Professor Séamus Higson
Professor of Bio- and Electroanalysis and Head of Cranfield Biotechnology Centre
Location: Cranfield Health, Vincent Building, Cranfield Campus
E: s.p.j.higson@cranfield.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1234 758300
Current activities
Professor Higson's current research interests are primarily focused towards practical implementation of electro-analytical science and analytical biochemistry for biomedical, environmental and industrial process control applications.
A recurrent theme in much of Professor Higson's research includes the design and fabrication of micro-electrode arrays for applications ranging from DNA analysis, (including genomic and proteomic applications), through to enzymatic biosensors and electro-analytical chemical sensors. Fabrication routes include, electrochemical polymerisation techniques, screen printing technology and sonochemical ablation approaches. Further applications of micro electrodes include the development of novel interrogation formats for scanning electron microscopy (SECM).
Professor Higson also undertakes a considerable quantity of work directly focused towards industry in the field of biosensors and electroanalytical science including the production, harvesting and exploitation of recombinant enzymes, the exploitation of ultra-thin polymer film coating technologies and nano-fabricated architectures for biosensors.
Recent and ongoing high profile work has included the development of a range of biosensors with ultra-low limits of detection for, for example the early detection of prostrate and ovarian cancer, the diagnosis of transient ischemic events (stroke), the determination of a range of pathogens and nucleic acid based sensors with differential ability down to the level of a single gene.
Clients
Existing and recent clients include the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of the UK, (EPSRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) of the UK, Unilever plc, Analytical Nanotechnology plc, ITM Power plc, Uniscan Instruments Ltd, Sarissa Ltd, Ropes and Gray (US), Microarray Ltd, Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Trust, ELISHA Systems Ltd and MERCK.
Background
Professor Higson’s career to date has spanned academic departments of Chemistry, Medicine, Biotechnology, Materials Science and Health - and this is reflected in the research interests in the group he now heads.
Professor Higson is a long standing college member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPSRC) of the UK, serves in an advisory and/or consultative capacity for a number of public bodies and acts as Technical Director for Microarray Ltd - a company formed upon science and patents originating from his group.
Professor Higson is also author of a major text, 'Analytical Chemistry', published by the Oxford University press: (ISBN: 0 19-8502893).
Selected publications
- Caygill J S, Davis F & Higson S P J. (2012) Current trends in explosive detection techniques, Talanta, 88 14-29. (Link to DOI)
- Roberts W S, Davis F, Collyer S D & Higson S P J. (2011) Construction and interrogation of enzyme microarrays using scanning electrochemical microscopy - optimisation of adsorption and determination of enzymatic activity, The Analyst, 136 (24) 5287-5293. (Link to DOI)
- Holmes J L, Davis F, Collyer S D & Higson S P J. (2011) A new application of scanning electrochemical microscopy for the label-free interrogation of antibody-antigen interactions, Analytica Chimica Acta, 689 (2) 206-211. (Link to DOI)
- Davis F & Higson S P J. (2010) Label-free Immunochemistry Approach to Detect and Identity Antibiotics in Milk, Pediatric Research, 67 (5) 476-480.
- Bunkoed O, Davis F, Kanatharana P, Thavarungkul P & Higson S P J. (2010) Sol-gel based sensor for selective formaldehyde determination, Analytica Chimica Acta, 659 251-257. (Link to DOI)
- Topliss S M, James S W, Davis F, Higson S P J & Tatam R P. (2010) Optical fibre long period grating based selective vapour sensing of volatile organic compounds, Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical, 143 (2) 629-634. (Link to DOI)
- Barton AC, Davis F & Higson S P J. (2010) Labeless Immunosensor Assay for the Stroke Marker Protein S-100[²] based upon an AC Impedance Protocol, Analytical Letters, 43 (14) 2160-2170. (Link to DOI)
- Davis F & Higson S P J. (2009) Editorial, Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology. (Link to DOI)
- Nabok A, Tsargorodskaya A, Gauthier D, Davis F, Higson S P J, Berzina T, Cristofolini L & Fontana MP. (2009) Hybridization of genomic DNA adsorbed electrostatically onto cationic surfaces, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 113 (22) 7897-7902.
- Roberts W S, Davis F & Higson S P J. (2009) Scanning electrochemical microsopy of genomic DNA microarrays, - study of adsorption and subsequent interactions, Analyst, 134 1302-1308.
- Faul C F J, Davis F & Higson S P J. (2009) Calix[4]resorcinarene-surfactant complexes: formulation, structure and potential sensor applications, Soft Matter, 56 2746-2751.
- Gornall D D, Collyer S D & Higson S P J. (2009) Investigations into the Use of Screen Printed Carbon Electrodes as Templates for Electrochemical Sensors and Sonochemically Fabricated Microelectrode Arrays, Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical, 141 (2) 581-591.
- Higson S P J. (2009) Editorial, Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, 20 (1) 1-2.
- Barton A C, Collyer S D, Davis F, Garifallou G Z, Tsekenis Georgios, Tully E, O'Kennedy R, Gibson T, Millner P A & Higson S P J. (2009) Labeless AC impedimetric antibody-based sensors with pg ml-1 sensitivities for point-of-care biomedical applications, Biosensors & Bioelectronics, 24 (5) 1090-1095. (Link to DOI)
- Suryajaya S, Nabok A, Davis F, Hassan A, Higson S P J & Evans-Freeman J. (2008) Optical and AFM study of electrostatically assembled films of CdS and ZnS colloid nanoparticles, Applied Surface Science, 254 (15) 4891-4898. (Link to DOI)
- Sugden M W, Richardson T H, Davis F, Higson S P J & Faul Charl F J. (2008) Langmuir and LB properties of two calix[4]resorcinarenes: Interactions with various analytes, Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 321 43-46. (Link to DOI)
- Tsekenis G, Garifallou G Z, Davis F, Millner A, Gibson T D & Higson S P J. (2008) Label-less Immunosensor Assay for Myelin Basic Protein Based upon an ac Impedance Protocol, Analytical Chemistry, 80 (6) 2058-2062.
- Barton A C, Davis F & Higson S P J. (2008) Labeless Immunosensor Assay for Prostate Specific Antigen with Picogram per Milliliter Limits of Detection Based upon an ac Impedance Protocol, Analytical Chemistry, 80 (16) 6198-6205.
- Tsekenis G, Garifallou G Z, Davis F, Millner P A, Pinacho D G, Sanchez-Baeza F, Marco M P, Gibson T D & Higson S P J. (2008) Detection of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics in Milk via a Labeless Immunoassay Based upon an Alternating Current Impedance Protocol, Analytical Chemistry, 80 (23) 9233-9239.
- Barton AC, Davis F & Higson S P J. (2008) Labeless Immunosensor Assay for the Stroke Marker Protein Neuron Specific Enolase based upon an AC Impedance Protocol, Analytical Chemistry, 80 9411-9416
