The research priorities in the Department of Biology spans three interlinked themes: Ecology, Genetics and Biomedical Science.
Ecology and Evolution
Biodiversity value of ancient grasslands
Landscape connectivity in the British flora
Ecology of mycorrhizal fungi
Soil microbial communities
Ecology, evolution and conservation of Canary Island reptiles
Protecting pollinators using computer vision
Captive husbandry and management of the red titi monkey (Plecturocebus cupreus)
Genetics
Dual-RNAseq for deep understanding of host-microbe interactions using the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
Uncovering the intestinal genetic decision-making process to mount specific responses to gut microbes (pathogen vs non-pathogen, complex microbial community vs single species microbial community)
Exploiting natural variation of the innate immune system to design new infectious disease treatments
Atypical stress response mechanisms in the early branching eukaryote Trypanosoma brucei
Biomedical – new therapies for diseases
Effect of chronic inflammation on endometrial receptivity
Epigenetic regulation of pituitary hormone expression
Combinatorial gene and drug therapies for neuroblastoma or glioblastoma
New gene therapy approaches for cardiovascular-related disorders (including lipoproteins)
Exosome research for diagnostics and/or therapies of different disorders (including glaucoma, cardiovascular or cancer)
Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy
How the immune system reacts to pathogen infections?
We offer both PhD and MRes (Masters by Research) opportunities across these research themes. Please direct initial enquiries about proposed projects to the lead supervisor or to research contacts for Biology.
Synthesis of small molecule therapeutics for snake envenoming
Venom lethality and drug rescue studies in the Galleria mellonella model: Brazilian yellow scorpion (Tityus serrulatus), yellow fat-tailed scorpion (Androctonus australis), Australian box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri), the black widow spider (Latrodectus hasselti) and Stephens’s banded snake (Hoplocephalus stephensii).
Dr Amanda Thomaz
Uncovering Key Players in Glioblastoma: Harnessing Centrosome Amplification for Enhanced Therapy Efficacy
Implications of treating different animal skins with water and amphoteric solutions following acid attacks and other chemical burns. (This project is co-supervised by Professor Kayvan Shokrollahi who is Consultant in Burns, Plastic & Laser Surgeon at Whiston Hospital).
Investigating anticancer properties of vitamins and phytochemicals with particular interest in vitamins C, D & B12 and the phytochemical curcumin.
Analysing water pollution and its impact: measuring pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, Na, K, phosphate, and various forms of nitrogen using chemical methods.
