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
March 2025 - PhD studentship available!
We are currently advertising for a PhD studentship starting in October 2025. The studentship will be focused on the design and development of new fully-synthetic systems that exhibit controlled motion at the molecular level. For more information check out the Opportunities section!
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!
A massive congratulations to Connah for successfully defending his thesis. Thank you for the fantastic work that you have inputted into your project, we will miss you and we wish you well moving forwards.
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.
February 2024 - Congratulations Michael and Goodbye!
A massive congratulations to Michael for successfully defending his thesis on "Iterative rhodium-catalysed C–H functionalisation for directional processive catalysis." Thank you for the fantastic work that you have inputted into your project and we wish you well moving forwards.
January 2024 - Goodbye Jordan!
After completing his three year postdoctoral position we are sad to see Jordan leave and begin his new role as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Manchester. We wish you well in your future work and congratulate you on the fantastic work you have inputted into your project.
January 2024 - Congratulations Jordan!
A massive congratulations to Jordan for winning a poster prize at the RSC South-West Regional Meeting.
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!
June 2024 - Welcome Rosa and Juliette!
We are hugely excited to be welcoming Rosa and Juliette to our group. 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.
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.
October 2023 - Congratulations Olly!
A massive congratulations to Olly for successfully defending his thesis on "Developing A New Class of Molecular Machine: Light‐Fuelled Single‐Bond Rotors". This is a huge achievement and we wish him well as he progresses in his career.
See our News Archive for our previous news
bottom of page