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TIG - Molecular Engineering Laboratory

This Lab has now been renamed because, while we still engineer monoclonal antibodies, the area of immunotherapeutics in which we are interested now includes other technologies, such as genetically manipulated proteins and inhibitory RNAs.

Animated CAMPATH-1H Fab
The picture above shows a rotating CAMPATH-1H Fab fragment.

Kathleen Nolan (Postdoctoral Scientist)

Her research interests are now focussed on providing insight into molecular mechanisms underlying the very important roles dendritic cells play both in formulating and modulating immune responses. She has close links with the "stem cell lab" in collaboration with Paul Fairchild, and she is very much interested in providing molecular explanations as to how dendritic cells may present antigen to T-cells in a tolerogenic rather than an immunogenic fashion. Her approach involves generating and comparing gene expression profiles from functionally distinct dendritic cell populations using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) and microarrays.

She is also involved, along with Paul Fairchild, in developing the embryonic stem cell culture system, pioneered by Paul, for generating "designer dendritic cells". Using this system, genetic manipulations at the embryonic stem cell level should enable her novel genes, identified by SAGE, to be readily investigated; circumventing the multitude of difficulties currently associated with manipulating primary dendritic cells.

Most recently she has taken over the GITR ligand project, investigating its role in both development and the immune system.

Kath's publications

Duncan Howie (Postdoctoral Scientist)

Duncan joined the lab following a 5-year post-Doctorate at Harvard University. He is interested in the molecular signals that direct the development of a T regulatory phenotype during "tolerogenic" activation conditions. He is using SAGE and microarray analysis to examine changes in gene expression of T cells that have been induced to acquire a regulatory phenotype with various stimuli. He is also interested in the downstream signalling events in production and maintenance of the T regulatory phenotype, particularly those via the MS4A family of molecules and GITR/GITRL interactions. He is also looking at the role of CD7 ligands in T cell signalling and regulation. He is also starting to apply proteomic technology to different regulatory T cell populations.

Duncan's publications

Room 214.20.25 (was 43)
Tel: 44-(0)1865-275518