Doctor David Owen PhD, FHEA
Lecturer in Biochemistry
Summary
I teach a varied selection of modules across the biosciences, including (but not limited to) applied biochemistry, fundamentals of life sciences and innovations in analytical science. I am the course leader for the BSc Biochemistry degree and module lead for Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. My research interests focus on antimicrobial resistance, materials science and atomic force microscopy (AFM).
About
After completing a BSc (Hons) in Pharmaceutical Science at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU), I obtained my PhD in biophysics at The University of Sheffield (UoS) - thesis title 'Improved Characterisation of the Cell Wall Mechanics of Staphylococcus aureus using Atomic Force Microscopy'.
This was followed by postdoctoral positions at Imperial College London, SHU and UoS across a variety of disciplines centred largely on antimicrobial resistance, bacteriology, materials science and AFM.
My research is interdisciplinary and included commercial partners. I am a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Teaching
School of Biosciences and Chemistry
College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences
School of Biosciences and Chemistry
I teach across a broad range of Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses relating to biochemistry, biomedical and analytical science.
Research
- Health Research Institute
Bactericidal Efficacy and Surface Morphology of Nanopatterned TiN Films Deposited by High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering.
This research is an interdisciplinary collaboration that is developing a new generation of super-hard antimicrobial coatings, based on transition metal nitrides, for medical devices, common touch surfaces and other diverse applications. These surfaces will combine biophotonic functionality and nano-structured morphology to kill microorganisms through nanopillar-induced cell rupture, plasmonically enhanced photocatalysis and thermal stress.
Featured Publications
Abimbola Feyisara Adedeji-Olulana, Katarzyna Wacnik, Lucia Lafage, Laia Pasquina-Lemonche, Mariana Tinajero-Trejo, Joshua A. F. Sutton, Bohdan Bilyk,nSophie E. Irving, Callum J. Portman Ross, Oliver J. Meacock, Sam A. Randerson, Ewan Beattie, David S. Owen, James Florence, William M. Durham, David P. Hornby, Rebecca M. Corrigan, Jeffrey Green, Jamie K. Hobbs, Simon J. Foster. (2024). Two codependent routes lead to high-level MRSA. Science, 386 (6721). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adn1369
A. Oniszczuk, D. S. Owen, D. Loch, P.Eh. Hovsepian, A.P. Ehiasarian. (2025). Reverse pulse strategies for silicon dioxide thin films deposition by high power impulse magnetron sputtering. Surface and Coatings Technology, 505 (132117). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.132117
David S. Owen. (2023). Toward a better modulus at shallow indentations—Enhancedtip and sample characterization for quantitative atomic force
microscopy. Microscopy Research and Technique, 86 (1). https://doi.org/10.1002/jemt.24261
Publications
Journal articles
Oniszczuk, A.W., Owen, D., Loch, D.A.L., Hovsepian, P., & Ehiasarian, A. (2025). Reverse pulse strategies for silicon dioxide thin films deposition by high power impulse magnetron sputtering. Surface and Coatings Technology, 505. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.132117
Owyong, T.C., Shippey, L.E., Ding, S., Owen, D.S., Zhang, S., White, J.M., ... Hong, Y. (2024). Development of NIAD-4 derivatives for fluorescence-based detection of protein aggregates †. Sensors & Diagnostics. http://doi.org/10.1039/d4sd00182f
Adedeji-Olulana, A.F., Wacnik, K., Lafage, L., Pasquina-Lemonche, L., Tinajero-Trejo, M., Sutton, J.A.F., ... Foster, S.J. (2024). Two codependent routes lead to high-level MRSA. Science, 386 (6721), 573-580. http://doi.org/10.1126/science.adn1369
Owen, D. (2023). Toward a better modulus at shallow indentations—Enhanced tip and sample characterization for quantitative atomic force microscopy. Microscopy Research and Technique, 86 (1), 84-96. http://doi.org/10.1002/jemt.24261
Reed, H., Stanton, A., Wheat, J., Kelley, J., Davis, L., Rao, W., ... Francese, S. (2015). The Reed-Stanton press rig for the generation of reproducible fingermarks : towards a standardised methodology for fingermark research. Science & justice, 56 (1), 9-17. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2015.10.001
Day, R.E., Kitchen, P., Owen, D., Bland, C., Marshall, L., Conner, A.C., ... Conner, M. (2014). Human aquaporins: regulators of transcellular water flow. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects, 1840 (5), 1492-1506. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.09.033
Conference papers
Owen, D., Partridge, S., Snuggs, J., Michael, A., Cole, A., Chiverton, N., ... Le Maitre, C. (2022). IMPROVING SPINAL FUSION WITH INJECTABLE HYDROGELS. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, 28, S34.