I graduated from Eindhoven University of Technology (the Netherlands) with a degree in Chemistry & Chemical Engineering. For my PhD, I moved to the research institute IMO/IMOMEC in Belgium where I was part of the BIOSensors group of Prof Wagner. There, together with Maastricht University, I developed polymer-based sensing platforms that were used for the electrochemical and thermal detection of neurotransmitters. After finishing my PhD, I continued as a postdoctoral researcher within the same group to focus on aptamers as recognition elements. In 2014, I started working in the organic chemistry group of Prof Kilburn at Queen Mary University of London. Instead of biomimetic receptors, I focused on enzymes (“natural” receptors) and studying enzyme catalysis with electrochemical methods. My independent research started at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2015 where I was promoted to senior lecturer in Chemical Biology in 2018. After moving to Newcastle University in 2019, I was promoted to Professor in Bioinspired Materials in 2023. At the end of December 2023, my group is relocating to the Chemical Engineering department of the University of Manchester. My research group focuses on developing novel (portable) sensing platforms that can be used to solve complex medical and environmental problems.
Contact details:
marloes.peeters@manchester.ac.uk
University of Manchester, Engineering department, Engineering A building, Booth E Street, M13 9QS, Manchester, United Kingdom
Research funding:
Current ongoing projects:
EPSRC: January 2023 – July 2024: PI for EP/W031590/1, Transforming Parkinson’s disease clinical disease management with integrated digital health, 500k, call Enabling independence at home, with Prof Missier, Drs Novakovic, Seyedin, Dawson, Del Din, and collaborators at the University of Sheffield and UCL.
October 2021 – October 2024: EPSRC CDT funded studentship – PhD student Mr Jack Reeder (co-I Dr Elizabeth Heidrich & Dr Matthew Unthank from Northumbria University), with contribution from Cambridge Medical Technologies for company related activities.
MRC: July 2023- July 2026: co-I on MR/Y008421/1, AIRIaL: Artificial Intelligence and Resistance in Lung Cancer, 600k, led by PI Dr Witney at King’s College London.
USDA: February 2022- February 2025, co-I on AFRI project NIFA 2022-67021-36408. 800k USD, Led by Dr Matt Moore at Amherst University.
Research Foundation Flanders G0A6821N: Catheter-based sensors for the intestinal detection of molecular biomarkers in the context of functional bowel disorders, co-I, PI Dr Prof Wagner at KU Leuven.
Previous funding:
New Investigator Award: EP/R029296/1: ~£250k, Development of a polymer-based sensing platform for the detection of antimicrobial resistance. Funded 2 year PDRA (Dr Hudson) and PhD student Mr Oliver Jamieson.
Impact Accelerator Account – Ideas 2 Innovation (£25,500 in total), cardiac biomarker sensing (with Dr Novakovic as co-I) and SARS-COV-2 immunity sensor (Dr Payne as co-I)
European Commission, Marie Curie International Fellow, £180k, Dr Pankaj Singla for project TEMPER, start April 2021.
Cambridge Medical Technologies: contract research (9 months, PDRA Francesco Mecozzi), which provided proof-of-concept for cardiovascular biomarker detection leading to a 3-year KTP through Innovate UK of which I am appointed as a consultant.
NC3Rs : PI of CRACK IT grant (£49,910) for project together with MIP Diagnostics. More information can be found on: https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/new-sensor-platform-combining-plastic-antibodies-simple-thermal-detection-0.
Co-I on NC3Rs studentship, starting January 2022 (PI Dr Shoba Amarnath)
RSC: Bursary from Materials Division for organization of the Bioinspired Materials Symposium, RSC bursaries to attend IUPAC General Assembly and Conference in Brazil and for summer students (Analytical Trust 2017, 2018 and 2019).
RSC Research Fund ( RF18-2811, £3,500) for starting academics. RSC research mobility (£4,500) for Dr Peeters to visit to Prof Gruber in Brazil, RSC research mobility hosting Dr Patrick Seumo (£5,000 – grant number M19-7489). RSC Research Enablement Grant (£10k).
British Council/Newton Fund: Newton Bhabha placement Pankaj Singla, £10k
Wellcome Trust: COVID-19 portal, co-I Dr Brendan Payne, Wellcome Trust Translational Partnership (£10k).
Rosetrees Trust Seedcorn2020100303: Seedcorn funding for project together with Dr Novakovic and Prof Spyridopoulos to investigate polymer-based sensors for detection of cardiac biomarkers
Public engagement activities:
Royal Academy of Engineering, Ingenious Award: £19,000 for project “Build-a-Bear 2:0”, together with Life Science Centre and Manchester Metropolitan University
Royal Society of Chemistry outreach fund August 2020: £2,000 for “Microbes, the good, the bad, and the ugly” with Dr Crapnell at Manchester Metropolitan University
NC3Rs public engagement award (£1,000) for joint activity with Maastricht University
Royal Society: participation in Royal Society pairing scheme 2017, a funded week in Westminster, Dr Peeters was paired with civil servant Ben Rayner, senior policy advisor at the DEFRA.
Named inventor on the following patents:
UK Patent Application No. 1906710.7 (sole inventor)
EP2772753A1 – Heat transfer based analysis of bioparticles
EP3035055B1 – Aptamer-based biosensing
US 20140242605 A1 – Heat-transfer based analysis of particles
Professional Activities
Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, former secretary (2017-2019) of the Manchester and District Local Section
Associate Member of IChemE
Member of IUPAC, member of the Polymer Division and of the SPT committee of the Polymer Division. Leading project “Personal Protective Equipment Disposal for the Future” on sustainability, see: https://iupac.org/projects/project-details/?project_nr=2021-012-2-400
Member of the Society of Molecular Imprinting