Biological Sciences

Profile

Research Interests

Light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, sectioning, fixation and dissection of tissue samples, preparation of biological samples for X-ray tomography, bacteriological assays, use of microelectrodes for the measurement of pH and oxygen. Experimental design and feeding assessment under laboratory conditions, use of computer programmes to provide automated solutions to counting procedures, design and operation of a tidal tank, vacuum impregnation of wood with various compounds and solvents, RNA extraction for 454 transcriptome sequencing. Native PAGE and analysis of MALDI TOF-TOF proteomic data, In situ hybridisation of mRNA to whole mount tissue, Western blots, CMC enzyme assays and specific sugar enzyme activity assays combined with phenol oxidase assays for specific substrates. Wood timber durability trials, including the effect of wood extractives and physical properties which affect durability to borer attack, also the analysis of wood using X-ray diffraction and FT-IR ATR for signs of degradation. Crystalline cellulose feeding assays, wood compositional analysis using HPLC and metabolomic analysis of tissue extract using NMR spectroscopy to track degradation products using ¹³C labelled wood and chromatin immune precipitation of Limnoria genes related to feeding.

Publications

• Malyon, G. P., LaBarre, S., Kervarec, N., Carey, P., McGeehan, J., Xie, X., Klueppel, A. and Cragg, S. M. (2010) New insights from NMR, FTIR, X-ray diffraction and physical chemistry into digestive processes in the wood-boring marine crustacean Limnoria quadripunctata.  International Research Group on Wood Preservation, Document No. IRG/WP 10-10732, 16pp