31/05/21
Chemiluminescence system for the Division of Cancer and Genetics at Cardiff University
Your generous donation will be used to purchase a chemiluminescence system for the Division of Cancer and Genetics at Cardiff University. Chemiluminescence is an analytical imaging technique that can be used to detect specific proteins in a sample using a chemical reaction to produce a white light. The system will support of the work of Professor Duncan Baird and Professor Alan Parker as well as the wider Division.
Professor Duncan Baird and his team are focused on understanding how telomere dysfunction can drive the evolution of the cancer genome. Telomeres are the structures found at the ends of chromosomes and when they become dysfunctional, they lead to large-scale genomic mutation. The lab has developed unique single-molecule approaches to determine telomere length and characterise telomere fusion events, the clinical application of these technologies has led to the development of high-resolution prognostic and predictive markers in several tumour types, including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, multiple myeloma, myelodysplasia and breast cancer. These technologies also have applications for informing patient selection and product development of cellular therapeutics. The chemiluminescence system is essential for this research and will be used to detect specific proteins involved in DNA repair at telomeres.
Professor Alan Parker and his team research viral immunotherapies. Their research focusses on the development of refined virotherapies able to distinguish between transformed and healthy cells. Upon infection, these precision virotherapies replicate whilst simultaneously overexpressing therapeutic transgenes, typically designed to heighten the immune response against the infected cell and encoded from within the genome of the genetically modified agent. A chemiluminescence system is an essential piece of equipment and critical for the team?s day to day research.