| Post: | Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry |
| Location: | JMS Building 3C18 |
| Email: | J.Armstrong@sussex.ac.uk |
| Telephone numbers | |
| Internal: | 8576 |
| UK: | (01273) 678576 |
| International: | +44 1273 678576 |
Biography
Background:
BSc (Bristol); PhD (Cambridge)
Key responsibilities:
Chair: Chemsitry and Biochemistry Research Committee
Course Organiser: Molecular Cell Biology, Research Methods in Biochemistry
Academic oversight of Sussex Centre for Advanced Microscopy, and the Sussex Proteomics Centre
Role
Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry
Chair, Chemistry and Biochemistry Research Committee
Academic oversight of Sussex Centre for Advanced Microscopy and Sussex Proteomics Centre
Research
The fission yeast S. pombe allows the use of powerful genetic methods to study the molecular basis of many biological processes, and is a good model for higher eukaryotic cells, including those of humans. We currently have three main areas of research:
1. Differentiation of S. pombe into invasive mycelia.
S. pombe is often described as single-celled. In fact we discovered that it can switch its growth form to make multicellular mycelia which invade the grwoth medium. A similar process happens during infection by pathogenic fungi, most of which are much more difficult to study. The cycle of single-celled growth and disvision is probably as well understood in S. pombe as in any organism. We are trying to find out exactly how this cycle is altered to make invasive mycelia.
2. Autophagy in S. pombe
Autophagy is the process by wich cells can consume parts of themselves to provide a temporary source of nutrients. It is becoming increasingly important in a wide variety of disease processes. We are studying its molecular basis in S. pombe, as a model for all eukaryotes.
3. Functional genomics of S. pombe
The advantage of working with S. pombe is that many advanced molecular methods are available which cannot be used in more complex eukaryotes. This now includes using comprehensive collections of mutants, each of which has lost one known gene from the genome, to identify very easily the genes involved in a particular biological process. We are developing strategies to combine this collection with methods for effieciently 'tagging' genes in vivo. These allow us to ask where a protein is located in the cell, to which other proteins it is attached, and how these properties change under different conditions.
Teaching
Course organiser: Molecular Cell Biology, Research Methods in Biochemistry.
Course lecturer: Fundmentals of Molecular Cell Biology, Research Methods in Biochemistry, Molecular Cell Biology, Neuronal Transduction and Transmission, Fungi, Topics in Genetic Manipulation, Advanced Methods in Molecular Research.
Tutor: Fundamentals of Molecular Cell Biology, Genetic Manipulation and Molecular Cell Biology.
Selected publications
2008
Gene tagging and gene replacement using recombinase-mediated cassette exchange in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. (with Adam Watson, Valerie Garcia and Neil Bone) in Gene Volume 407 pp. 63-74