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Alex Jones

Alex Jones

Principal scientist

Alex Jones joined the NPL Biometrology group in 2017. He applies optical spectroscopy, non-linear microscopy, and optogenetics to a range of areas of national priority, including drug development, biomedical imaging, and quantum technology. He has previously held Colt Foundation PhD (Leicester) and Postdoctoral (Manchester) Fellowships and was the first Research Fellow in Photon Science at the School of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, and Photon Science Institute at The University of Manchester.

His work is often of high impact (see below) and his expertise has been featured in the national media, such as The Daily Telegraph, NHS Choices, BBC Futures website, The Independent, The Scientist magazine, and the Physics World podcast. Alex is a Trustee and Scientific Advisor to The Colt Foundation, a member of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International), and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In 2015, Alex received the European Society for Photobiology Young Investigator Award.

Alex has a programme of public outreach lectures and is an active campaigner for improved diversity in science, serving on the Daphne Jackson Trust Awards Assessment Panel.

Areas of interest

  • Biomolecular chemistry, physics and metrology
  • Structure-function metrology of proteins
  • Photophysics, photochemistry and photobiology
  • Time-resolved and non-linear spectroscopy, multiphoton microscopy, optical and magnetic method development
  • Opto- and magnetogenetic tools for spatiotemporal control of biological systems
  • The application of quantum technology to sensing and imaging in the life sciences

Featured Publications

The essential elements of radical pair-based magnetosensitivity in flies Bradlaugh A., …, Jones A. R., et al. Nature 2023, 615, 111–116

Chromophore-binding and domain assembly in the B12-dependent photoreceptor protein, CarH, Camacho I. S., …, and Jones A. R.* Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 8333-8341

Quantum biology: an update and perspective, Kim Y. et al. Quantum Reports 2021, 3 (1), 80-126

Native Mass Spectrometry Reveals the Conformational Diversity of the UVR8 Photoreceptor, Camacho I. S., Theisen A., Johannissen L. O., Díaz-Ramos L. A. Christie J. M., Jenkins G. I., Bellina B.* Barran P.*and Jones A. R.* Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2019, 116(4), 1116-1125

A green light-responsive system for the control of transgene expression in mammalian and plant cells, Chatelle C., …, Jones A. R., …, Zurbriggen M. D.,* and Weber W.* ACS Synth. Biol., 2018, 7, 1349-1358

Magnetic fields modulate blue light-dependent regulation of neuronal firing by cryptochrome Giachello, C., …, Jones, A. R.*, & Baines, R. A.* J. Neurosci. 2016, 36(42), 10742–10749

The photochemical mechanism of a coenzyme B12-dependent photoreceptor protein, Kutta R. J., …, and Jones A. R.* Nat. Commun. 2015, 6:7907, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8907

Links: ResearchGate; Google Scholar

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