Personal profile
Research overview
Measuring nanometre distances for structural biology using EPR spectroscopy.
I use Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to measure nanometre distances in proteins and nucleic acids. This provides detail on their structure and dynamics. The methodology is applied to a range of proteins including those for protein excretion in the cell. I am also interested in developing the methods for tagging proteins and nucleic acids to make them suitable for this kind of investigation, as well as advancing the EPR experiments themselves.
The biological preparation and EPR facilities at St Andrews are outstanding with, among others, pulsed and CW X-band, high power Q-band and the home-built high power W-band (HiPER).
Research interests
Structure determination of proteins and protein complexes using distance measurements derived from EPR spectroscopy. New spin labels for cysteine rich proteins.
Academic/Professional Qualification
MChem (Oxon) 2002
DPhil 2006
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Design of a site selective heterochromic bimetallic lanthanide coiled coil with nanometre-scale control
Slope, L. N., Shah, A., Taylor, M. J., Borghesani, V., Caulton, S. G., Brooks, N. J., Hadley, K. A., Rose, G., Hunter, R. I., Mkami, H. E. L., Smith, G. M., Leney, A. C., Buurma, N. J., Lovering, A. L., Lovett, J. E. & Peacock, A. F. A., 12 May 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Chemical Science. Advance Article, p. 1-11 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Optimized lanthanide(III) tags for rapid and efficient protein labeling in electron paramagnetic resonance and luminescence applications
Topping, L., Mocanu, E. M., Fisher, S. R., Hunter, R. I., Ben‐Ishay, Y., Goldfarb, D., Smith, G. M., Lovett, J. E. & Butler, S. J., 10 Jan 2026, In: Chemistry Europe. 4, 1, 9 p., e202500282.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Robustness and sensitivity of Gd(III)-Gd(III) double electron electron resonance (DEER) measurements: comparative study of high-frequency EPR spectrometer designs and spin label variants
Mocanu, E. M., Ben-Ishay, Y., Topping, L., Fisher, S. R., Hunter, R. I., Su, X.-C., Butler, S., Smith, G. M., Goldfarb, D. & Lovett, J. E., 1 May 2025, In: Applied Magnetic Resonance. 56, 5, p. 591-611 21 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Sigmatropic rearrangement enables access to a highly stable spirocyclic nitroxide for protein spin labelling
Sowiński, M. P., Mocanu, E. M., Ruskin-Dodd, H., McKay, A. P., Cordes, D. B., Lovett, J. E. & Haugland-Grange, M., 7 May 2025, In: Chemical Communications. 61, 37, p. 6755-6758 4 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Spirocyclic pyrrolidinyl nitroxides with exo-methylene substituents
Sowiński, M. P., Warnke, A.-L., Lund, B. A., Skagseth, S., Cordes, D. B., Lovett, J. E. & Haugland, M. M., 13 Dec 2024, In: ChemPlusChem. 89, 12, 7 p., e202400387.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
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Data underpinning: Robustness and sensitivity of Gd(III)-Gd(III) double electron electron resonance (DEER) measurements: Comparative study of high-frequency EPR spectrometer designs and spin label variants (dataset)
Mocanu, E. M. (Creator), Ben-Ishay, Y. (Creator), Topping, L. (Creator), Fisher, S. R. (Creator), Hunter, R. I. (Creator), Su, X.-C. (Creator), Butler, S. (Creator), Smith, G. M. (Creator), Goldfarb, D. (Creator) & Lovett, J. E. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 10 Jan 2024
DOI: 10.17630/81ed7b0d-cb29-4851-9eee-bf4fb39e4f03
Dataset
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Optimised lanthanide(III) tags for rapid and efficient protein labelling in EPR and luminescence applications (dataset)
Topping, L. (Creator), Mocanu, E. M. (Creator), Fisher, S. R. (Creator), Hunter, R. (Creator), Ben-Ishay, Y. (Creator), Goldfarb, D. (Creator), Smith, G. (Creator), Lovett, J. (Creator) & Butler, S. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 25 Mar 2026
DOI: 10.17630/a6bc82ef-f29e-431d-8494-de8f886a53bb
Dataset
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DEER Measurements of Calmodulin: Novel Spin Labels and Structural Insights (thesis data)
Mocanu, E. M. (Creator) & Lovett, J. (Supervisor), University of St Andrews, 5 Mar 2029
DOI: 10.17630/025f3c8e-5be0-4e15-9f44-7d728450a613
Dataset: Thesis dataset
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Versatile para-substituted pyridine lanthanide coordination complexes allow late stage tailoring of complex function (dataset)
Starck, M. (Creator), Batsanov, A. (Creator), Fradgley, J. (Creator), de Rosa, D. (Creator), Papa, M. (Creator), Taylor, M. J. (Creator), Lovett, J. E. (Creator) & Parker, D. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 24 Nov 2021
DOI: 10.17630/128d8c87-d13a-45d8-a5f2-5d5422b14d1a
Dataset
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Under Pressure: Measuring Nanometre Distance Changes in Biomolecules (thesis data)
Russell, H. (Creator) & Lovett, J. E. (Supervisor), University of St Andrews, 21 Apr 2027
DOI: 10.17630/74f265b7-6e42-4b3d-8ac2-20bc3e5c7d97, https://doi.org/10.17630/sta/865
Dataset: Thesis dataset
Projects
- 10 Finished
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Supramolecular structure predictions: Supramolecular Structure Predictions Validated from Sparse Experimental Data
Smith, G. (PI) & Lovett, J. (CoI)
1/11/22 → 31/10/25
Project: Standard
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Enabling Shaped Pulse Capability: Enabling Shaped Pulse Capability for Superior Biological Structural Determination Using EPR Spectroscopy.
Lovett, J. (PI), Bode, B. (CoI), Penedo, C. (CoI), Pitt, S. J. (CoI), Schwarz-Linek, U. (CoI), Smith, G. (CoI), Watson, A. (CoI) & White, M. (CoI)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/10/20 → 30/09/21
Project: Standard
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EPSRC IAA - Birmingham Collaboration: EPSRC IAA - Birmingham Collaboration - Anokhi Shah
Lovett, J. (PI)
1/04/19 → 30/06/19
Project: Standard
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Enabling Recision Distance: Enabling Recision Distance Measurements in Long RNAs
Lovett, J. (PI)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/10/18 → 30/11/19
Project: Standard
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Cryogen-free arbitrary waveform EPR: Cryogen-free arbitrary waveform EPR for structural Biology and Biophysics
Bode, B. (PI), Lovett, J. (CoI), Pliotas, C. (CoI), Schwarz-Linek, U. (CoI), Smith, G. (CoI), Stewart, A. J. (CoI) & White, M. (CoI)
1/05/18 → 30/04/19
Project: Standard
Activities
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Christmas Lecture 2025
Lovett, J. (Participant)
18 Dec 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a public festival/exhibition/event
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Physics and Astronomy Christmas Lecture 2025
Lovett, J. (Organiser), Weijmans, A.-M. (Speaker), Krishnan Jagadamma, L. (Participant), Bruce, G. (Participant), Vithanage, D. (Participant), Tosun, S. (Participant), Seo, H. H. (Participant), Vermeiren, S. (Participant), Hunter, R. (Participant), Filippova, O. (Participant), Bakkali, I. (Participant), Sung, D. (Participant), Lovett, B. (Participant), Keeling, J. (Participant), Sinclair, B. (Participant), Yao, Y.-C. (Participant), Rajan, A. (Participant), Kato, M. (Participant), Bhatti, A. (Participant), Appleton, E. I. (Participant), Muddam, R. S. (Participant), Banik, D. (Participant), Bunting, A. (Participant) & Aitken, L. (Participant)
18 Dec 2025Activity: Other activity types › Other
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Royal Society of Chemistry (External organisation)
Lovett, J. (Participant)
May 2025 → …Activity: Membership types › Membership of peer review panel or committee
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Invited talk at the Workshop for EPR in Biology and Medicine, Krakow Poland
Lovett, J. (Speaker)
2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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RSC ESR conference in London speaker
Lovett, J. (Speaker)
2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Presentation