Multiphoton imaging of NF-kB in macrophages using FLIM/FRET
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: Dental Institute
Abstract
Macrophages are critical for wound healing and fighting infection. Abnormal macrophage function is implicated in a number of chronic conditions, such as autoinflammatory diseases, obsesity and during ageing. An important pathway for controlling macrophages is NF-kB. However, it id not clear how NF-kB signalling in macrophages correlates with their behaviour in a living animal. This project therefore aims to measure NF-kB activity at multiple levels in macrophages in vivo and determine how this relates to their behaviour. This will be achieved by measuring NF-kB biosensor activity and comparing to cell behaviour in zebrafish larvae by multiphoton (MP) microscopy. We will then use drugs designed to modulate NF-kB activity to probe the function of individual pathway components. This project falls within the BBSRC Research Priority "Technology Development for the Biosciences."
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BB/M015300/1 | 01/10/2015 | 30/09/2019 | |||
| 1668197 | Studentship | BB/M015300/1 | 01/10/2015 | 30/09/2019 | Kalliopi Arkoudi |
| Description | My research on the role of the NF-?B signalling pathway has unearthed a lot of very interesting findings. At first I have discovered that the NF-kB pathway is present in macrophages that respond to injuries in zebrafish and generally active at the injury site. However, further experiments revealed that the NF-?? pathway is not essential for the macrophage migration but rather regulates it. Intriguingly, the cytokine expression profile at the injury site is altered in the absence of NF-?B inhibition, suggesting that the inflammatory response id impaired. The effect of this impairment on regeneration was analysed and was found to be disruptive. Lastly, I have developed FRET reporters for the NF-?B pathway that would allow me to visualise the activity in vivo. |
| Exploitation Route | The project is still ongoing but the results generated so far could help researchers understand better the role fo the NF-?B pathway in relationship with migration in cancer. |
| Sectors | Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | K+ Spotlight Summer School |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Brilliant club and K+ Widening participation program is a collaboration that brings academic level education to highly achieving students from under-represented background in London. I have designed a 5-workshop tutorial series based on my PhD project and taught it to two groups of 10 students. The students were extremely interested in STEM and were very interested in trying to understand the topic. At the end of the week the students gave an oral presentation about the content they learned and my group won the competition. A month after the students submitted a 2500 word essay on the topics studied and I couldn't be more pleasantly surprised to find out that they did see the depth of their research and understanding. They engaged with the subject, learned about how to conduct research and 64% achieved a 1st class grade on their essays, while 81% of students submitted achieved at lease a 2.1. This activity has impacted the students life strengthening their love for biology and chances to access higher education. During the free time the students got a opportunity to ask questions about how it feels to be a PhD student and understand more about academic careers. Additionally K+ is important for their university applications and for their applications in KCL they can receive reduced offers if they achieve at least a 2.1. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/widening-participation/partnerships |