Micropathology UK - Research Activities

CONTRACT AND COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

We specialise in the development and application of nucleic acid, immuno- chemical or biochemical based assays, and will undertake contract research projects utilising these techniques in any appropriate area of human or animal scientific investigation. We can provide a full and cost effective service, right through from initial project design to report presentation, and are able to tailor this to suit the needs of individual clients. To discuss potential contract research proposals please call Micropathology Ltd or E-mail Dr David Burnett.

We also collaborate in a variety of research programs with colleagues at universities, hospitals and in medico-legal projects including multi-party actions to establish causation. A number of academic research students and fellows undertake joint research projects with our company staff on a regular basis. Some examples of recent and ongoing research projects are listed below:

1. In 2004 the Royal Commission (1851) awarded the company a Research Fellowship in collaboration with Professor Philip Murray of the Birmingham & Midland Eye hospital and Professor Chris Dowson, Microbiologist at the University of Warwick. The company contributes to this award to fund Dr Anna Gao, Medical Research Fellow, who used a system of Multi Locus Sequence Typing to examine the genetic characteristics of sight threatening bacterial eye infections present in diverse communities, to determine unique genetic markers that may be used to produce rapid diagnostic tests for these infections. The organisms on which she based her research were Propionibacteria and Pseudomonas species.

2. The company, in collaboration with Professor Robert Coleman, Consultant Oncologist, University of Sheffield, shares a research project run by Dr Andrea Gilbey. This research focuses on the identification and characterisation of RNA markers in the blood that may be useful both as clinical indicators and for rapid diagnosis of metastatic disease in breast cancer.

3. The company part funds combined BBSRC grants with Professor Chris Dowson, University of Warwick, supporting:
a) Research by Eleanor Pinnock who is a postgraduate research student. The project aims to define some of the genetic characteristics of Corynebacteria. Species from this genus cause diphtheria, a serious disease in humans, and the organisms are also carried in animals. This research is also partly funded by the Medical Research Fund, a charity run within the University of Warwick.
b) Research by Miss Frankie Bolt, postgraduate research student, to look at the genetic characteristics of Staphylococci with reference to their antibiotic resistance patterns.

4. The company staff were involved in a quantitative study, using LightCycler real-time PCR, of aggrecanase mRNA expression in human connective tissue (with Dr. D. Buttle & Dr. M. Vankemmelbeke, Division of Genomic Medicine, University of Sheffield).

5. Dr Joanne Mitchell of Micropathology Ltd has supervised Dr Claire Beck through a successful PhD in conjunction with Professor Peter Bryanston-Cross of the department of Optical Engineering at the University of Warwick. The project involved the detection of autofluoresence in the lenses of patients with diabetes mellitus and was performed in collaboration with Mr Gary Misson, Ophthalmic Surgeon at Warwick Hospital.

6. From autumn 2007, Dr Phil Bennett will be co-supervising an EPSRC PhD student in a collaborative project with Dr Anna Williams from Cranfield University's Forensic Science Institute. The project will involve the physical characterisation of decomposition processes in compromised human bone samples and their correlation with forensic DNA analysis.

7. Dr Joanne Mitchell is supervising the company work on The VenUS II leg ulcer project which aims to compare the clinical and cost effectiveness of two formulations of larval (maggot) therapy with a standard debridement technique (hydrogel) on the time to complete heal of sloughy or necrotic leg ulcers. The project includes an assessment of the costs of treatment and overall benefits to the patient. The company objectives are to establish bacterial load within sequential swabs from the ulcers and to investigate the carriage of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) within this population. Dr Mitchell has optimised a real-time, quantitative test for bacterial 16s rRNA for use with wound swabs and, in conjunction with Jeremy Royle, (intercalating BSc student now studying medicine at Warwick) has provided the study with a low cost, rapid diagnostic test for MRSA. The UK Health Technology Assessment Programme, which is part of the NHS National Institute for Health Research, funds the project.