Designed and delivered lectures on the Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering module to the 2022-2023 student cohort.

Conducting targeted lab-based research and data analysis involving the development of in vitro degeneration neuropathy model and compound testing

Synthesised and evaluated ERB-azole compounds with activity against Candida strains under the supervision of Prof. Miraz Rahman and Dr. Barry Panaretou at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Project: Expression, purification and characterization of Magnaporthe oryzae effector proteinsLab: Banfield Lab, Biological ChemistryProject Details: Magnaporthe oryzae is the pathogenic fungus responsible for destroying sufficient rice and wheat to feed 200 million people annually. Pathogens use effector proteins to suppress the plant immune response, permitting disease manifestation. Investigating Magnaporthe oryzae effector structure and function promises to elucidate novel approaches for improvement of crop disease tolerance. My project saw the development of efficient expression and purification protocols for 3 effector proteins, commencing with their genetic code. During the 8-week project, adequate protein concentrations were attained to begin characterising the effector proteins through circular dichroism, differential scanning fluorimetry and high throughput crystallisation trails. The results of which have since been used to provide insight into the structural features of the effector proteins required for plant-pathogen interactions. Techniques Learnt: In-Fusion and pCR-8 cloning, polymerase chain reaction, transformation, inoculation, recombinant protein expression in E. coli, protein purification, gel-filtration, AKTA chromatography, agroinfiltration, crystallisation trials, protein electrophoresis, circular dichroism, differential scanning fluorimetry.

Project: Bioprospecting Aloe plants for Parkinson’s Disease in Drosophila and CAD cell modelsLab: Chazot Lab, Neuroscience/Pharmacology Project Details: Aloe vera has been postulated to decrease ER stress, reducing the accumulation of misfolded proteins which characterises Parkinson’s Disease (PD), potentially slowing PD progression. During my 2018 summer scholarship, I conducted preliminary experiments in Drosophila and CAD cell PD models to assess the potential of bioprospecting Aloe plants in forming a master’s project. The effects of Aloe vera and macra (initially introduced as a control due to its believed neurotoxic properties) on ER stress in differentiated and undifferentiated CAD cells was determined by Western blot analysis, using protein disulfide isomerase as a marker of ER stress. Cell viability of treated samples and their ability to respond to depolarisation was also investigated. Due to the reduction of ER stress seen with the CAD cell model, feeding experiments conducted on wild type and PD mutant Drosophila were initiated. The gait of each group was later analysed. The promising results attained from the short project merited the formation of a master’s project in the area. I presented the results from the project at the Northumbria Parkinson’s UK Research Conference 2018 to PD patients/carers and other researchers. Techniques Learnt: Tissue culture, protein extraction, Western blotting and subsequent analysis, MTT assays, calcium ion imaging, growth and care of Drosophila.