Staff profile

Research interests

The Mahon group explore the interface between materials science and biological chemistry. By combining our expertise in synthetic polymer chemistry and biology, we develop new materials which can interact with biological systems to perform functions in the detection and capture of pathogens, or to provide new information about how biological recognition systems work. Concurrently, we develop sustainable new materials by exploring new avenues in polymer synthesis and controlled degradation.

Clare was awarded her PhD at Newcastle University in 2014, where she worked with Dr David A. Fulton establishing new methods of ‘training’ synthetic polymers to recognise proteins and other macromolecules. She then spent two years at the University of Leeds on an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship, working with Prof. Bruce Turnbull to develop responsive synthetic polymers which interact with bacterial toxins. In 2017 she took up a Marie-Skłodowska Curie Global Fellowship, held at the University of Sydney, Australia, and the University of York, UK. During this time Clare worked with Dr Elizabeth J. New and Dr Markus Müllner-Bačvić, focussed on applying differential sensing approaches to the identification of carbohydrate-binding proteins. In October 2019, Clare moved to Durham to start her own group as Assistant Professor in Synthetic Organic Chemistry.

Current vacancies and research opportunities

We welcome enquiries about research opportunities in the group at all levels. Contact Clare to discuss potential projects.

• Biological chemistry
• Molecular recognition
• Polymer chemistry

Journal Article

• Fiandra, E. F., Shaw, L., Starck, M., McGurk, C. J., & Mahon, C. S. (2023). Designing biodegradable alternatives to commodity polymers. Chemical Society Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cs00556a
• Singla, P., Kaur, S., Jamieson, O., Dann, A., Garg, S., Mahon, C., …Peeters, M. (2023). Electrochemical and thermal detection of allergenic substance lysozyme with molecularly imprinted nanoparticles. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 415(18), 4467-4478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-023-04638-2
• Pelras, T., Nonappa, Mahon, C. S., & Müllner, M. (2021). Cylindrical Zwitterionic Particles via Interpolyelectrolyte Complexation on Molecular Polymer Brushes. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 42(8), Article 2000401. https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202000401
• Stuart-Walker, W., & Mahon, C. S. (2021). Glycomacromolecules: Addressing challenges in drug delivery and therapeutic development. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 171, 77-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2021.01.018
• Mitchell, L., New, E. J., & Mahon, C. S. (2021). Macromolecular Optical Sensor Arrays. ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 3(2), 506-530. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.0c01003
• Antunez, E. E., Mahon, C. S., Tong, Z., Voelcker, N. H., & Müllner, M. (2021). A Regenerable Biosensing Platform for Bacterial Toxins. Biomacromolecules, 22(2), 441-453. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01318
• Keenan, T., Spears, R. J., Akkad, S., Mahon, C. S., Hatton, N. E., Walton, J., …Fascione, M. A. (2021). A Tale of Two Bioconjugations: pH Controlled Divergent Reactivity of Protein α-oxo-Aldehydes in Competing α-oxo-Mannich and Catalyst-Free Aldol Ligations. ACS Chemical Biology, 16(11), 2387-2400. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.1c00531
• Mahon, C. S., & Huang, M. L. (2019). Highlights from Faraday Discussion 301: Nanolithography of Biointerfaces, London, UK, July 3–5 2019. Chemical Communications, 55(91), 13631-13637. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9cc90421b
• Mahon, C. S., Wildsmith, G. C., Haksar, D., de Poel, E., Beekman, J. M., Pieters, R. J., …Turnbull, W. B. (2019). A ‘catch-and-release’ receptor for the cholera toxin. Faraday Discussions, 219, 112-127. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9fd00017h
• Chen, X., Jiang, W., Ahmed, A., Mahon, C. S., Müllner, M., Cao, B., & Xia, T. (2019). Engineering Protective Polymer Coatings for Liver Microtissues. Chemical Research in Toxicology, 32(1), https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.8b00120
• Pelras, T., Mahon, C. S., Nonappa, Ikkala, O., Gröschel, A. H., & Müllner, M. (2018). Polymer Nanowires with Highly Precise Internal Morphology and Topography. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 140(40), 12736-12740. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.8b08870
• Pelras, T., Mahon, C. S., & Müllner, M. (2018). Synthesis and Applications of Compartmentalised Molecular Polymer Brushes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 57(24), https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201711878
• Mahon, C. S., McGurk, C. J., Watson, S. M., Fascione, M. A., Sakonsinsiri, C., Turnbull, W. B., & Fulton, D. A. (2017). Molecular Recognition-Mediated Transformation of Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles into Crosslinked Polymer Films. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 56(42), 12913-12918. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201706379
• Khuphe, M., Mahon, C. S., & Thornton, P. D. (2016). Glucose-bearing biodegradable poly(amino acid) and poly(amino acid)-poly(ester) conjugates for controlled payload release. Biomaterials Science, 4(12), https://doi.org/10.1039/c6bm00535g
• Mahon, C. S., Fascione, M. A., Sakonsinsiri, C., McAllister, T. E., Bruce Turnbull, W., & Fulton, D. A. (2015). Templating carbohydrate-functionalised polymer-scaffolded dynamic combinatorial libraries with lectins. Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 13(9), https://doi.org/10.1039/c4ob02587c
• Mahon, C. S., & Fulton, D. A. (2014). Mimicking nature with synthetic macromolecules capable of recognition. Nature Chemistry, 6(8), https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1994
• Mahon, C. S., Jackson, A. W., Murray, B. S., & Fulton, D. A. (2013). Investigating templating within Polymer-Scaffolded Dynamic Combinatorial Libraries. Polymer Chemistry, 4(2), https://doi.org/10.1039/c2py20600e
• Mahon, C. S., & Fulton, D. A. (2013). Templation-induced re-equilibration in polymer-scaffolded dynamic combinatorial libraries leads to enhancements in binding affinities. Chemical Science, 4(9), https://doi.org/10.1039/c3sc51413g
• Whitaker, D. E., Mahon, C. S., & Fulton, D. A. (2012). Thermoresponsive Dynamic Covalent Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles Reversibly Transform into a Hydrogel. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 52(3), https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201207953
• Mahon, C. S., Jackson, A. W., Murray, B. S., & Fulton, D. A. (2011). Templating a polymer-scaffolded dynamic combinatorial library. Chemical Communications, 47(25), https://doi.org/10.1039/c1cc11998b
• Murray, B. S., Jackson, A. W., Mahon, C. S., & Fulton, D. A. (2010). Reactive thermoresponsive copolymer scaffolds. Chemical Communications, 46(45), https://doi.org/10.1039/c0cc03856c