Melanocytes and melanoma: Melanocytes are the cells in our skin and hair that produce pigment. Melanoma, a cancer of melanocytes, is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. Its incidence has increased 7-fold in men and 4-fold in women in the last 40-years. The risk of developing melanoma is exacerbated by exposure to UV radiation in sunlight/sunbed lamps. My research is concerned with the early development of the melanocyte lineage and the lineage relationships and behaviour of the adult melanocyte populations and their roles in melanoma.
Biosensors of tissue homoeostasis: Biosensors that mark cell cycle stage allow real time visualisation of cell cycle dynamics in cell culture, during embryonic development and in tissue homoeostasis. Fucci was developed by Prof. Atsushi Miyawaki and Dr. Asako Sakaue-Sawano (RIKEN, Japan) and incorporates genetically encoded probes that highlight G1 and S/G2/M phases of the cell cycle allowing live imaging. In collaboration with Prof. Miyawaki and Dr. Sakaue-Sawano I have developed polycistronic versions of these cell cycle probes allowing the generation of single Cre-inducible mouse strains. The first line developed (R26R-Fucci2a) is now available through the Riken BRC (RBRC06511) and EMMA (EM:08395) mouse repositories.
