Consultancy

 

Dr Sergis offers consultancy on a wide range of academic and research areas for industrial companies and academic institutes, including universities, schools and colleges. Dr Sergis has extensive experience and can offer advice on qualitative and quantitative methods of chemical analysis, including chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, as well as a wide knowledge of organic synthetic methods, including retrosynthetic analysis and functional group interconversions. He also offers advice on the mathematical treatment and statistical analysis of scientific results.
Dr Sergis has extensive experience and can offer advice on the following chromatographic and spectroscopic methods:

• Electrophoresis

• Radioimmunoassay

• Autoradiography

• Ultraviolet spectroscopy

• Infrared spectroscopy

• Proton, carbon-13 and fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, including 2D and 3D analysis

• Mass spectroscopy by electron-impact and chemical ionization

• Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI)

• Atomic absorption spectroscopy

• Atomic emission spectroscopy

Dr Sergis has been responsible for the development and scale-up of multi-step syntheses for a wide range of compounds. These include a seven-step synthesis for phentolamine hydrochloride and its mesylate form, used as antihypertensive drugs and tumour analgesics. He has also synthesised a wide range of intermediates, including diarylamines, halides, imino esters via adaptation of the Pinner synthesis, -fluoro- -alanine from isoserine, and relatively unstable imidazolines from the intermolecular cyclization of imidates and diamines. Dr Sergis has particular experience in a wide range of carbon-to-carbon synthetic strategies and fluorination methods, including the use of sulphone-stabilised carbanions. Consequently, he has synthesised a wide range of novel partially fluorinated alkenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, amines and sulphones, including aliphatic and aromatic compounds.
Dr Sergis' extensive experience in organic synthetic techniques includes new and efficient methodology for functional group protection, intermolecular and intramolecular cyclization, fluorination, bromination, chlorination, benzylation, reductive cleavage and catalytic transfer hydrogenolysis.
Dr Sergis also has experience in the synthesis and radiolabelling of biologically useful intermediates. These include the synthesis and subsequent radiolabelling of physiologically active compounds and metabolites with carbon-11 and fluorine-18 isotopes, with half-lives of 20 minutes and 110 minutes, respectively. Some of these compounds include
5-[¹⁸F]fluorouracil, 5-[¹⁸F]fluorocytosine, α-[¹⁸F]fluoro-β-alanine, [¹¹C]thymidine and temozolomide. These compounds have been used as tracers to determine the effects of therapeutic compounds and their metabolites in humans by whole-body analysis using positron emission tomography (PET) at Hammersmith Hospital.
Dr Sergis also has experience in supervising and assisting chemical staff and research students. Therefore, he can offer advice and supervision to research staff, undergraduates, MSc and PhD students in chemistry-related disciplines from research institutes, companies and universities. He can offer advice on new and improved synthetic methodology, research and review new chemical processes, reduce cycle times, increase yields for target molecules and improve efficiency.
Those wishing to consult Dr Sergis on areas involving general and specific advice on academic and research issues should, in the first instance, contact him via email by clicking the button below.

Lecturing

Dr Sergis has extensive experience in providing successful lectures for undergraduates and postgraduates in universities and for students of further education in colleges. He has provided lectures for BSc courses in Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry, MSc courses in Organic Synthesis, various courses in Analytical Chemistry, Statistical Analysis & Treatment of Results, Experimental Design & Data Collection and Mathematics courses for BSc students.
He has provided BSc Chemistry and Biochemistry tutorials and problem-solving sessions, set and assessed coursework and examination papers and supervised BSc, MSc and PhD students of chemistry. He has also provided practical demonstrations to BSc, MSc, GRSC and HND students in universities. He has served as Examination Invigilator, conducted Chemistry Open Day Tours and gave introductory chemistry lectures to prospective students and the general public.
Dr Sergis has also taught widely in schools. He has taught years 7, 8 and 9 at Key Stage 3 in Science and Mathematics; GCSE in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics and English; AS and A2 in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics, Mechanics and Statistics. Dr Sergis has served as School Governor to two major schools, where he helped to appoint new head teachers and contributed substantially to improving their standards of education and raising their performance levels. He has also served as invigilator, teaching advisor, instructor and supervisor to student teachers.
Dr Sergis is available as a visiting lecturer, tutor and educational advisor to schools, colleges of further education and universities. Those interested should contact him by clicking the email button below.