HaemO2 is a synthetic biology project based at the University of Essex, UK, that is developing a third generation artificial blood substitute.

Our Aims

Hemoglobin is the key protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around our bodies. A haemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC) could be used as a substitute for blood lost in surgery or trauma, but to date attempts to make a safe and effective HBOC have proved problematic. The redox activity of heme iron, when outside the safe confines of the red blood cell, is considered a key problem when attempting to engineer a safe (HBOC).


The HaemO2 project has been funded to engineer recombinant hemoglobin variants with enhanced electron transfer pathways to solve this problem.

HaemO2 is all about using the tools of modern synthetic biology to create a safe blood substitute for the 21st century

The variants will be better able to detoxify the reactive high oxidation state iron and free radicals produced in extracellular haemoglobin under conditions of oxidative stress. The novel proteins will therefore form a key component of our blood substitute product.

Our first goal is to produce an artificial blood substitute that can be used for: high-risk patients; high stress environments; immunocompromised or chemotherapy patients; and patients where standard donor blood carries a risk including patients who have had previous transfusion related adverse events.