Interests and Expertise | School of Biotechnology
The School of Biotechnology has an excellent track record for obtaining both national and international funding, with a high impact in publications and in attracting postgraduate and post-doctoral researchers. The School’s six priority research areas are:
Prof. Paul Cahill is a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funded Principal Investigator in area of Vascular Biology and Therapeutics. His work focuses on cell and molecular analysis of developmental regulatory networks that control resident vascular stem cell fate and vascular smooth muscle cell function and their modification by biomechanical cues, epigenetics and various environmental risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of all Irish and EU citizens. A hallmark of CVD is a blockage of critical arteries around the body, the heart and brain leading to increased blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke, respectively. The predominant cells that form the blockage are specialised vascular and inflammatory cells. The source of these cells remains controversial with many investigators reporting that they are derived from adult stem cells that reside within the blood vessel wall. Stents are small mesh tubes inserted to keep these arteries open after a procedure called angioplasty (percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI) that removes the initial blockage. Drug-eluting stents have a polymer coating that emits a drug over time to help keep the blockage from recurring. The Vascular Biology and Therapeutics group at DCU are focussed on understanding the key cellular and molecular events that occur in both adult vascular stem cells and vascular cells that contribute to the blockage with a specific goal of exploiting novel photonic platforms to detect these events whilst also developing the next generation of drug-coated stents to deliver targeted therapies against these cellular events. A better understanding of the process that leads to the initial blockage will greatly improve the treatment of these CVD conditions and will also lead to early detection through novel photonic platforms for non-invasive disease analysis.
Research Centre Affiliation: Centre for Medical Engineering Research
Dr. Phil Cummins leads a vascular cell biology research group within the School of Biotechnology. His research focuses on how large blood vessels and capillaries function at the cellular and molecular level in different regions of the body such as the heart, brain, and periphery. The goal of this research is to better understand how the human circulatory system is regulated and how different types of vascular disease may arise (e.g. stroke, diabetic retinopathy, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular infection). Diseases of the vascular system constitute a major burden on the Irish healthcare system, and are particularly exacerbated in Ireland’s diabetic and ageing populations. This DCU-led research programme has the potential to yield viable diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to address this.
Research Centre Affiliation: National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology (NICB)
DCU Research Groups:
- Type-2 Diabetes (PI: Dr. Donal O’Gorman, DCU)
- Mammalian Cell Engineering (PI: Dr. Niall Barron, DCU)
- Cardiovascular Infection (PI: Dr. Steven Kerrigan, RCSI)
- Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases (PI: Dr. Diarmuid Smith, Beaumont/RCSI)
Dr. Michael Freeley's research focuses on the genes and signalling pathways that T-cells use for migration and activation and how these pathways may be exploited for the treatment for autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, infectious disease and cancer. The recruitment of T-cells from the blood into tissues, such as the skin or gut, and the production of inflammatory molecules is a normal response to infection that protects us from pathogens (elimination of the pathogen while leaving our own cells alone). However, T-cells produce an unregulated inflammatory response in autoimmune/inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. Blocking T-cell activation and migration therefore is beneficial in this regard. On the other hand, increasing T-cell activation and migration into tissues is required for more effective vaccines and for treating cancer. Michael's research utilizes state-of-the-art techniques such as RNA interference (RNAi), screening of RNAi libraries and High Content Analysis to elucidate the genes and signalling pathways that T-cells use for activation and migration. His discoveries led to the finding that the actin-bundling protein L-plastin is a key regulator of T-cell migration (Freeley et al, 2012 J. Immunology) and that protein Kinase CØ is regulated by phosphorylation at Ser695 in response to T-cell activation (Freeley et al, 2005 Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm). In addition, Michael has developed new methods for delivering RNAi into hard-to-transfect primary human T-cells (Freeley et al, 2013 J. Immunological Methods) as well as leading a collaborative project with an international life sciences company where he performed the first RNAi library screens in primary human T-cells using their proprietary self-delivering RNAi technology (Freeley et al, 2015, J. Biomolecular Screening). He has also carried out contract research for a pharmaceutical company to screen small molecule drugs to evaluate their anti-inflammatory potential in in-vitro T-cell assays. Michael is particularly interested in hearing from academic, clinical and industrial organizations who would like to leverage his expertize in T-cells, immunology and cell biology for research collaborations, grant applications and contract research.
Prof. Christine Loscher is the Principal Investigator of the Immunomodulation Research Group. The core objective of her research is to identify new ways to modulate the immune system for health benefit. This includes the discovery of new compounds from marine sources which can be used to treat inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, she works closely with a number of Global food companies to identify novel functional ingredients which can be used in a variety of foods including infant formula and sports nutrition. She also collaborates with several biotech companies to uncover mechanisms of actions of their anti-inflammatory drug candidates.
Research Centre Affiliation: Health Technologies and the Healthy & Ageing Society
Dr. Dermot Walls’ research explores the relationship between viruses and their human or animal hosts. Different viruses can cause short-term or long-lasting diseases and this is usually the result of damage to host tissues or host defence mechanisms. Some viruses such as the human Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are linked with the development of certain human cancers. Our published collaborative work describes the identification new cell-virus interactions and viral components that influence what happens to the cell after it becomes infected. A better understanding of the virus/host relationship will contribute to achieving the goals of earlier detection, prevention and treatment of disease.
Research Centre Affiliation: The National Centre for Sensor Research (NCSR)
Dr. Naomi Walsh is the principal investigator of the Translational Cancer Genomics Research Group in the School of Biotechnology/National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology (NICB). Her current research is focused on developing organoid 3D cancer models, such as pancreatic, gastro-oesophageal and uveal melanoma. 3D organoids maintain the differentiation status, molecular and genomic signatures of the original tumour and differential sensitivity to therapies, making them an ideal model to identify precision therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Walsh's SFI SIRG funded research is focused on defining and validating the biological consequence of genomic variants of pancreatic cancer. Her research aims to understand the development of pancreatic cancer, to uncover markers for early detection and to identify those at high risk of pancreatic cancer. In addition, her research investigates tumour diversity caused by genomic alterations and cancer stem cells which contirbutes to cancer resistance to chemotherapy (funded by Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund PCRF, UK).
Her lab uses genomic and functional NGS approaches to identify the mechanisms of genomic instability, and to develop prognostic/predictive signatures and therapeutic strategies to overcome treatment resistance.
Research Group Affiliation: National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology (NICB)
Prof. Anne Parle-McDermott's research group focuses on understanding the importance of folate nutrition for human health. Folic acid supplementation/fortification has known benefits in the prevention of birth defects and other human diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, but the underlying mechanism of how it does this has not been fully elucidated. Research at the Parle-McDermott laboratory aims to decipher the molecular mechanism of how folate plays such an important role in human health ranging from pregnancy to ageing using a combination of genetics, genomics, biochemistry and cell biology methodologies. This research will have relevance for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common human disease. The group has unique expertise on specific folate enzymes including the second human Dihydrofolate Reductase enzyme, DHFRL1.
Dr. Denise Harold's research group focuses on the genetic epidemiology of complex neurological traits, particularly Alzheimer's disease. Collaborating with scientists in Europe and the U.S., Dr. Harold has been involved in several large genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which have been successful in identifying genetic risk variants associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. However, there is a substantial gap between our ability to identify these loci and our understanding of how the identified risk variants contribute to the underlying disease pathogenesis. By leveraging large-scale functional and comparative genomic datasets, we aim to functionally annotate GWAS loci, in order to provide insights into potential molecular mechanisms that can be tested/validated through disease-relevant, high-throughput functional assays.
Identifying causal relationships between genetic variants and disease risk will help to elucidate pathogenic processes at the molecular level and to identify tractable targets for therapeutic intervention. As discovery of risk variants grows, identifying the causal variants and their mechanisms will ultimately aid in improving predictions of disease onset, and in determining sub-type of disease, which will be particularly important for developing a precision medicine approach to treatment.
Research Group Affiliation: Advanced Research Computing Centre for Complex Systems Modelling (ARC-SYM)
Prof. Christine Loscher is the Principal Investigator of the Immunomodulation Research Group. The core objective of her research is to identify new ways to modulate the immune system for health benefit. This includes the discovery of new compounds from marine sources which can be used to treat inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, she works closely with a number of Global food companies to identify novel functional ingredients which can be used in a variety of foods including infant formula and sports nutrition. She also collaborates with several biotech companies to uncover mechanisms of actions of their anti-inflammatory drug candidates.
Research Centre Affiliation: Health Technologies and the Healthy &Ageing Society
Prof. Anne Parle-McDermott's research group focuses on understanding the importance of folate nutrition for human health. Folic acid supplementation/fortification has known benefits in the prevention of birth defects and other human diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, but the underlying mechanism of how it does this has not been fully elucidated. Research at the Parle-McDermott laboratory aims to decipher the molecular mechanism of how folate plays such an important role in human health ranging from pregnancy to ageing using a combination of genetics, genomics, biochemistry and cell biology methodologies. This research will have relevance for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common human disease. The group has unique expertise on specific folate enzymes including the second human Dihydrofolate Reductase enzyme, DHFRL1.
Dr. Dermot Walls’ research explores the relationship between viruses and their human or animal hosts. Different viruses can cause short-term or long-lasting diseases and this is usually the result of damage to host tissues or host defence mechanisms. Some viruses such as the human Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are linked with the development of certain human cancers. Our published collaborative work describes the identification new cell-virus interactions and viral components that influence what happens to the cell after it becomes infected. A better understanding of the virus/host relationship will contribute to achieving the goals of earlier detection, prevention and treatment of disease.
Research Centre Affiliation: The National Centre for Sensor Research (NCSR)
Dr. Brian Freeland's research focuses on applying Process Analytical Technology (PAT) tools to understand and control complex systems including bioprocessing and nano-fabrication, using on-line spectroscopy, biocalorimetry, gas analysis, soft-sensors and ANN.
- Nanotechnology: fabrication of nanoparticles via Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids (PLAL).
- Control and optimization of high cell density microbial bioprocesses
- Industrial automation, Beckhoff Automation, LabView and laser machining.
Dr. Jenny Lawler's research in the Environmental Science arena focuses on the development of new materials to address current and emerging environmental problems. Her research group is involved in the manufacture of novel membranes (including micro-, ultra- and nanofiltration) and graphene based adsorbents, and manufacture of bio-inspired nanostructured antimicrobial surfaces. She is particularly interested in the targeting of emerging pollutants such as hazardous organic pollutants and nanomaterials and problem drinking water components such as humic acid, and she has expertise in the mathematical modelling of these removal processes.
Dr. Greg Foley is a chemical engineer who specialises in using mathematics and computer modelling to make realistic and accurate predictions about the design and performance of membrane filtration systems. Membranes are used in a variety of industries, from wastewater treatment to diary processing to desalination and constitute a multi-billion euro, worldwide industry. Typical questions that Dr. Foley is seeking to answer include “how large a membrane do I need to carry out a certain operation?”; “under what conditions of pressure and flowrate should I operate membrane equipment to ensure long-term, sustainable operation?”; “is there an optimum way of operating the membrane to minimise costs?”. Dr. Foley is the author of an international textbook titled Membrane Filtration (Cambridge University Press, 2013). As well as membrane processes, he is also interested in the pedagogy of chemical engineering and is active in developing new approaches to teaching chemical engineering to undergraduates.