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Understanding Infectious Diseases

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Developing Solutions Using Biotechnology

Microscope

Tiny Biological Infection Needles

2017 to 2021

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"Cyclic-di-GMP regulation of type III-mediated virulence in Pseudomonas bacteria"

Research for PhD degree

(John Innes Centre & University of East Anglia, Jacob Malone Group)

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I am researching a thing found in some bacteria known as the type III secretion system.

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This system looks like a tiny biological needle and its what some bacteria use to infect their targets and cause disease. Targets can include plants, animals, and us humans.

 

I use a bacteria called Pseudomonas to help me understand these tiny biological needles better. This is a bug which is a big issue in healthcare and in agriculture, and its also similar to many other nasty diseases so we can, and need to, learn a lot from it.

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I am researching a potential interaction between a signalling molecule and a motor protein which drives the entire type III secretion system protein.

 

The signalling protein is called cyclic-di-GMP or CdG for short.

 

The motor protein is known as an ATPase protein located at the base of the type III secretion system. Its called ATPase because its a specialised protein which breaks down ATP, one of the most basic forms of energy for living things.

 

The type III secretion system is responsible for establishing disease for certain strains of bacteria. The interaction between CdG and the type III secretion system ATPase is thought to potentially play a role in the regulation of this system and virulence.

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This PhD research project is funded by “the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership”.

Surgery

Rapid Diagnosis of Bacterial Infection

2017

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"Developing a bacteriophage-Affimer antibody-scaffold diagnostic kit for Clostridium difficile infection"

Research for Masters degree

(University of Leeds, Michael McPherson Group)

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I worked to develop a rapid diagnostic kit against Clostridium difficile bacterial infection, a common and expensive disease frequently acquired in hospitals.

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This assay used bacteriophage viruses to present antibody-like Affimer (formerly adhiron) binding scaffolds. As part of a fast developing "ELISA" reaction, these scaffolds would detect toxin B from C. difficile.

Petri Dish

Micro-organisms and their Structures

2016

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"Iron-storing nanocompartments for potential biotechnological application"

Research for undergraduate Bachelors degree

(University of Reading, Simon Andrews Group).

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I worked with nanocompartments, small microbial organelles which have promising potential biotechnological applications (e.g. drug delivery). The particualar nanocompartment I was working on was from the extremophile archaea Pyrococcus furiosus which lives in hydrothermal vents.

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I worked to understanding these nanocompartments at the genetic level and also at a translated purified protein level.

Other Selected Extended Laboratory Projects

"Molecular plant science in Kenya:


CRISPR, golden-gate assembly, transient-expression and transformation, RNA, stress tolerance, aphid-mediated disease, and pathogenomics"

2019

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