measuring the effect of ionic liquids on laccase activity using a simple, parallel method Green Chemistry. 14(3), 725-733
• FRYSZKOWSKA, ANNA, TOOGOOD, HELEN, SAKUMA, MICHIYO, STEPHENS, GILL M., GARDINER, JOHN M. and SCRUTTON, NIGEL S., 2011. Active site modifications in pentaerythritol tetranitrate reductase can lead to improved product enantiopurity, decreased by-product formation and altered stereochemical outcome in reactions with alpha,beta-unsaturated nitroolefins Catalysis Science & Technology. 1(6), 948-957
• WINDER, CATHERINE L., CORNMELL, ROBERT, SCHULER, STEPHANIE, JARVIS, ROGER M., STEPHENS, GILL M. and GOODACRE, ROYSTON, 2011. Metabolic fingerprinting as a tool to monitor whole-cell biotransformations Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 399(1), 387-401
• WOOD, NICOLA, FERGUSON, JAMIE L., GUNARATNE, H. Q. NIMAL, SEDDON, KENNETH R., GOODACRE, ROYSTON and STEPHENS, GILLIAN M., 2011. Screening ionic liquids for use in biotransformations with whole microbial cells Green Chemistry. 13(7), 1843-1851
• SELLICK, CHRISTOPHER A., CROXFORD, ALEXANDRA S., MAQSOOD, ARFA R., STEPHENS, GILL, WESTERHOFF, HANS V., GOODACRE, ROYSTON and DICKSON, ALAN J., 2011. Metabolite Profiling of Recombinant CHO Cells: Designing Tailored Feeding Regimes That Enhance Recombinant Antibody Production Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 108(12), 3025-3031
• SELLICK, CHRISTOPHER A., HANSEN, RASMUS, STEPHENS, GILL M., GOODACRE, ROYSTON and DICKSON, ALAN J., 2011. Metabolite extraction from suspension-cultured mammalian cells for global metabolite profiling Nature Protocols. 6(8), 1241-1249
• STEPHENS, GILL and LICENCE, PETER, 2011. Ionic liquids Toxic or not? Chimica Oggi-Chemistry Today. 29(3), 72-75
• TOOGOOD, HELEN S., FRYSZKOWSKA, ANNA, HULLEY, MARTYN, SAKUMA, MICHIYO, MANSELL, DAVID, STEPHENS, GILL M., GARDINER, JOHN M. and SCRUTTON, NIGEL S., 2011. A Site-Saturated Mutagenesis Study of Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate Reductase Reveals that Residues 181 and 184 Influence Ligand Binding, Stereochemistry and Reactivity Chembiochem. 12(5), 738-749
• K SEDDON, N GUNARATNE, M EARLE, M GILEA, G STEPHENS, E IVANOVA, L REHMANN, E GREEN, 2010. Compositions and methods for the removal of chewing gum residues from substrates. 2009-GB51097 2010023 11/01/2010 00:00:00
• CA SELLICK, R HANSEN, RASMUS, RM JARVIS, AR MAQSOOD, GM STEPHENS, AJ DICKSON, R GOODACRE, 2010. Rapid monitoring of recombinant antibody production by mammalian cell cultures using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 106, 432-442
• N WOOD, G STEPHENS, 2010. Accelerating the discovery of biocompatible ionic liquids. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 12, 1670-1674
• A FRYSZKOWSKA, K FISHER, JM GARDINER, GM STEPHENS, 2010. A short, chemoenzymatic route to chiral beta-aryl-gamma-amino acids using reductases from anaerobic bacteria. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry. 8, 533-535
• HULLEY, ME, TOOGOOD, HS, FRYSZKOWSKA, A, MANSELL, D, STEPHENS, GM, GARDINER, JM and SCRUTTON, NS, 2010. Focused Directed Evolution of Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate Reductase by Using Automated Anaerobic Kinetic Screening of Site-Saturated Libraries Chembiochem. 11(17), 2433-2447
• HANSEN, R, DICKSON, AJ, GOODACRE, R, STEPHENS, GM and SELLICK, CA, 2010. Rapid Characterization of N-linked Glycans from Secreted and Gel-Purified Monoclonal Antibodies Using MALDI-ToF Mass Spectrometry Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 107(5), 902-908
• CA SELLICK, D KNIGHT, AS CROXFORD, AR MAQSOOD, GM STEPHENS, R GOODACRE, AJ DICKSON, 2010. Evaluation of extraction processes for intracellular metabolite profiling of mammalian cells: matching extraction approaches to cell type and metabolite targets. Metabolomics. 6, 427-438
• LIU, SF, REBROS, M, STEPHENS, G and MARR, AC, 2009. Adding value to renewables: a one pot process combining microbial cells and hydrogen transfer catalysis to utilise waste glycerol from biodiesel production Chemical Communications. 2308-2310
• SELLICK, CA, MAQSOOD, AR, CROXFORD, AS, DICKSON, AJ, GOODACRE, R and STEPHENS, GM, 2009. Optimizing CHO Cell Culture Conditions Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. 29(17), 56-57
• XU, M, BHAT, S, SMITH, R, STEPHENS, G and SADHUKHAN, J, 2009. Multi-objective optimisation of metabolic productivity and thermodynamic performance Computers & Chemical Engineering. 33(9), 1438-1450
• C.A. SELLICK, R. HANSEN, A.R. MAQSOOD, W.B. DUNN, G.M. STEPHENS, R. GOODACRE, A.J. DICKSON, 2009. Effective quenching processes for physiologically valid metabolite profiling of mammalian cells. Analytical Chemistry. 81, 174-183
• A FRYSZKOWSKA, H TOOGOOD, M SAKUMA, JM GARDINER, GM STEPHENS, NS SCRUTTON, 2009. Asymmetric Reduction of Activated Alkenes by Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate Reductase: Specificity and Control of Stereochemical Outcome by Reaction Optimisation. Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis. 351, 2976-2990
• O. DIPEOLU, E. GREEN, G. STEPHENS, 2009. Effects of water-miscible ionic liquids on cell growth and nitro reduction using Clostridium sporogenes. Green Chemistry. 11, Green Chemistry
• M. REBROS, H.Q.N. GUNARATNE, J. FERGUSON, K.R. SEDDON, G. STEPHENS, 2009. A high throughput screen to test the biocompatibility of ionic liquids. Green Chemistry. 11, 402-408
• R.J. CORNMELL, C.L. WINDER, G.J.T. TIDDY, R. GOODACRE, G. STEPHENS, 2008. Accumulation of ionic liquids in Escherichia coli cells. Green Chemistry. 10, 836 - 841
• M. F. RODRIGUEZ MARTINEZ, N. KELESSIDOU, Z. LAW, J. GARDINER, G. STEPHENS, 2008. Effect of solvents on obligately anaerobic bacteria. Anaerobe. 14, 55-60
• S. SHIPOVSKOV, H.Q.N. GUNARATNE, K.R. SEDDON, G. STEPHENS, 2008. Catalytic activity of laccases in water-miscible ionic liquids Green Chemistry. 10, 806 - 810
• H. KORBEKANDI, P. MATHER, J. GARDINER, G. STEPHENS, 2008. Reduction of aliphatic nitro groups using an obligately anaerobic whole cell biocatalyst Enzyme & Microbial Technology. 42, 308–314
• H.S. TOOGOOD, A. FRYSZKOWSKA, V. HARE, K. FISHER, A. ROUJEINIKOVA, D. LEYS, G.M. STEPHENS, J.M. GARDINER, N.S. SCRUTTON, 2008. Structure-based insight into the asymmetric bioreduction of the C=C double bond of α,β-unsaturated nitroalkenes by pentaerythritol tetranitrate reductase. Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis. 350, 2789-2803
• TOOGOOD, HS, FRYSZKOWSKA, A, HARE, V, FISHER, K, ROUJEINIKOVA, A, LEYS, D, GARDINER, JM, STEPHENS, GM and SCRUTTON, NS, 2008. Structure-Based Insight into the Asymmetric Bioreduction of the C=C Double Bond of alpha,beta-Unsaturated Nitroalkenes by Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate Reductase Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis. 350(17), 2789-2803
• C.L. WINDER, W.B. DUNN, S. SCHULER, D. BROADHURST, R.J and G.M. STEPHENS, R. GOODACRE, 2008. Global metabolic profiling of Escherichia coli cultures: an evaluation of methods for quenching and extraction of intracellular metabolites. Analytical Chemistry. 80, 2939-2948
• A. FRYSZKOWSKA, K. FISHER, J. GARDINER, G. STEPHENS, 2008. Highly enantioselective reduction of beta,beta-disubstituted aromatic nitroalkenes catalyzed by Clostridium sporogenes Journal of Organic Chemistry. 73, 4295-4298
• R.J. CORNMELL, C.L. WINDER, S. SCHULER, R. GOODACRE, G. STEPHENS, 2008. Using ionic liquids to improve oxygenase-catalysed biotransformation with whole cells. Green Chemistry. 10, 685–691
• D. SATE, M.H.A. JANSSEN, G. STEPHENS, R.A. SHELDON, K.R. SEDDON, J.R. LU, 2007. Enzyme Aggregation in Ionic Liquids Studied by Dynamic Light Scattering and Small Angle Neutron Scattering. Green Chemistry. 9, 859-867
• ANDREWS, JS, MASON, VP, THOMPSON, IP, STEPHENS, GM and MARKX, GH, 2006. Construction of artificially structured microbial consortia (ASMC) using dielectrophoresis: Examining bacterial interactions via metabolic intermediates within environmental biofilms: Journal of Microbiological Methods Journal of Microbiological Methods. 64(1), 96-106
• FOROUGHI, F, WILLIAMS, P and STEPHENS, G, 2006. Reduction of carbon-carbon double bonds using Acetobacterium woodii: Determination of the optimum inducer structure Enzyme and Microbial Technology. 39(5), 1066-1071
• LENOURRY, A, GARDINER, J and STEPHENS, G, 2005. Hydrogenation of C-C double bonds in an ionic liquid reaction system using the obligate anaerobe, Sporomusa termitida: Biotechnology Letters Biotechnology Letters. 27(3), 161-165
• JUNGNICKEL, H, JONES, EA, LOCKYER, NP, OLIVER, SG, STEPHENS, GM and VICKERMAN, JC, 2005. Application of TOF-SIMS with chemometrics to discriminate between four different yeast strains from the species Candida glabrata and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Analytical Chemistry Analytical Chemistry. 77(6), 1740-1745
• DIPEOLU, O, GARDINER, J and STEPHENS, G, 2005. Biocatalytic amide reduction using Clostridium sporogenes Biotechnology Letters. 27(22), 1803-1807
• LI, H, WILLIAMS, P, MICKLEFIELD, J, GARDINER, JM and STEPHENS, G, 2004. A dynamic combinatorial screen for novel imine reductase activity Tetrahedron. 60(3), 753-758
• SHELDON, R, STEPHENS, G and SEDDON, K, 2004. Enzymes in non-conventional environments: Green Chemistry Green Chemistry. 6(9), G65-G66
• THOMPSON, CE, JUNGNICKEL, H, LOCKYER, NP, STEPHENS, GM and VICKERMAN, JC, 2004. ToF-SIMS studies as a tool to discriminate between spores and vegetative cells of bacteria: Applied Surface Science Applied Surface Science. 231-2, 420-423
• CLIFF, B, LOCKYER, N, JUNGNICKEL, H, STEPHENS, G and VICKERMAN, JC, 2003. Probing cell chemistry with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry: development and exploitation of instrumentation for studies of frozen-hydrated biological material: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 17(19), 2163-2167
• CLIFF, B, WEIBEL, DE, LOCKYER, NP, JUNGNICKEL, H, STEPHENS, G and VICKERMAN, JC, 2003. Detection of chlorinated pesticides on the surface of fungus using ToF-SIMS: Applied Surface Science Applied Surface Science. 203, 710-713
• VERDUZCO-LUQUE, CE, ALP, B, STEPHENS, GM and MARKX, GH, 2003. Construction of biofilms with defined internal architecture using dielectrophoresis and flocculation: Biotechnology and Bioengineering Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 83(1), 39-44
• ALP, B, STEPHENS, GM and MARKX, GH, 2002. Formation of artificial, structured microbial consortia (ASMC) by dielectrophoresis: Enzyme and Microbial Technology Enzyme and Microbial Technology. 31(1-2), 35-43
• PHUMATHON, P and STEPHENS, GM, 1999. Production of toluene cis-glycol using recombinant Escherichia coli strains in glucose-limited fed batch culture: Enzyme and Microbial Technology Enzyme and Microbial Technology. 25(10), 810-819
• DAVIES, ET and STEPHENS, GM, 1998. Effect of growth substrate and electron donor on hydrogenation of carbon-carbon double bonds by Acetobacterium woodii: Enzyme and Microbial Technology Enzyme and Microbial Technology. 23(1-2), 129-132
• WEST, RJ, STEPHENS, GM and CILLIERS, JJ, 1998. Zeta potential of silver absorbing Thiobacillus ferrooxidans: Minerals Engineering Minerals Engineering. 11(2), 189-194
• ARMSTRONG, JL, MAVITUNA, F and STEPHENS, GM, 1997. Novel immobilisation supports for anaerobic bacteria: 1997 Jubilee Research Event, Vols 1 and 2
• BICKERDIKE, SR, HOLT, RA and STEPHENS, GM, 1997. Evidence for metabolism of o-xylene by simultaneous ring and methyl group oxidation in a new soil isolate: Microbiology-Uk Microbiology-Uk. 143, 2321-2329
• KALIL, MS and STEPHENS, GM, 1997. Catechol production by O-demethylation of 2-methoxyphenol using the obligate anaerobe, Acetobacterium woodii: Biotechnology Letters Biotechnology Letters. 19(12), 1165-1168
• WAHBI, LP, PHUMATHON, P, BROWN, A, MINTER, S and STEPHENS, GM, 1997. Regulated toluene cis-glycol production by recombinant Escherichia coli strains constructed by PCR amplification of the toluene dioxygenase genes from Pseudomonas putida: Biotechnology Letters Biotechnology Letters. 19(10), 961-965
• GREEN, EM and STEPHENS, GM, 1996. Biotransformations by Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 in pH-auxostat culture: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 44(5), 553-556
• DAVIES, ET and STEPHENS, GM, 1996. Efficient mediator-independent hydrogenation of carbon-carbon double bonds, using the obligate anaerobe, Acetobacterium woodii, with fructose as an electron donor: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 46(5-6), 615-618
• TSAI, JT, WAHBI, LP, DERVAKOS, GA and STEPHENS, GM, 1996. Production of toluene cis-glycol by a recombinant Escherichia coli strain in a two-liquid phase culture system: Biotechnology Letters Biotechnology Letters. 18(3), 241-244
• WAHBI, LP, GOKHALE, D, MINTER, S and STEPHENS, GM, 1996. Construction and use of recombinant Escherichia coli strains for the synthesis of toluene cis-glycol: Enzyme and Microbial Technology Enzyme and Microbial Technology. 19(4), 297-306
• KALIL, MS and STEPHENS, GM, 1995. IMPROVEMENT OF THE LONG-TERM SURVIVAL OF ACETOBACTERIUM-WOODII BY LIMITING ACETATE PRODUCTION: Biotechnology Techniques Biotechnology Techniques. 9(8), 617-622
• NOBLE, LM, LEGG, M and STEPHENS, GM, 1994. OPTIMIZATION OF SURVIVAL OF PSEUDOMONAS-FLUORESCENS BY MANIPULATION OF GROWTH-CONDITIONS AND ADAPTATION TO STRESS. In: Ecb6: Proceedings of the 6th European Congress on Biotechnology, Pts I and Ii 9. 1085-1088
• GREEN, EM, KALIL, MS, WILLIAMS, P and STEPHENS, GM, 1994. SCREENING FOR REDUCTION OF ALDEHYDES AND KETONES BY SOLVENTOGENIC CULTURES OF THE STRICT ANAEROBE, CLOSTRIDIUM-ACETOBUTYLICUM: Biotechnology Techniques Biotechnology Techniques. 8(10), 733-738
• DAVIES, ET and STEPHENS, GM, 1994. OPTIMIZATION OF CELL HARVESTING AND ASSAY PROCEDURES FOR REDUCTIVE BIOTRANSFORMATIONS IN OBLIGATE ANAEROBES: Advances in Bioprocess Engineering
• STEPHENS, GM, SIDEBOTHAM, JM, MANN, NH and DALTON, H, 1989. CLONING AND EXPRESSION IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI OF THE TOLUENE DIOXYGENASE GENE FROM PSEUDOMONAS-PUTIDA NCIB11767: Fems Microbiology Letters Fems Microbiology Letters. 57(3), 295-300
• STEPHENS, GM and DALTON, H, 1988. KINETICS OF BENZOATE-INDUCED LOSS OF THE TOL PLASMID FROM PSEUDOMONAS-PUTIDA MT15 DURING GROWTH IN CHEMOSTAT CULTURE: Fems Microbiology Letters Fems Microbiology Letters. 55(2), 175-180
• JENKINS, RO, STEPHENS, GM and DALTON, H, 1987. PRODUCTION OF TOLUENE CIS-GLYCOL BY PSEUDOMONAS-PUTIDA IN GLUCOSE FED-BATCH CULTURE: Biotechnology and Bioengineering Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 29(7), 873-883
• JENKINS, RO, STEPHENS, GM and DALTON, H, 1987. EVIDENCE FOR MORE THAN ONE FORM OF TOLUENE CIS-GLYCOL DEHYDROGENASE FROM PSEUDOMONAS-PUTIDA NCIB11767: Fems Microbiology Letters Fems Microbiology Letters. 44(2), 209-214
• STEPHENS, GM and DALTON, H, 1987. IS TOXIN PRODUCTION BY CORYNEFORM BACTERIA LINKED TO THEIR ABILITY TO UTILIZE HYDROCARBONS: Trends in Biotechnology Trends in Biotechnology. 5(1), 5-7
• STEPHENS, GM and DALTON, H, 1987. THE EFFECT OF LIPOPHILIC WEAK ACIDS ON THE SEGREGATIONAL STABILITY OF TOL PLASMIDS IN PSEUDOMONAS-PUTIDA: Journal of General Microbiology Journal of General Microbiology. 133, 1891-1899
• STEPHENS, GM and DALTON, H, 1986. THE ROLE OF THE TERMINAL AND SUBTERMINAL OXIDATION PATHWAYS IN PROPANE METABOLISM BY BACTERIA: Journal of General Microbiology Journal of General Microbiology. 132, 2453-2462
• STEPHENS, GM, HOLT, RA, GOTTSCHAL, JC and MORRIS, JG, 1985. STUDIES ON THE STABILITY OF SOLVENT PRODUCTION BY CLOSTRIDIUM-ACETOBUTYLICUM IN CONTINUOUS CULTURE: Journal of Applied Bacteriology Journal of Applied Bacteriology. 58(6), 597-605
• HOLT, RA, STEPHENS, GM and MORRIS, JG, 1984. PRODUCTION OF SOLVENTS BY CLOSTRIDIUM-ACETOBUTYLICUM CULTURES MAINTAINED AT NEUTRAL PH: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 48(6), 1166-1170