biomedical sciences research institute - Research - University of Ulster

Dr George McKerrSenior LecturerContact Details:T: +44 (0)28 70324759g.mckerr@ulster.ac.ukDuring the past year, Dr McKerr has established new external collaborations with other institutions and industrywhich use advanced microscopical techniques available at Coleraine to investigate how cells adhere to nanopatternedsurfaces, the nature and rigidity of nanotubes of differing origin as well as the controlled growth of additionalelements on carbon nanotubes. Ongoing work is using dualbeam cryo-technology to examine the arrangement forcoupling of molecular motors along the axoneme of cilia.Real time measurements are being made of molecular binding attempts between isolated bio-adhesive moleculesand living epithelial cell surfaces. An extension of this work is to look at the disruptive influence of external agentsand it is hoped that this approach will become useful in assessing the effect of new compounds as medically activecompounds.Publications:Barnes CA, O’Hagan BMG, Howard CV, McKerr G; Verification of cell viability at progressively higher scanning forcesusing a hybrid atomic force and fluorescence microscope; Journal of Microscopy, 228: 185-189, 2007Dr Christopher MitchellSenior Lecturer in DNA MetabolismContact Details:T: +44 (0)28 70324089ca.mitchell@ulster.ac.ukThe focus of research is the morphological, cellular and molecular determinants of pattern formation in the vasculature.Dr Mitchell is the Principal Investigator (PI) in a group which consists of 3 PhD students, a Research Associate and 4undergraduate project students. With colleagues in the School of Mathematical Sciences (University of Nottingham)the group is also investigating determinants of wound healing using a model which allows continuous monitoring ofvascular growth following injury (EPSRC funded). Wound healing is particularly important clinically in treatment ofvenous and diabetic ulcers as well as surgical scarring.A PhD student within the group is examining the role that anti-angiogenic proteins play in development of theplacenta and particularly how they impact upon intra-uterine growth restriction, a major cause of neonatal morbidityand mortality. Retinal vasculature has a distinct and regular patterning of vasculature, whose disruption is associatedwith the major causes of blindness in the young (retinopathy of prematurity and persistent hyperplastic primaryvitreous [PHPV]) as well as in adults (diabetic retinopathy). In collaboration with Professor Mark Chaplain (Universityof Dundee) and Dr Steven McDougall (Heriot-Watt University) we are developing mathematical models of vasculargrowth (BBSRC funded) which allow predictions of the outcome of vascular patterning in the retina, which may proveuseful in developing treatment strategies for ocular disease (see picture). In addition to the major causes of blindness,the pathological sequelae of all of the major “killer diseases” in the western world (cancer, atherosclerosis anddiabetes) are characterised by inappropriate vascular growth, making the study of the modulators of normal vasculargrowth a high priority for national funding bodies, such as Research Councils. Members of the group regularly presentresults of their research both locally, nationally and at international conferences.23