top of page
Welcome to the website for the Collins Group, a synthetic chemistry research group led by Dr Beatrice Collins based in the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol. Our research is focused on the design and development of autonomously operating molecular motors. Our approach involves the use of modern synthetic methodologies—transition metal catalysis, photochemistry, enzymatic biocatalysis—to tackle the challenges posed by the development of these out-of-equilibrium functional molecular systems.
​
To learn more about our research programme and who we are, please explore the website. For more information you can contact Beatrice directly by email.
RECENT NEWS
June 2026 - Welcome Khai and Saira!
We are hugely excited to be welcoming Khai and Saira to the Collins group from the TECS CDT. Khai will be working on designing an autonomous molecular motor using a palladium-catalysed cyclic reaction network. Saira will be analysing complex molecular cargo transporters using ultrafast spectroscopy.
June 2026 - Congratulations to Kiril, Jamie and Nick!
This June at the University of Bristol, the final year PhD students, including Kiril, Jamie and Nicholas from the Collins group, delivered "final year talks" on their projects. A particular congratulations to Kiril for winning the first place presentation prize and to Jamie for winning the runner up prize. You all did amazingly and it was great hearing all of the talks!
May 2026 - Celebrating Women in Chemistry (WiChem) Conference!
This May, Bristol were proud to host the inaugural event "Celebrating Women in Chemistry" (WiChem). It was so fantastic to hear the inspiring talks from all of the incredible speakers, and we cannot wait until next year. Congratulations to both Hannah and Rosa from the Collins group who were part of the organising committee. Also congratulations to both Nick and Josh from the Collins group for delivering 5 minute thesis talks at this event, you smashed it!
May 2026 - Congratulations Marc!
This month, Marc, Katie, Rosa and Nick who make up the biocatalysis team in the Collins and Clayden groups attended and presented poster presentations at the first BioCatUK meeting at the UCL East campus. A particular big congratulations to Marc for winning the poster prize.
February 2026 - Congratulations Nicholas!
Congratulations to Nicholas for winning a poster prize at the RSC South-West Regional Meeting. You really deserve it!
January 2026 - Congratulations Sarah and Goodbye!
A massive congratulations to Sarah who successfully defended her thesis this month and has been nominated for the Faculty of Science's Doctoral Dissertation Prize. We are incredibly proud of you and can't wait to see everything you achieve, best of luck in the future!
October 2025 - Welcome Hannah, Caleb and Malte!
This month, we are super excited to welcome three new members to the Collins group! Hannah is joining us for her PhD on developing concurrent defunctionalisation for autonomous directional motion. Caleb is working on the deracemisation of biaryl atropisomers for his Msci project. Malte joins the group as a visiting student from Leibniz Universität Hannover, and will be working on transition metal catalysis for rotary motion at the molecular level. We look forward to working alongside all of you!
March 2025 - Congratulations Olivia and Goodbye!
Congratulations to Olivia on successfully defending her thesis! We are incredibly proud of you and wish you all the best in your future.
January 2025 - Welcome Josh!
We are hugely excited to be welcoming Josh to the group! Josh will be working to design an autonomous molecular motor using a palladium catalysed cyclic reaction network. We are excited that you are joining the group and look forward to working alongside you.
August 2024 - Congratulations Connah and Goodbye!
December 2024 - Congratulations Emma and Goodbye!
A massive congratulations to Emma for successfully defending her thesis. You did fantastic work on your project for which you should be immensely proud and we will miss you and wish you well moving forwards.
August 2024 - Congratulations Athina and Goodbye!
A massive congratulations to Athina for graduating Bristol and winning the organic and biological dissertation prize. Thank you for the fantastic work that you have inputted into your project and we wish you well moving forwards.
June 2024 - Congratulations Emma!
A massive congratulations to Emma for her fantastic presentation on 'rhodium catalysed C-H functionalisation for directional processive catalysis' for which she was awarded the runner-up presentation award for the Organic and Biological Section Final Year PhD Talks.
June 2024 - Welcome Rosa and Juliette!
January 2024 - Welcome Aidan!
​A huge welcome to Aidan joining the group as a PDRA from the University of Oxford. He will be working on photo-responsive molecular cargo transport, cyclic chemical reaction networks and controlling molecular-level motion. We are excited for you to be joining the group and we look forward to working closely alongside you!
We are hugely excited to be welcoming Rosa and Juliette to our group from the TECS CDT. Rosa will be looking at developing 'cyclic reaction networks for deracemisations'. Juliette will be working on the development of a 'new class of light driven rotary molecular motors'. We are excited that you are joining the group and look forward to working alongside you.
See our News Archive for our previous news
bottom of page