Since its initial start up in February 2009, the BRG has developed into a fully furnished and operational facility, dedicated to specialised biomedical research. Our expertise is evidenced through publication of our work in high impact journals, and conference presentations/proceedings at both local and international meetings.

Mission

To establish a cohesive and organised research group identity for Biomedical science that integrates research into the genotypic and phenotypic relationships which underpin our understanding of health, disease and ageing in human, animal and microbial models.

Research interests and projects

Research interests involve molecular mechanisms that underpin the pathogenesis and aetiology of mammalian diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular and chronic myeloproliferative diseases; the genetics of antibiotic resistance in bacteria; and bacterial pathogen evolution.

Current projects include:

• Investigation of cryptic genomic biomarkers in human patients with myeloproliferative disease
• Investigation into the mechanism by which human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO) modulates glycoaminoglycan turnover in a nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-dependent porcine explant model of rheumatoid arthritis
• The molecular genetics of the melanocortin receptor (MC1R).
• Metagenomic analysis and antimicrobial resistance of bacteria in the oral cavity
• The evolution of natural competence and diversity in bacterial pathogens

Specialised research equipment and facilities

• Tissue culture (developing cell transfection expression systems)
• Different cell lines (Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts, HepG2 hepatocytes and CAKI-2 kidney cells)
• Flow cytometry
• FISH - Fluorescence in situ hybridization
• PCR genetics (real time PCR and standard PCR)
• Biochemistry (ie SDS page / Western blotting)
• DNA sequencing facilities

Members

Dr Peter Coussons: Senior Lecturer in BMS (Director of Research for Biomedical Science)
Dr. Benjamin Evans: Lecturer in Microbiology and Medical Biotechnology
Dr. Don Keiller: Senior Lecturer
Dr. Linda King: Lecturer in Biomedical Science
Mrs Helen McRobie: Lecturer in Biomedical Science
Mrs Nicola Milner: Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science
Dr Leigh Stoeber (nee Eward, K.): Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science
Dr Alison Thomas: Senior Lecturer in Genetics
Dr. Philip Warburton: Senior Lecturer in Microbiology and Microtechnology
Mrs Joanne Denny BSc: DNA Sequencing Technician
Mr Dan Rewcastle: Microbiology Technician
Ms Angela Wheatley: Research Technician

Recent publications

Warburton, P. J., Ciric, L., Lerner, A., Seville, L. A., Roberts, A. P., Mullany, P., Allan, E. 2013. TetAB(46), a predicted heterodimeric ABC transporter conferring tetracycline resistance in Streptococcus australis isolated from the oral cavity. J Antimicrob Chemother 68: 17-22.

Evans, B. A., Rozen, D. E. 2013. Significant variation in transformation frequency in Streptococcus pneumoniae. The ISME J, Jan 10th, doi: 10.1038/ismej.2012.170

Odii, B. O., Coussons, P. 2012. Pharmacological Isolation of Experimental Models of Drug-resistant Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line. Journal of Cancer Therapy 3 (4): 216-221. doi: 10.4236/jct.2012.34031

McRobie, H, 2012. Black Squirrels: Genetics and Distribution. Quarterly Journal of Forestry 106 (2): 137-141.

Gordon, D., Schaitel, K., Pennefather, A., Gernigon, M., Keiller, D., Barnes, R. 2012. The incidence of plateau at V_O2max is affected by a bout of prior-priming exercise. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging 32 (1): 39-44. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-097X.2011.01052.x

Loddo, M., Kingsbury, S. R., Rashid, M., Proctor, I., Holt, C., Young, J., El-Sheikh, S., Falzon, M., Eward, K. L., Prevost, T., Sainsbury, R., Stoeber, K., Williams, G. H. 2009. Cell-cycle-phase progression analysis identifies unique phenotypes of major prognostic and predictive significance in breast cancer. Br J Cancer 100 (6): 959-70.

Desrois, M., Sidell, R. J., Gauguier, D., King, L. M., Radda, G. K., Clarke, K. 2004. Initial steps of insulin signaling and glucose transport are defective in the type 2 diabetic rat heart. Cardiovasc Res 61:288-296