Advanced single-molecule optical microscopy and photonics to investigate the production, localization and interactions of adhesive proteins...
Lead Research Organisation:
University of York
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
"Advanced single-molecule optical microscopy and photonics to investigate the production, localization and interactions of adhesive proteins in Staphylococcus aureus biofilms"
The project will develop/apply new optical microscopy/photonics techniques to investigate the production and location of extracellular peptides and proteins, which promote biofilm formation when interacting with ligands in the extracellular matrix of S. aureus and S. epidermidis that form biofilms independently of polysaccharide production.
The project will develop/apply new optical microscopy/photonics techniques to investigate the production and location of extracellular peptides and proteins, which promote biofilm formation when interacting with ligands in the extracellular matrix of S. aureus and S. epidermidis that form biofilms independently of polysaccharide production.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Dominique Evans (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509802/1 | 01/10/2016 | 31/03/2022 | |||
| 1800635 | Studentship | EP/N509802/1 | 01/10/2016 | 31/03/2021 | Dominique Evans |
| Description | I have developed a computer program that can analyse time lapse confocal microscopy data and analyse when and where a protein called fibrin is produced in growing Staphylococcus aureus 29213 biofilms, as well as in S. aureus mutants lacking particular proteins which influence fibrin production (Coagulase and von Willebrand factor binding protein). This has allowed us to learn more about how Coagulase and von Willebrand factor binding protein contribute towards fibrin production in the biofilm extracellular matrix than if we were to just analyse the images qualitatively by eye. I am currently working on developing fusion proteins which will allow us to visualize extracellular proteins in biofilm matricies, and have been investigating which proteins may be used as protein tags to do so. |
| Exploitation Route | Over the course of the time lapse project I found a way to label slowly dividing bacteria cells compared to quickly dividing ones. These slowly dividing cells may even be persister cells, but much more extensive testing is needed to confirm whether this is true. An extension of my work into Coagulase and von Willebrand factor binding protein could involve further testing to investigate whether the two proteins play different biological roles to one another. |
| Sectors | Healthcare,Other |
| Description | Aarhus University, Denmark |
| Organisation | Aarhus University |
| Department | Faculty of Science and Technology |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | My PhD is a joint PhD between York and Aarhus University, and I will spend about 2 years at each institute. I spent my first year at York and the second at Aarhus. At Aarhus I have been working on creating fluorescent fusion proteins that will be visualized at the University of York later in my PhD. I have also been working on some preliminary time lapse microscopy experiments that I will continue at York. I have mentored a number of internship, bachelor, and master students, and I have also taught labs on 2 undergraduate courses at Aarhus University. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Aarhus University has provided me with the equipment, facilities, and appropriate training for the molecular cloning and microscopy experiments, and expertise from my supervisor here (Rikke Meyer) and colleagues. Several students from Aarhus also worked with me on the aforementioned projects. I was funded from Aarhus University for the first 2 years of my PhD (September 2016 - 2018) and have been awarded a Masters degree in nanoscience by them. |
| Impact | Mutidisciplinary research at the interdisciplinary nanoscience center at Aarhus University (iNANO) involving molecular biology and microbiology combined with my background in physics. |
| Start Year | 2016 |