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Endogenous state of α-synuclein protein alters susceptibility to Lewy-like pathology
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-11-30)Background and aims: Two human mutations affecting the α-synuclein protein confer the most clinical severity in Parkinson’s disease; endogenous αSyn over-expression due to gene multiplication and αSynG51D due to a missense ... -
Paediatric schistosomiasis: dynamics and consequences
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-11-30)Urogenital schistosomiasis, caused by the parasite helminth Schistosoma haematobium, is one of the major parasitic diseases affecting millions of preschool-aged children (PSAC), i.e. aged 5 years and below, in sub-Saharan ... -
Genetics and conservation of the southern South American conifers
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-11-30)Coniferous trees dominate many northern forests, and globally there are around 627 species of conifers, from eight families and 70 genera. Although the largest abundance of conifers is in the great boreal forests of Eurasia ... -
Investigating the role of interferon—γ signalling for malaria dyserythropoiesis
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-11-30)In innate and adaptive immunity, the proinflammatory type 1 cytokine interferon gamma (IFN-γ), is well known for its protective role particularly against intracellular pathogens. However, this type 2 interferon has been ... -
Evolution of floral diversity in the genus Croton and related genera (Crotonoideae, Euphorbiaceae)
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-11-30)Croton, a mega-diverse genus with about 1,200 species, has great variation in floral and inflorescence structures. Flowers of Croton are unisexual with great dimorphism between male and female flowers. Previous studies ... -
Evolutionary ecology of pine-mycorrhizal interactions in the Caledonian pinewoods of Scotland
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-11-30)Mycorrhizal fungi are important mutualistic symbionts of most plant species, exchanging soilbound nutrients with their host plants in exchange for photosynthetically derived sugars. Although generally beneficial, not all ... -
Engineering synucleinopathy-resistant human dopaminergic neurons by CRISPR-mediated mutation of the SNCA gene
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-22)An experimental treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD) involved the transplantation of fetal midbrain tissue, a source of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) progenitors, into the striatum of patients to restore dopaminergic ... -
Quantification of CRISPR-Cas9 diffusion dynamics in Escherichia coli
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-08-04)What do adaptive immunity, genetic engineering and antimicrobials have in common? CRISPR-Cas9, the popular enzymatic complex that produces DNA double-strand breaks when associated with a guide-RNA. Hundreds of labs ... -
Role of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors in formation of pegged rhizoids in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-08-04)When land plants diverged from their aquatic ancestors, various adaptations were necessary for survival in the more arid terrestrial environment. These include the development of a waterproof cuticle, presence of gas ... -
Virtual reality computer program for biomolecule structure determination
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-08-04)Protein structures are complex 3-dimensional shapes that are experimentally determined using x-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy. Interpreting the data that these methods yield involves building simplified ... -
Systematics and biogeography of Cyrtandra: a mega diverse genus in the Malesian hotspot
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-08-04)Tropical rain forests are the most biologically diverse of terrestrial biomes. A few species-rich genera contribute disproportionately to this diversity and yet have often been neglected taxonomically because their sheer ... -
How telomerase and Dna2 govern the fate of chromosome ends in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-07-04)Genome stability in eukaryotic cells relies heavily on their ability to differentiate between telomeres - natural ends of linear chromosomes - and double strand breaks (DSBs), pathological lesions which can occur throughout ... -
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 ...
