Postgraduate Prospectus

Biological Sciences | www.essex.ac.uk/bs
to examine structure, activation and
misfolding in GPCRs. Metal ions play a
central role in many biological processes
and transition metals, such as iron and
copper, are amongst the most abundant
and are often found as co-factors in
proteins with myriad functions. We use
an array of spectroscopic techniques, as
well as structural methods, to understand
mechanistic and functional aspects of
haem and copper containing proteins
and enzymes.
One focus of research in our Molecular
Medicine Group is the regulation of
transcription and molecular mechanisms
of cancer tumourigenesis, as research
employs high throughput proteomic
approaches to provide new insights
into the mechanisms of tumourigenesis.
We also study the molecular biology of
medically important viruses which includes
the enteroviruses that can cause a number
of human diseases, including paralytic
poliomyelitis, aseptic meningitis, heart
disease, common colds and type 1
diabetes. We aim to improve our
understanding of how viruses replicate
and cause disease to enable targeted
design of vaccines/antiviral agents. We also
have broad research interests in all aspects
of hospital-related infections and focus
on the interaction of microorganisms such
as E. coli, the causative agent of meningitis
in neonates with the blood brain barrier
and encephalitis-associated mechanisms.
Our immunological research investigates
membrane receptors involved in infection
and immunity; these include major
histocompatibility complex-encoded
receptors, which are essential in antigen
presentation and the handling of pathogens
by specialised cells of the immune system.
The relationship between the maternal
immune system during pregnancy, and its
influence in embryonic development and
fetal tolerance, is also studied. One key
component is our use of state-of-the-art
bio-imaging technologies to study cancer
cells, DNA structures, and understand
how proteins in the body interact with
pathogens, such as viruses or bacteria,
and how these pathogens attach
themselves to the cell membranes of
healthy cells to cause infection and disease.
Bioimaging is now a core facility in our
Department and has been pivotal in the
expansion of our MSc courses in this area,
and in the training of our research students.
Modern biomedicine is increasingly
dependent upon the analysis of large
Terry McGenity, BSc PhD Leicester
(Senior Lecturer)
Environmental microbiology: microbial
activities, interactions and effects
on past and present environments;
microbial ecology of extreme and
polluted environments; long-term survival
of micro-organisms in salt; microbial
adaptations to life in hypersaline
environments
Metodi V Metodiev, MSc PhD Sofia
(Lecturer)
Proteomics: protein-protein interactions;
protein phosphorylation; signal
transduction; MAPK and G-protein
dependent pathways
Phil Mullineaux, BSc PhD Wales
(Professor)
Plant molecular genetics: signalling
networks that control defence gene
expression in plants and marine algae
subject to high light stress; redox-mediated
co-ordination of abiotic and biotic stress
defence signalling pathways; drought
responsive gene expression in legumes
and Arabidopsis thaliana
John Norton, BSc Liverpool, PhD Hull
(Professor)
Molecular cell biology: mechanisms of Id
helix-loop-helix transcription factors in the
regulation of cell growth; differentiation
and tumourigenesis; early response gene
signalling in B lymphocytes; development
of gene-base diagnostics for lymphoid
malignancies
Christine Raines, BSc PhD Glasgow
(Professor and Head of Department)
Plant molecular physiology: relative
importance of individual enzymes in the
Calvin cycle in controlling rate of carbon
fixation and plant growth; in vivo role of
stromal protein complexes in regulation
of chloroplast metabolism; application
of proteomic, metabolomic and
bioinformatics approaches to chloroplast
metabolism; elevated CO2 effects on
photosynthetic capacity in field conditions
Brandon Reeder, BSc MSc PhD
Essex (Lecturer)
Molecular biophysics: mechanisms of
oxidative reactions relating to the globin
superfamily (eg cytoglobin, myoglobin)
and how these relate to physiological
and pathological functions; lipid oxidation,
singlet oxygen and cell signalling
mechanisms; engineering electron
transfer pathways in redox active haem
proteins; therapeutics to ameliorate
haem protein-induced oxidative
reactions; optical spectroscopies,
LC and LC-MS/MS methods
Phil Reeves, BSc PhD Warwick
(Lecturer)
Membrane protein biochemistry and
biophysics: structure, function and
biogenesis of G-protein coupled receptors
(GPCR); development of tools for
recombinant expression and purification
of membrane proteins; NMR and
crystallization of GPCR including
rhodopsin and melanocortin receptors
72 | Postgraduate Prospectus 2012