Dr Timothy D. Craggs

School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Senior Lecturer in Biological Chemistry

Tim Craggs
Profile picture of Tim Craggs
t.craggs@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 9347
Dainton Building

Full contact details

Dr Timothy D. Craggs
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Dainton Building
13 Brook Hill
Sheffield
S3 7HF
Profile

Dr Tim Craggs obtained his MSci in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge in 2002. After his PhD (Cambridge 2007) and a postdoc in St Andrews, he took up a Lindemann Fellowship at Yale University (2010), followed by senior postdoc positions at Oxford (Kapanidis Lab) and Bristol (Dillingham Lab). In 2016 he was appointed to a Lectureship in Chemical Biology at the University of Sheffield.

Research interests

Research Keywords: Single Molecule Spectroscopy

Single-molecule approaches provide unprecedented detail to the understanding of essential biological processes, as was recognized in the awarding of the 2014 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Their unique advantage stems from the ability to go beyond the ensemble- and time-averaging of common biochemical techniques, enabling the identification and interpretation of asynchronous reactions, transient states, and rare sub-species.

Research in the Craggs Lab involves the development and application of single-molecule fluorescence techniques to addressing crucial questions across physics, chemistry and the life sciences.

Recent work has focussed on the development and application of single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET – a molecular ruler for the 30-90 Å scale) to questions of protein folding, and DNA transcription, replication and repair. These methods are capable of observing individual molecules and molecular interactions in real time, and understanding their dynamics.

In addition to this mechanistic work, we have shown we can use smFRET to measure absolute distances with angstrom accuracy, opening the door to FRET driven structural biology.

Publications

Journal articles

  • Kumari A, Enache T, Craggs TD, Pata JD & Lahiri I (2025) . Nucleic Acids Res, 53(19).
  • Partridge B (2025) . Chemosensors, 13(7).
  • Dettmer SJ, Williams HD, Napier R, Beames JM, Walker‑Griffiths S, Craggs TD & Hannon MJ (2025) . Angewandte Chemie, 137(26).
  • Dettmer SJ, Williams HD, Napier R, Beames JM, Walker-Griffiths S, Craggs TD & Hannon MJ (2025) . Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 64(26).
  • Fountain SE, Hill VE, Ambrose B, White J, Shaw RA, Johnston-Wood T, Willmott M, Johnston C, Mächtel RR, Rosenblum G , Lerner E et al (2025) . Biophysical Journal, 124(3), 42a-42a.
  • Akolgo GA, Partridge BM, D. Craggs T & Amewu RK (2023) . BMC Infectious Diseases, 23.
  • Agam G, Gebhardt C, Popara M, Mächtel R, Folz J, Ambrose B, Chamachi N, Chung SY, Craggs TD, de Boer M , Grohmann D et al (2023) . Nature Methods, 20, 523-535.
  • Hill VE, Noy A & Craggs TD (2023) . Biophysical Journal, 122(3), 214a-214a.
  • Rhind-Tutt AV, Fountain SE, Abdelhamid MA & Craggs TD (2023) . Biophysical Journal, 122(3), 19a-20a.
  • Darcy M, Crocker K, Wang Y, Le JV, Mohammadiroozbahani G, Abdelhamid MAS, Craggs TD, Castro CE, Bundschuh R & Poirier MG (2022) . ACS Nano, 16(4), 5682-5695.
  • Jeffet J, Ionescu A, Michaeli Y, Torchinsky D, Perlson E, Craggs TD & Ebenstein Y (2022) . Biophysical Journal, 121(3), 301a-301a.
  • Abdelhamid MAS, Waller ZAE & Craggs TD (2022) . Biophysical Journal, 121(3), 171a-171a.
  • Ambrose B, Hill VE, Shaw RA, Johnston-Wood T, Willmott M, Johnston C, Mächtel R, Cordes T, Lerner E, Hill JG , Weiss S et al (2022) . Biophysical Journal, 121(3), 431a-431a.
  • Evans GW, Craggs T & Kapanidis AN (2022) . Journal of Molecular Biology, 434(2), 167410-167410.
  • Bennison DJ, Nakamoto JA, Craggs TD, Milón P, Rafferty JB & Corrigan RM (2021) . mBio, 12(6).
  • Jeffet J, Ionescu A, Michaeli Y, Torchinsky D, Perlson E, Craggs TD & Ebenstein Y (2021) . Biophysical Reports, 1(1).
  • George D, Cadby A & Craggs TD (2021) . Biophysical Journal, 120(3), 184a-184a.
  • Ambrose B, Baxter JM, Cully J, Willmott M, Steele EM, Bateman BC, Martin-Fernandez ML, Cadby A, Shewring J, Aaldering M & Craggs TD (2020) . Nature Communications, 11(1), ---.
  • Shaw RA, Johnston-Wood T, Ambrose B, Craggs TD & Hill JG (2020) . Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, 16(12), 7817-7824.
  • Abdu K, Aiertza MK, Wilkinson OJ, Senthong P, Craggs TD, Povey AC, Margison GP & Williams DM (2020) . Nucleosides, Nucleotides & Nucleic Acids, 39(8), 1108-1121.
  • Ambrose B, Willmott M, Johnston-Wood T, Shaw RA, Hill JG & Craggs TD (2020) . Biophysical Journal, 118(3), 615a-615a.
  • Ambrose B, Baxter J, Cully J, Willmott M, Bateman BC, Steele E, Cadby AJ, Shewring J, Aaldering M & Craggs TD (2020) . Biophysical Journal, 118(3), 614a-614a.
  • Ambrose B, Baxter J, Cully J, Willmott M, Steele E, Bateman BC, Martin-Fernandez ML, Cadby A, Shewring J, Aaldering M & Craggs TD (2019) .
  • Craggs TD, Sustarsic M, Plochowietz A, Mosayebi M, Kaju H, Cuthbert A, Hohlbein J, Domicevica L, Biggin PC, Doye JPK & Kapanidis AN (2019) . Nucleic Acids Research, 47(20), 10788-10800.
  • Martin E, Williams HEL, Pitoulias M, Stevens D, Winterhalter C, Craggs TD, Murray H, Searle MS & Soultanas P (2019) . Nucleic Acids Research, 47(4), 2101-2112.
  • Hellenkamp B, Schmid S, Doroshenko O, Opanasyuk O, Kühnemuth R, Adariani SR, Ambrose B, Aznauryan M, Barth A, Birkedal V , Bowen ME et al (2018) . Nature Methods, 15(11), 984-984.
  • Martin E, Williams HEL, Pitoulias M, Stevens D, Winterhalter C, Craggs TD, Murray H, Searle MS & Soultanas P (2018) .
  • Hellenkamp B, Schmid S, Doroshenko O, Opanasyuk O, Kühnemuth R, Adariani SR, Barth A, Birkedal V, Bowen ME, Chen H , Cordes T et al (2018) . Nature Methods, 15, 669-676.
  • Bennet I, Finger LD, Baxter NJ, Ambrose B, Hounslow A, Thompson MJ, Exell JC, Shahari NNBM, Craggs TD, Waltho JP & Grasby JA (2018) . Nucleic Acids Research, 46(11), 5618-5633.
  • Craggs TD, Sustarsic M, Plochowietz A, Mosayebi M, Kaju H, Cuthbert A, Hohlbein J, Domicevica L, Biggin PC, Doye JPK & Kapanidis AN (2018) .
  • Fisher GLM, Pastrana CL, Higman VA, Koh A, Taylor JA, Butterer A, Craggs TD, Sobott F, Murray H, Crump MP , Moreno-Herrero F et al (2017) . eLife, 6.
  • Fisher GLM, Pastrana CL, Higman VA, Koh A, Taylor JA, Butterer A, Craggs TD, Sobott F, Murray H, Crump MP , Moreno-Herrero F et al (2017) .
  • Craggs TD (2017) . Nature Methods, 14(2), 123-124.
  • Meli M, Sustarsic M, Craggs TD, Kapanidis AN & Colombo G (2016) . Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, 3.
  • Nott TJ, Craggs TD & Baldwin AJ (2016) . Nature Chemistry, 8(6), 569-575.
  • Algasaier SI, Exell JC, Bennet IA, Thompson MJ, Gotham VJ, Shaw SJ, Craggs TD, Finger LD & Grasby JA (2016) . The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291(15), 8258-8268.
  • Blouin S, Craggs TD, Lafontaine DA & Penedo JC (2015) , 115-141.
  • Evans GW, Hohlbein J, Craggs T, Aigrain L & Kapanidis AN (2015) . NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH, 43(12), 5998-6008.
  • Nott TJ, Petsalaki E, Farber P, Jervis D, Fussner E, Plochowietz A, Craggs TD, Bazett-Jones DP, Pawson T, Forman-Kay JD & Baldwin AJ (2015) . Molecular Cell, 57(5), 936-947.
  • (2014) . Chemical Society Reviews, 43(17), 6470-6470.
  • Craggs TD, Sustarsic M, Hohlbein J, Cuthbert A, Taylor N, Evans G & Kapanidis AN (2014) . Biophysical Journal, 106(2), 274a-274a.
  • Hohlbein J, Craggs TD & Cordes T (2014) Alternating-laser excitation: single-molecule FRET and beyond (vol 43, pg 1156, 2014). CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS, 43(17), 6472-6472.
  • Craggs TD, Hutton RD, Brenlla A, White MF & Penedo JC (2014) . Nucleic Acids Research, 42(3), 1857-1872.
  • Hohlbein J, Aigrain L, Craggs TD, Bermek O, Potapova O, Shoolizadeh P, Grindley NDF, Joyce CM & Kapanidis AN (2013) . Nature Communications, 4.
  • Robb NC, Cordes T, Hwang LC, Gryte K, Duchi D, Craggs TD, Santoso Y, Weiss S, Ebright RH & Kapanidis AN (2013) . Journal of Molecular Biology, 425(5), 875-885.
  • Craggs TD & Kapanidis AN (2012) . Nature Methods, 9(12), 1157-1158.
  • Craggs TD (2010) . ChemInform, 41(3).
  • Hutton RD, Craggs TD, White MF & Penedo JC (2010) . Nucleic Acids Research, 38(5), 1664-1675.
  • Craggs TD (2009) . Chemical Society Reviews, 38(10), 2865-2865.
  • Blouin S, Craggs TD, Lafontaine DA & Penedo JC (2009) , 475-502.
  • Orte A, Craggs TD, White SS, Jackson SE & Klenerman D (2008) . Journal of the American Chemical Society, 130(25), 7898-7907.
  • Kuprov I, Craggs TD, Jackson SE & Hore PJ (2007) . Journal of the American Chemical Society, 129(29), 9004-9013.
  • Huang J-R, Craggs TD, Christodoulou J & Jackson SE (2007) . Journal of Molecular Biology, 370(2), 356-371.
  • Jackson SE, Craggs TD & Huang J-R (2006) . Expert Review of Proteomics, 3(5), 545-559.
  • Khan F, Kuprov I, Craggs TD, Hore PJ & Jackson SE (2006) . Journal of the American Chemical Society, 128(33), 10729-10737.
  • Abdelhamid MAS, Rhind-Tutt AV, Ambrose B & Craggs TD () . Journal of Visualized Experiments(173).
  • Abdelhamid MAS, Rhind-Tutt AV, Ambrose B & Craggs TD () . Journal of Visualized Experiments(173).
  • Lerner E, Barth A, Hendrix J, Ambrose B, Birkedal V, Blanchard SC, Börner R, Sung Chung H, Cordes T, Craggs TD , Deniz AA et al () . eLife, 10.
  • Hohlbein J, Craggs TD & Cordes T () . Chem. Soc. Rev., 43(4), 1156-1171.

Book chapters

  • Tor Y, Gehring K, Fabris D, Egli M, Korostelev AA, Craggs TD, Pyne A, Gagnon KT, Watts JK, Cheatham III TE & Richards NGJ (2022) , Nucleic Acids in Chemistry and Biology (pp. E1-E50). The Royal Society of Chemistry

Conference proceedings

  • Fisher GLM, Bateman BC, Craggs TD & Dillingham MS (2018) . Biophysical Journal, Vol. 114(3) (pp 209a-209a)
  • Craggs TD, Sustarsic M, Mosayebi M, Kaju H, Hohlbein J, Biggin PC, Doye JPK & Kapanidis AN (2016) . Biophysical Journal, Vol. 110(3) (pp 514a-515a)
  • Craggs TD, Sustarsic M, Hohlbein J, Cuthbert A, Taylor N, Evans G & Kapanidis AN (2014) A Novel FRET-Based Structure of DNA Polymerase Complexed with Kinked Gapped-DNA. BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Vol. 106(2) (pp 273A-273A)
  • Orte A, Craggs TD, White SS, Jackson SE & Klenerman D (2007) YFP unfolding kinetics studied in a single-molecule nano-flow cell. BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL (pp 660A-660A)

Preprints

  • Graham SP, Betts JK, Craggs TD, Leake MC, Hill CH & Quinn SD (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Betts JK, Jeffries CM, Passchier TC, Kung HCY, Graham SP, Abdelhamid MAS, Howard JAL, Craggs TD, Graham SC, Brierley I , Leake MC et al (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Guneri D, Morris CJ, Ding Y, Craggs TD, Smith SS & Waller ZAE (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Kumari A, Enache T, Craggs TD, Pata JD & Lahiri I (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Akolgo GA, Partridge BM, Craggs TD, Asiedu KB & Amewu RK (2025) , MDPI AG.
  • Smith ER, Turner ED, Abdelhamid MAS, Craggs TD & Twelvetrees AE (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Howard JAL, Ambrose B, Abdelhamid MAS, Alevropoulos-Borrill A, Ejaz A, Dresser L, Dienerowitz M, Quinn SD, Squires AH, Noy A , Craggs TD et al (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Gelder KL, Carruthers NA, Gilbert G, Harrison L, Evans T, Ball SS, Dunning M, Craggs TD, Twelvetrees AE & Bose DA (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Agam G, Gebhardt C, Popara M, Mächtel R, Folz J, Ambrose B, Chamachi N, Chung SY, Craggs TD, de Boer M , Grohmann D et al (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • George DR, Ambrose B, Cadby AJ & Craggs TD (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Jeffet J, Michaeli Y, Torchinsky D, Israel-Elgali I, Shomron N, Craggs TD & Ebenstein Y (2020) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Bennison DJ, Nakamoto JA, Craggs TD, Milón P, Rafferty JB & Corrigan RM () .
Teaching interests

Biological Chemistry

Teaching activities

Undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules

  • An Introduction to Biology for Physical Scientists (Level 1)
    This unit provides a basic knowledge and understanding of the occurrence, structure and function of important types of biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids, their organisation into biomaterials and their function in living systems.
  • Biopolymers and Biomaterials (Post-graduate Level) 
    This course explores the occurrence, structure and function of important types of biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids, their organisation into biomaterials and their function in living systems.

Support Teaching:

  • Level 3 Literature Review

Laboratory Teaching:

  • Level 2 Organic Laboratories
  • Level 3 Research Project
  • Level 4 Research Project