Pathogenic Mechanisms
Research Grou
Aoife Boyd
TOK Researchers
Ksenia Matlawska-Wasowska
Rajesh Singh
Research Interests
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus
• marine bacterium found in coastal sediments and
shellfish in warm waters
• causes gastroenteritis in humans after eating
contaminated shellfish
Research aim:
To identify and characterise the mechanisms by which
V. parahaemolyticus alters host cell behaviours in order
that the bacteria can survive in the host and cause infection
Effects of V. parahaemolyticus on intestinal epithelial cells:
V. parahaemolyticus:
- is cytotoxic
- invades into epithelial cells
- modulates secretion of the chemokine IL-8
- causes actin cytoskeleton disruption
- activates JNK cell signalling pathway
Cell Signaling
Role of cell signalling pathways in eliciting changes in
host cell behaviours that are induced by V.parahaemolyticus
Role of effector proteins delivered by the bacteria's Type III
Secretion Systems. Effectors act by altering cell signalling
pathways within eukaryotic cells.
GAMIDI Technology Aim:
• To develop technologies and methodologies for
studying cell signalling pathways and for biochemical
protein analysis