Future Seminar Dates

Title:    "Understanding the cAMP-protein kinase A signalling networks in blood platelets"

Speaker:    Professor Khalid Naseem, Head - Centre for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, Hull York Medical School.

Time:    12noon - 1:00pm

Venue:    Lecture Theatre 1, B Floor, Medical School.

Abstract:    The adhesion and activation of blood platelets at sites of vascular damage is essential for haemostasis, but may also participate in arterial thrombosis, a key cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialised nations. Defective regulation of blood platelets is a key factor promoting arterial thrombosis and hence a detailed understanding of the inhibitory pathways will provide a framework to clarify how established pathological ligands induce platelet hyperactivity. Primary endogenous inhibitory mechanisms are mediated by endothelial derived nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2), which stimulate soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) and adenylyl cyclase (AC) leading to activation of cyclic AMP and GMP-mediated signalling pathways. Downstream cAMP/cGMP-dependent protein kinases phosphorylate target proteins that prevent platelet activation, while phosphodiesterases (PDE) hydrolyse cyclic nucleotides to terminate signalling. The cAMP and cGMP signalling pathways have overlapping target specificity, but also synergise indicating diversity in target selection. In numerous cell types, enzymes that generate, propagate and terminate cAMP signalling are organised into restricted cellular domains facilitating formation of distinct pools of cyclic nucleotides that aid target specificity. In this seminar we will explore the emerging model for the compartmentalisation of cyclic nucleotide signalling pathways in platelets and how this is modulated to facilitate haemostasis and potentially drive thrombosis.

Title:   "Large-scale mouse genetic infrastructure and its application in genetics screens, networks of research collaboration and international access programs"

Speaker:   Dr. Tom Weaver, Director of Mary Lyon Centre, MRC Harwell

Time:   12noon - 1:00pm

Venue:   Lecture Theatre 3, F Floor, Medical School.

Abstract:   Since the completion of the human and mouse genome there has been a paradigm shift in the nature and scale in mouse genetics. New technologies for high throughput analysis of chemically induced or targeted mutations have been developed in order to better understand basic mammalian biology, and importantly to create new and improved animal models for studying human disease. This shift towards “high throughput” animal research has necessitated the creation of large national infrastructures allowing networks of scientists to access and exploit these programs in a coordinated way. Here we will review how a large scale facility is designed and managed, with examples of how resources are accessed and shared with academic and industrial research programs. Case studies illustrating the application of high throughput analysis will be presented and we will explore how international infrastructures are working together in order to coordinate mouse production and phenotyping efforts on a genome-scale. The “International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium” is a new and exciting program that would be impossible for any single lab, institute or indeed country do develop on its own. The IMPC is a natural extension of many of the ideas and concepts, a program that will transform the nature of mouse genetics research over the next 10 years.