Robert O'Byrne Email & Phone Number

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Dublin

Research was focused on quantifying various protein levels in colorectal cancer cell lines, and tissue samples, which could serve as novel biomarkers for drug sensitivity or drug resistance in patients.Key Responsibilities and Transferable Skills:◆ Team Work and Communication: generating robust biochemical data for biosystems modelers has required effective interdisciplinary collaboration and communication.◆ Project Planning: an international collaboration liaising with team partners in Italy and London, and technical experts, required effective planning skills and further necessitated friendly and enthusiastic team working skills.◆ Leadership: the supervision and directing of two summer research students required sound leadership skills to ensure the students completed their research projects to an exacting standard.Specific Laboratory Techniques Developed:▷ Axenic culture of numerous cancer cell lines (HCT116, DLD1, LoVo, CRL-1807, HeLa, MCF7)▷ Reverse phase protein arrays (RPPA)▷ Semi-quantitative Western blotting of metabolic and signalling proteins▷ Colorimetric quantification of L-lactate▷ Purification of plasmid DNA▷ Preparation of colorectal tissue samples for RPPA and Western blotting

School Of Biochemistry And Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute

Postgraduate research was focused on elucidating the mechanism through which the GPI-specific phospholipase C, of the parasitic organism Trypanosoma brucei, is regulated.Key Responsibilities and Transferable Skills:◆ Resourcefulness: working, and designing experiments, within a very limited budget required innovative thinking to produce high quality results with minimal costs. A thorough understanding and appreciation of laboratory finances was also developed.◆ Communication: completion of academic reports, and completion of a Ph.D. thesis, illustrates an excellent understanding of good scientific writing, and an ability to present scientific results clearly and precisely. ◆ Project Planning: successful completion of a substantial research project required self-motivation and diligence, and further necessitated considerable project planning skills to ensure deadlines were successfully met. ◆ Record Management: maintenance of clean, accurate, and traceable lab notes that could be readily followed by other researchers was critical to this work.◆ Critical Analysis: robust analysis and interpretation of experimental data was a crucial facet of this work.Specific Laboratory Techniques Developed:▷ MALDI-ToF mass spectromtery▷ Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy▷ Fluorescent, and immunofluorescent, microscopy▷ Axenic culture of Trypanosoma brucei, in the absence of any antibiotics▷ Preparation and sterilization of various culture media, including HMI-9 and SDM-79 ▷ SDS-PAGE and Western blotting using self-made gels, buffers, and ECL reagents▷ Purification of recombinant proteins▷ Preparation and purification of polyclonal IgG▷ Immunoprecipitation▷ Protein labeling using NHS-esters▷ Protein concentration assays▷ Chromatographic techniques

School Of Biochemistry And Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute

Key Responsibilities, and Transferable Skills:◆ Teaching: gave experienced demonstrations on how to use laboratory equipment and chemicals correctly and safely.◆ Communication and Leadership: showed an ability to encourage and motivate students to complete the experimental objectives to the best of their ability.

Department Of Physiology And Medical Physics, Rcsi Research Institute

A two month internship, funded by IRCSET, studied the effect of oxaliplatin on cancerous cell lines. Key Responsibilities and Transferable Skills:◆ Record Management: maintenance of clean, accurate and traceable lab notes.◆ Presentation Skills: clear and confident presentation of scientific research using Microsoft PowerPoint during lab journal clubs; won top prize for best poster presentation at the end of the internship program.Specific Laboratory Techniques Developed:▷ Axenic culture of HeLa cells▷ Flow cytometry▷ Detection of caspase activity using FRET probes▷ Monitoring of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization using TMRM

Bachelor’S Degree, Medicine

Presentations and Relevant Extra-Curricular Activities ◆ Selected to deliver an oral presentation for the 2016 UN Sustainable Goals.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Biochemistry

Activities and Societies: Dublin University Biochemical Society, Dublin University Boxing Club.A challenging and intriguing project set.

Bachelor Of Arts With A Moderatorship In Biochemistry With Cell Biology (B.A., Mod), Natural Sciences, Ii.1

Activities and Societies: Dublin University Chess Society, Dublin University Kenpo ClubFurther received a first class honors in final year.