Biological Sciences thesis and dissertation collection
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Recent Submissions
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Engineering a library of orthogonal genetic NAND gates from intein-split transcriptional repressors
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Living cells are natural computing systems that exhibit complex behaviours such as decision making, signal processing and spatial organisation. Engineered genetic circuits take advantage of this capability to produce ... -
Functional analysis of the Nanog tryptophan repeat
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)The homeodomain transcription factor NANOG promotes self-renewal of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs). NANOG binds thousands of sites within the ESC genome together with OCT4, ... -
Investigating the reversibility of senescence
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Senescence is defined as a permanent and irreversible cell cycle arrest. The initiating stimuli can be diverse, such as oncogene expression, reactive oxygen species and critically short telomeres. Irrespective of the nature ... -
Investigating mechanisms of RNAi-dependent heterochromatin establishment in Schizosaccharomyces pombe
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Heterochromatin is a condensed conformation of eukaryotic DNA, which plays an essential role in genome homeostasis. In depth research across various species showed that RNA interference (RNAi) is one of the pathways ... -
TAZ2 domain of CBP binds DNA to regulate histone acetylation
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)DNA sequences that regulate gene expression are marked by distinct chromatin architectures that segregate these functional elements from the surrounding genome. In mammals, DNA methylation is prevalent throughout the genome ... -
Grain skinning in malting barley: the influence of husk adhesion on grain and malt quality
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a crop of prime importance to the malting, brewing and distilling sectors. Modern varieties are susceptible to a defect called “skinning”, a condition in which the adhesion of the husk ... -
Production of copper nanoparticles by Morganella psychrotolerans
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)There is growing interest in copper nanoparticles for their potential role in industrial catalysis and as antimicrobial agents. However, their chemical synthesis requires strong reducing agents and high temperatures. Using ... -
Molecular function of the RNAbinding protein NANOS2 in mouse spermatogonial stem cells
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are adult unipotent stem cells which are able to both self-renew and differentiate to support spermatogenesis throughout adult life. NANOS2 is a conserved RNA-binding protein, and its genetic ... -
Replication arrest and bypass at Tus/ter complexes in the terminus of the Escherichia coli chromosome
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Genome replication is frequently challenged by obstacles that can result from DNA damage, topological stress or tightly bound proteins. Replication fork stalling at DNA-bound proteins can lead to collapse of the fork ... -
Integrated structural biology approaches for the study of nucleic acid binding proteins
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Proteins are the ultimate effectors of biological mechanisms and are involved in every aspect of cellular life. The functional properties of proteins depend on their three-dimensional structure. Indeed, proteins are not ... -
Establishing a standardised DNA assembly and biosensor-based screening pipeline for natural product pathway engineering in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Many pharmaceutical drugs currently available on the market are natural products, which are extracted from biological sources (microorganisms or plants). It can prove challenging to maintain a constant supply of these ... -
Generating and characterising Cas12a derived synthetic transcription factors
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Transcription factors represent one of the primary determinants of gene expression changes and phenotypic modulation during dynamic processes in multi-cellular organisms. This includes processes as diverse and important ... -
Monopolin complex fuses sister kinetochores specifically in meiosis I
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Meiosis is a specialised form of cell division, which halves the chromosome content of a cell. A single round of DNA replication is followed by two rounds of division. Meiosis utilises the key machinery of mitosis but with ... -
Control of regulatory T cell activity by endogenous and pathogen-derived EGFR ligand
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Regulatory T cells (Treg) are CD4+ FOXP3+ T lymphocytes whose function is to prevent autoimmunity and immune cell-mediated damage on infected tissues. They carry out their suppressive effects either by direct cell-cell ... -
Chromatin organisation and transcription regulation in Trypanosoma brucei
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)In eukaryotic nuclei, DNA is packaged into chromatin by association with histone proteins. Specific histone post-translational modifications result in the formation of transcriptionally active and silent chromatin ... -
Investigating the genetic requirements for the PCNA interacting motifs in Pif1 family helicases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Stable maintenance and transmission of the genetic material requires tight coordination between DNA replication and DNA repair. One of the factors that couples DNA replication and DNA repair is proliferative cell nuclear ... -
Targeted genome editing to replace nuclear-encoded Rubisco in higher plants
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Improving the efficiency of the Rubisco enzyme (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) is a key strategy to enhance photosynthesis and yields in crops. Rubisco catalyses net CO2 assimilation in all photosynthetic ... -
Cell size regulation of Escherichia coli at high osmolarity
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)The goal of the study of bacterial physiology, and in the study of biophysics more broadly, is to apply quantitative predictive models to the behaviour of complex living organisms. Just as is the case with thermodynamics, ... -
Effects of external fluctuations on the stochastic dynamics of gene regulatory networks
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)In systems biology, intracellular gene expression networks are modelled as mass balance chemical reactions. These schematic pathways are often simplified and miss significant details such as intermediate templates or enzymatic ... -
Identification and characterisation of spindle checkpoint silencing factors in Schizosaccharomyces pombe
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)In cell division, the spindle-assembly checkpoint (SAC) is an important mechanism which ensures proper segregation of chromosomes into daughter cells by delaying anaphase onset until all chromosomes are correctly ...
