Emilia Kvarstein Taylor

I am a DPhil (PhD) student in Chemical Biology at the University of Oxford, advised by Professors Georgia Isom and Thomas Lanyon-Hogg.

My goal is to develop a new class of antimicrobials designed to tackle the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR is a global health emergency, driven by the widespread emergence of bacterial strains that no longer respond to conventional antibiotics. Despite decades of research, few novel antibacterial classes have reached the clinic, while resistance continues to outpace drug development. My research addresses this gap by applying targeted protein degradation, an approach inspired by mammalian Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) to bacterial systems. I also collaborate with AstraZeneca’s Proteomics research group to characterise degradation selectivity and identify off-target effects at a global proteome level.

Prior to starting my PhD, I spent two years working as a Research Scientist at AstraZeneca, where I contributed to several targeted protein degradation projects across research teams in Cardiovascular, Renal, and Metabolism (CVRM) diseases and Discovery Sciences. For this work, I was awarded AstraZeneca’s Global Science Catalyst Award for innovation in Nano-PROTAC development and crude reaction screening

I completed an MRes in Drug Discovery at Imperial College London, working on the development of chemical probes targeting bacterial DNA repair enzymes with Professor Ed Tate. I also hold a BSc in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Leeds.

Outside of the lab, I’m interested in translating natural science research into real-world biotech applications. I’m currently a SCI Scholar with a focus on antimicrobial resistance, and I was previously a Polaris Fellow with Entrepreneur First, where I explored the potential for lab-grown seafood products, and cellural agriculture more broadly. I also serve on the leadership team at Nucleate Oxford, where I work to support early-stage biotech ventures.