Research in the Lovell lab

Our research is highly interdisciplinary, spanning organic chemistry, physical chemistry, biophysics, chemical biology, computational chemistry, and advanced microscopy. We develop new fluorescent molecules, nanomaterials, and imaging strategies for single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy to uncover biological processes that are otherwise hidden. These include photoactivatable and environmentally responsive probes designed for applications in biotechnology and biomedical research.

Students in the group gain training tailored to their project interests, which may include air-sensitive multi-step organic synthesis, advanced spectroscopy, single-molecule imaging, bioconjugation and labeling methods, computational chemistry (DFT), Python programming, and nanoscience. We collaborate closely with researchers across chemistry, biology, and physics at the University of Ottawa, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, and the National Research Council of Canada to apply these next-generation tools to challenging problems in biomedical and life science research.

Photostable Probes for Single-Molecule Imaging

For over 300 years, since the invention of the microscope, scientists have worked to observe life at ever smaller scales, culminating in techniques such as single-molecule fluorescence microscopy that reveal biological processes in extraordinary detail. However, these methods place stringent demands on fluorescent probes, and rapid photobleaching often limits how long individual molecules can be tracked.

Our group designs and synthesizes new fluorescent probes with improved photostability for applications such as FRET, single-particle tracking, PIFE, and smFISH. Using a combination of synthetic chemistry and computational modeling, we aim to create probes that enable longer observations and more reliable measurements of dynamic biological processes.

Single-Molecule Studies of Viral Protein Dynamics

Understanding how viral proteins interact with nucleic acids is essential for revealing how viruses replicate and for developing effective antiviral therapies. Traditional bulk assays measure average behavior across large populations of molecules and often miss important dynamic differences, whereas single-molecule fluorescence microscopy can directly observe individual events such as protein binding, movement along DNA or RNA, and strand unwinding in real time.

Our lab develops new single-molecule tools and assays to measure the kinetics of individual viral proteins during replication. These tools enable direct evaluation of how candidate drugs alter replication dynamics, providing insights that are difficult to obtain with conventional approaches and helping address key challenges in antiviral research.

Bright Luminescent Nanomaterials for Bioimaging

Bioimaging plays a central role in modern biomedical research by allowing scientists to visualize complex biological structures and processes in living systems. Optical nanomaterials are especially promising imaging tools because they can be engineered to emit intense, stable fluorescence, resist photobleaching, and function in biological environments.

Our lab develops new bright nanomaterials designed for advanced imaging techniques, including super-resolution and single-molecule microscopy. These materials aim to enable longer observation times, higher resolution, and new ways to study biological processes that are difficult to access with conventional probes.