Biological Sciences thesis and dissertation collection
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Recent Submissions
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Fruit softening: demonstration of in-vivo pectate lyase and rhamnogalacturonan lyase action
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-09-29)The programmed softening that occurs during fruit development requires scission of wall and/or middle lamella polysaccharides, especially pectin. Proposed mechanisms include the action of cell-wall enzymes [e.g. pectate ... -
Mechanistic and functional insights into the human kinesin motor CENP-E in cell division
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-09-26)During mitosis, chromosomes align at the spindle equator and biorient in order to equally distribute the genome into two daughter cells. A macromolecular protein complex, known as the kinetochore, facilitates the end-on ... -
Glycyrrhiza glabra cambial meristematic cells as a production platform for high value chemicals
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-09-22)Plant secondary metabolites represent both a current and future source of diverse molecules with desirable pharmaceutical characteristics. Exploration and utilisation of these highly chiral Plant Natural Products (PNPs) ... -
IgE-based cancer immunotherapy
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-09-21)Anti-tumour effect of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can be achieved through different mechanisms in which both target engagement with Fab arm and Fc-mediated recruitment of effector immune cells play an important role. ... -
Plasmodium falciparum binding interactions with human brain endothelial cells
(The University of Edinburgh, 2016-11-29)Cerebral malaria is the most severe form of malaria and mostly affects children under 5 years causing impaired consciousness, coma and neurological disorders, with life-threatening consequences in affected individuals. ... -
Phylogenetics of Begonia section Gireoudia
(The University of Edinburgh, 2013-06-29)Begonia is one of the most species-rich angiosperm genera with c. 1500 species currently identified and a pantropical distribution. Although Begonia are predominantly found in ever wet rain forests, they can also be found ... -
Exploring the impact of interventions on the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases: antimicrobial resistant foodborne disease and COVID-19
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-09-06)Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) currently represent two of the most important threats to human health, with both AMR and COVID-19 resulting in millions of deaths worldwide and ... -
Genomic basis of sexually divergent traits in red deer (Cervus elaphus)
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-08-31)Sexually selected traits show large variation and rapid evolution across the aniaml kingdom. The genetic variation underlying sexually selected traits is often maintained despite apparent directional selection, with proposed ... -
Regulation of RecBCD expression in Escherichia coli
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-08-16)To preserve genome integrity, all living organisms have developed strategies to respond to chromosomal damage. One such response is the repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs), one of the most toxic forms of DNA damage. ... -
Mitochondrial metabolism in livestock Trypanosomes: acetate production in Trypanosoma congolense
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-08-01)African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a debilitating disease affecting livestock in sub-Saharan Africa. AAT is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Trypanosoma, with T. congolense being the species primarily ... -
Distributions of RNA polymerase and transcript numbers in models of gene expression describing the mRNA life-cycle
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-07-29)Transcription, the production of RNA from a gene, is an inherently stochastic process, as recent experiments have firmly established. This stochasticity makes the modelling of genetic networks highly challenging. Recent ... -
Molecular and functional characterisation of an extracellular Argonaute protein secreted by a gastrointestinal nematode
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-07-29)Parasites manipulate their hosts to promote infection by secreting bioactive molecules including proteins, lipids and RNAs. Helminths (parasitic worms) secrete a plethora of such molecules possessing immunogenic and ... -
Use of on-line metabolomics for bioprocess monitoring
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-06-27)Biotechnology has the potential to play a key role in the transition from an economy based on non-renewable fossil fuels to a greener economy in which renewable feedstocks can be used to generate a wide range of products. ... -
Metataxonomic analysis of a novel anaerobic digester and engineering of isolated bacteria
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-06-24)Biomolecular tools such as metataxonomic and metagenomic DNA sequencing approaches have facilitated our detailed understanding of the microbiology of anaerobic digestion (AD) systems in recent years. However, most studies ... -
Design and characterisation of Novel synthetic biology tools in cyanobacterial model species
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-06-24)Cyanobacteria are a diverse phylum of prokaryotes capable of conducting oxygenic photosynthesis. They can efficiently harvest CO2 as a carbon source and transform it into sugars and complex molecules using sunlight, water, ... -
Comparative analysis of the function and regulation of the ZOU/ICE protein complex in Arabidopsis thaliana and Marchantia polymorpha
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-06-23)In angiosperms, the development of the seed and the accumulation of reserves require the establishment of close communication between the embryo and the endosperm. In Arabidopsis thaliana, this coordination is regulated ... -
Cohesin loading and its roles in genome organisation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-06-23)The organisation of DNA varies throughout the cell cycle in a tightly regulated manner. This ranges from the formation of high order structures, during the condensing of chromosomes into sister chromatids in mitosis and ... -
Using locus-specific proteomics to investigate heterochromatin in Trypanosoma brucei
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-06-23)The eukaryotic nucleus is classically divided into two broad categories: gene-poor heterochromatin and gene-rich euchromatin. In most model eukaryotes, heterochromatin is epigenetically defined by histone H3 lysine 9 ... -
From epidemics to pandemics: elucidating the dynamics of Ebola Virus and SARS-CoV-2
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-06-22)The advent of large-scale viral genomic sequencing has provided a rich source of data to explore the dynamics of infectious disease epidemics. In combination with the field of phylodynamics, which allows the inference of ... -
Impact of mixed species infection on trypanosome virulence and transmission
(The University of Edinburgh, 2022-06-22)Animal African trypanosomes are protozoan parasites that cause nagana, a devastating disease of livestock in sub-Saharan Africa. It is well documented that strains of one causative agent, Trypanosoma congolense (subtype: ...
