Dr Omar Rifaie Graham
Lecturer in Chemistry
School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Artificial Cell, Polymersome, Polymer Chemistry, Synthetic Biology, Nanotechnology
Interests
I work at the interface of “blue skies” research and technology development in the biomimetic construction of artificial cells. Artificial cells are finding increasing importance in biotechnology, therapy, and diagnostics. Hence, methods to expand or improve the function of living cells by artificial systems are urgently needed. My group is currently finding mechanisms that can modulate the biophysical properties of membranes such as their rigidity, elastic moduli, and their ability to respond to stimuli to a) understand and exploit membrane-associated processes and b) to produce membrane materials with novel functionality (responsiveness to light, hydromechanical stress, pH, magnetism, gasses, enzymes, redox potentials, etc.). My approach involves the introduction of polymers that present enhanced biomolecular versatility compared to state-of-the-art building blocks in artificial cell research. The control of their architecture and composition can generate combinations that resemble protein and nucleic acid versatility.Publications
2024
Thanapongpibul C, Rifaie‐Graham O, Ojansivu M, Najer A, Kim H, Bakker SE, Chami M, Peeler DJ, Liu C, Yeow J and Stevens MM (2024). Unlocking Intracellular Protein Delivery by Harnessing Polymersomes Synthesized at Microliter Volumes using Photo‐PISA. Advanced Materials, Wiley vol. 36 (49) 17-10-2024
2023
Rifaie‐Graham O (2023). Emergence of Cell Behavior Through Feedback Control of Polymersome Membrane Transport. ChemSystemsChem, Wiley vol. 6 (1) 05-12-2023
Sun R, Song X, Zhou K, Zuo Y, Wang R, Rifaie‐Graham O, Peeler DJ, Xie R, Leng Y, Geng H, Brachi G, Ma Y, Liu Y, Barron L and Stevens MM (2023). Assembly of Fillable Microrobotic Systems by Microfluidic Loading with Dip Sealing. Advanced Materials, Wiley vol. 35 (13), e2207791-e2207791. 26-02-2023
Clerc M, Sandlass S, Rifaie-Graham O, Peterson JA, Bruns N, de Alaniz JR and Boesel LF (2023). Visible light-responsive materials: the (photo)chemistry and applications of donor–acceptor Stenhouse adducts in polymer science. Chemical Society Reviews, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) vol. 52 (23), 8245-8294. 01-01-2023
2022
Najer A, Rifaie‐Graham O, Yeow J, Adrianus C, Chami M and Stevens MM (2022). Differences in Human Plasma Protein Interactions between Various Polymersomes and Stealth Liposomes as Observed by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy. Macromolecular Bioscience, Wiley vol. 23 (8), e2200424-e2200424. 16-12-2022
Rifaie-Graham O, Yeow J, Najer A, Wang R, Sun R, Zhou K, Dell TN, Adrianus C, Thanapongpibul C, Chami M, Mann S, de Alaniz JR and Stevens MM (2022). Photoswitchable gating of non-equilibrium enzymatic feedback in chemically communicating polymersome nanoreactors. Nature Chemistry, Springer Nature vol. 15 (1), 110-118. 07-11-2022
Kim H, Yeow J, Najer A, Kit‐Anan W, Wang R, Rifaie‐Graham O, Thanapongpibul C and Stevens MM (2022). Microliter Scale Synthesis of Luciferase‐Encapsulated Polymersomes as Artificial Organelles for Optogenetic Modulation of Cardiomyocyte Beating. Advanced Science, Wiley vol. 9 (27) 28-07-2022
Najer A, Blight J, Ducker CB, Gasbarri M, Brown JC, Che J, Høgset H, Saunders C, Ojansivu M, Lu Z, Lin Y, Yeow J, Rifaie-Graham O, Potter M, Tonkin R, Penders J, Doutch JJ, Georgiadou A, Barriga HMG, Holme MN, et al. (2022). Potent Virustatic Polymer–Lipid Nanomimics Block Viral Entry and Inhibit Malaria Parasites In Vivo. ACS Central Science, American Chemical Society (ACS) vol. 8 (9), 1238-1257. 03-05-2022
2020
Rifaie‐Graham O, Galensowske NFB, Dean C, Pollard J, Balog S, Gouveia MG, Chami M, Vian A, Amstad E, Lattuada M and Bruns N (2020). Shear Stress‐Responsive Polymersome Nanoreactors Inspired by the Marine Bioluminescence of Dinoflagellates. Angewandte Chemie, Wiley vol. 133 (2), 917-922. 12-11-2020
Raccio S, Pollard J, Djuhadi A, Balog S, Pellizzoni MM, Rodriguez KJ, Rifaie-Graham O and Bruns N (2020). Rapid quantification of the malaria biomarker hemozoin by improved biocatalytically initiated precipitation atom transfer radical polymerizations. Analyst, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) vol. 145 (23), 7741-7751. 01-01-2020
2019
Pollard J, Rifaie-Graham O, Raccio S, Davey A, Balog S and Bruns N (2019). Biocatalytically Initiated Precipitation Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) as a Quantitative Method for Hemoglobin Detection in Biological Fluids. Analytical Chemistry, American Chemical Society (ACS) vol. 92 (1), 1162-1170. 02-12-2019
Rifaie-Graham O, Pollard J, Raccio S, Balog S, Rusch S, Hernández-Castañeda MA, Mantel P-Y, Beck H-P and Bruns N (2019). Hemozoin-catalyzed precipitation polymerization as an assay for malaria diagnosis. Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 10 (1) 25-03-2019
Rifaie-Graham O, Apebende EA and Bruns N (2019). Bio-Inspired Polymersome Nanoreactors. CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, Swiss Chemical Society vol. 73 (1), 21-24. 27-02-2019
2018
Rifaie‐Graham O, Hua X, Bruns N and Balog S (2018). The Kinetics of β‐Hematin Crystallization Measured by Depolarized Light Scattering. Small, Wiley vol. 14 (46) 03-09-2018
Rifaie-Graham O, Ulrich S, Galensowske NFB, Balog S, Chami M, Rentsch D, Hemmer JR, de Alaniz JR, Boesel LF and Bruns N (2018). Wavelength-Selective Light-Responsive DASA-Functionalized Polymersome Nanoreactors. Journal of the American Chemical Society, American Chemical Society (ACS) vol. 140 (25), 8027-8036. 01-06-2018
Rifaie‐Graham O, Apebende EA, Bast LK and Bruns N (2018). Self‐Reporting Fiber‐Reinforced Composites That Mimic the Ability of Biological Materials to Sense and Report Damage. Advanced Materials, Wiley vol. 30 (19) 24-03-2018
2016
Fodor C, Gajewska B, Rifaie-Graham O, Apebende EA, Pollard J and Bruns N (2016). Laccase-catalyzed controlled radical polymerization of N -vinylimidazole. Polymer Chemistry, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) vol. 7 (43), 6617-6625. 01-01-2016
Grants
Grants of specific relevance to the Centre for Chemical ResearchMimicking colour perception with opponent artificial cells (Buse Ipek)Omar Rifaie Graham
£3,203 RSC The Royal Society of Chemistry (20-05-2024 - 19-07-2024)