Seminars
Wednesday 21st November 2007
(ARTS LT)
Programme:
- 5-5.20pm: DNA Code-breaking; sequences, signatures, language and grammar." By Dr Greg Elgar.
- 5.20-5.30pm: Discussion
- 5.30-5.50pm: "Endogenous Inhibitors of Innate Immunity." By Professor Mauro Perretti.
- 5.50-6pm: Discussion
- 6-7pm: Refreshments in ARTS Foyer
Speakers:
Dr Greg Elgar. Reader in Functional Genomics, Biological and Chemical Sciences.
Greg Elgar has worked in the field of vertebrate genomics since he started his PhD in Sydney Brenner's lab in Cambridge in 1990. He pioneered work on the genome of the Pufferfish, Fugu rubripes, which led to publication of its draft sequence in 2002. Greg's research interests cover the whole range of vertebrate comparative and functional genomics, but two key areas are the use of comparative genomics to annotate the human genome and the analysis of non-coding regulatory DNA. Current themes include the computational analysis of the language of certain types of regulatory sequence elements, as well as analysis of their evolutionary history. Greg has recently started to use the zebrafish as a model to assay the regulatory potential of highly conserved non-coding sequences in vertebrate genomes. He is also exploring the consequences of mutations in cis-regulatory sequences with respect to human genetic disease.
Email: g.elgar@qmul.ac.uk
Professor Mauro Perretti. Professor of Immunopharmacology, William Harvey Research Institute.
Mauro Perretti’s research interests are in the area of the host inflammatory response with particular attention to ‘anti-inflammation and the phase of resolution’. His specific focus is in targeting the leukocyte-endothelium interaction in response to inflammatory and ischemic insults. The aim of this research is to identify new targets for drug discovery depicted on endogenous anti-inflammatory pathways, with the hypothesis that new anti-inflammatory therapeutics mimicking the way the body switches off the inflammatory response will have better compliance and be devoid of side effects. Experimentally, a multi-technique approach is applied, with molecular, cellular and in-vivo pharmacological analyses. Funding is from Arthritis Research Campaign, British Heart Foundation, Medical Research Council, Barts and The London Research Advisory Board and William Harvey Research Foundation.
Email: m.perretti@qmul.ac.uk
