Dr Andy Chapman

Dr Chapman’s work at Carbometrics/Ziylo has focused on the pioneering work initiated by Professor Anthony Davis that involves designing and building a molecule that is able to recognise and bind to glucose in complex biological mixtures like blood. Glucose is one of the most important molecules for living systems and building something in a lab that can recognise it amongst many other similar molecules is a huge chemistry challenge.

For a diabetic, knowing the quantity of glucose in your blood is critical. Glucose sensors capable of providing diabetic patients with this information have only been made possible by the existence of natural molecules that can recognise and bind to glucose. Carbometrics’ technology has many advantages over the natural molecules that have been used to date and the team are working hard to exploit these favourable features by developing new glucose sensing technologies that can be used to make better and cheaper glucose sensors.

In parallel, Dr Chapman also works with parents company Novo Nordisk, focusing on taking the same Glucose Binding Molecules and using them to make the holy grail of insulin therapies – Glucose Sensitive Insulin. Many diabetics are only alive because they can take insulin every day, but even the best insulin therapies are far from perfect at controlling the patients’ blood glucose and can easily kill if the dose is too high. He is helping Novo Nordisk to use the Glucose Binding Molecules to make a safer and more effective insulin.