Moore Group research website - www.mooresynbio.com

Research Career
Simon began his academic career as a BBSRC PhD student (2007-2011) at the University of Kent under Prof. Martin Warren, studying tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. Together with collaborators, Simon elucidated the 15-step anaerobic biosynthesis of vitamin B12 (Moore SJ et al., 2013, PNAS) and the 5-enzyme biosynthesis of coenzyme F430 (Moore SJ et al., 2017, Nature), resolving long-standing questions concerning the precise order and timing of the step-by-step biosynthesis of these complex molecules. Simon then joined Prof. Freemont as an EPSRC PDRA (2014-2017) at Imperial College London to learn about the rising area of synthetic biology, specialising in cell-free protein synthesis (Moore et al., 2018, PNAS) and engineering high-value chemicals. In 2017, he received a Wellcome Trust-Imperial College ISSF Fellowship.

Simon began his independent career as a lecturer in biochemistry at the University of Kent in 2018 and moved to Queen Mary University of London in 2023 as a lecturer in synthetic biology. He has presented his research at over 20 national and 5 international talks, including the Synthetic Biology for Natural Products conference (2022, Cancun) and the international Cell-free systems conference (2023, Texas). In 2025, Simon transferred to Imperial College London’s Department of Life Sciences as a Senior Lecturer in Metabolic Engineering.

Funding
We are grateful to all funders, past and present, including Royal Society, Wellcome Trust, Biochemical Society, Leverhulme Trust, BBSRC, EPSRC, FAPESP, and industry partners.

Industry
The group regularly engage with a range of industry group on our work on cell-free systems and biosynthesis. If you are interested in our expertise, feel free to contact Simon.

Networks
Co-organiser of the London Cell-free Biological Products Meeting with Prof Karen Polizzi (Imperial), Prof Dan Bracewell (UCL) and Dr Steffi Frank (UCL). This network has approximately 30-40 academics and industry members attending, who meet twice per year. If your interested in attending, please email Simon directly to be put on the mailing list

External Engagement
Peer reviewer - Nature Chemistry, Nature Synthesis, Nature Communications, Oxford Synthetic Biology, ACS Synthetic Biology, ACS Chemical Biology, Biotechnology Journal, Journal of Biological Chemistry
Grant reviewer - BBSRC, EPSRC, Leverhulme Trust, Royal Society, French National Research Agency, Genome Canada
Panel member - Eric Reid fund for Methodology (Biochemical Society)
Consultant - Patent litigation and intellectual property

Interested in Postdoctoral Fellowships?
The lab's main focus is on engineering the biosynthesis of high-value chemicals and biopharmaceuticals using either microbial cells or cell-free systems. We also have a specific interest in the development of alternative antimicrobials and the study of antimicrobial resistance using cell-free systems. If you are interested in applying and seeking a sponsor for a competitive postdoctoral fellowship support (e.g., Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Royal Society), the Moore group is able to support a limited number of applications that complement our core area of expertise. Please get in touch at simon.moore@imperial.ac.uk, but please provide a clearly written email outlining your interest, what funder you are seeking support from, and how your research is complementary to our group.

Interested in PhD projects?
Funded PhD projects at Imperial will be advertised on standard sources such as Findaphd.com or social media. If you are a student with the possibility to secure your own PhD funding (e.g., government or international funding sources) and are interested in projects within our research areas, then please contact Simon. Please state background, funding source, and how your proposal aligns to our research.