Research
Chemical biology, Glycomics and Translational Applications of Heparan Sulphates in Health and Disease
Chemical biology and glycomics of heparan sulphates (a specialized class of multi-functional glycoproteins) in the nervous system in development and disease, with applications for translational drug discovery. Current topics include: 1. dynamic HS biosynthesis and functions; 2. role of heparan sulphate in stem cell biology; 3. development of innovative technologies for “glycomics” studies on HS structure-activity relationships - saccharide libraries (natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic glycans and mime tics), mass spec sequencing, glycooarrays; 4. the role of HS in neural & neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimers disease and Kallmanns syndrome; 5. translational studies on drug discovery and biotechnology applications of HS compounds and mimetics in Alzheimers disease, cancer and spinal cord repair. Multi-disciplinary experimental approaches are used including biochemistry (protein expression, carbohydrate analysis), molecular biology (gene cloning & expression, RNA interference), cell biology (cell culture, immunofluorescence) and chemistry (semi-synthetic and synthetic carbohydrates).
Research grants
Analysis of Mucin Interactions
UNILEVER PLC (UK)
October 2017 - December 2017
Heparan mimetics as a novel therapeutic for multiple sclerosis
THE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND (UK)
April 2017 - March 2019
Polysaccharide analysis
SHANDONG CHENZHONG BIOPHARMACEUTICAL CO LTD (CHINA)
November 2016 - March 2017
Model for Alzheimer's disease
VICTORIA LINK LIMITED (VICLINK) (NEW ZEALAND)
April 2016 - July 2016
Exploring glycosidic neo-epitopes of degenerative granules in aged mice: implications for ageing and dementia -GLYCONEOBRAIN
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
September 2017 - August 2019
Inhibition of beta-secretase
ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH (UK)
November 2015 - August 2016
Prodromal inhibitiond of beta-secretase by synthetic heparins
ALZHEIMERS SOCIETY (UK)
June 2016 - November 2024
Enzymatic heparin production
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2015 - October 2016
2014 allocation - Wellcome ISSF non clinical fellowships
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
May 2015 - October 2018
Sparking Impact
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
June 2013 - July 2014
Interaction of heparan sulfate with the protease beta-secretase: a novel mechanism for regulation of APP processing.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2004 - December 2007
Extracellular Modulation of Multiprotein Signalling Complexes: Molecular Regulation of FGFR Signalling by Anosmin & Heparan Sulphate Proteoglycans
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
January 2008 - December 2010
Evaluation of optimised heparins as novel therapeutics for alzheimers disease.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
May 2006 - August 2007
China-UK Partnership to Develop Biotechnology Applications of Novel Heparinoids and Sulfated Polysaccharides
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
April 2013 - November 2017
Novel oligosaccharide inhibitors of the Alzheimer's beta-secretase enzyme
SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY (UK)
June 2014 - July 2014
Heparinoid Beta-secretase Inhibitors with Novel Mode of Action: Pilot Development of Leads
ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH (UK)
November 2012 - December 2013
Chemically modified low molecular weight heparins as potent disruptors of rosetting in severe malaria
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
October 2010 - September 2011
Identifying intestinal receptors for Crohn's Escherichia coli
NAT ASSOC FOR COLITIS & CROHNS DISEASE (UK)
June 2013 - January 2015
Exploiting saccharide microarrays: towards glycomic studies of heparan sulphate-protein interactions.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2004 - January 2007
Exploiting heparan sulfates for directed neural differentiation of stem cells.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2003 - March 2006
CASE studentship: Controlling stem cells with heparan sulfate analogues and polymer scaffolds
SPHERITECH LTD (UK)
September 2009 - September 2012
The Role of Multidrug Transporters in causing Pharmacoresistance in Epilepsy
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
January 2013 - August 2013
Adel Alghamdi - bench fees
ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA
November 2014 - October 2015
“Manipulation of heparan sulphate proteoglycans as a strategy for promoting brain repair"
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
October 2008 - September 2011
Enhancing the propagation of ES cells by regulation of visceral endoderm differentiation.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
September 2004 - September 2007
Chemical intervention in heparan sulphate-dependent growth factor signalling systems using engineered heparin saccharides.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2006 - March 2009
Basic technology: glycochips-strategies for high-throughput analysis of the glycome.
ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL
January 2009 - April 2011
Developing a stem cell based therapy to replace nephrons lost through reflux nephropathy. EU - PROPOSAL NUMBER 036097-2 KIDSTEM
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
September 2006 - August 2010
Novel strategies for promoting CNS repair through manipulation of FGF signalling and heparan sulphate proteoglycans
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
June 2013 - May 2015
Preclinical studies of novel heparan mimetics for prevention and treatment of TSE (HMS AS ANTI PRION DRUGS).
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
October 2003 - September 2004
Shotgun Functional Glycomics of Heparan Sulphate Saccharides: Generating Diverse Libraries to Decode Biological Selectivity
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
April 2011 - September 2014
Isolating a heparin-derived sequence to activate endogenous Dnase I agreement
CYSTIC FIBROSIS TRUST (UK)
October 2005 - September 2006
Molecular function in post-genome biology (MOLFUN).
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
October 2006 - September 2010
University of Liverpool Institutional Discipline Bridging.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2003 - October 2006
Heparan sulphates as dynamic cell regulators: structure, biosynthesis and mechanisms of action of the neural heparanome.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2003 - September 2006
The potential role of soluble plantain fibre and its components in preventing colonisation and invasion of the intestinal mucosa by S.Typhimurium.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2009 - December 2012
Microarray Bioassays for Functional Glycome Screening
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2009 - September 2010
Heparan sulfate and Alzheimer's Disease: Modulation of β-secretase Processing of Amyloid Precursor Protein by Oligosaccharide Inhibitors
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
June 2006 - July 2006
Altered Heparan Sulfate in Ageing and Dementia: a Potential Axis for Dysregulation of BACE-1 in Alzheimers Disease
ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH (UK)
October 2013 - September 2016
CIC biomaGUNE studentship
CIC BIOMAGUNE (SPAIN)
January 2012 - December 2015
Research collaborations
Dr Ed Yates
Novel activities of modified heparins and drug discovery applications
Collaborations on chemically modified heparins
Dr Dada Pisconti
Muscle stem cell proteoglycans
Studies on role of HS in muscle stem cell phenotype