Bioengineering to combat the tuberculosis pandemic

Project overview

We will combine engineering and biological approaches to investigate the host-pathogen interaction and identify new therapeutic targets.

Staff

Lead researcher

Professor Paul Elkington

Director of Inst. for Medical Innovation

Research interests

tuberculosis
immunopathology
diagnosis

Connect with Paul

Email: P.Elkington@soton.ac.uk

Other researchers

Professor Xunli Zhang PhD, DIC, FRSC, CChem, CEng

Head of Department-Chemical Engineerg

Research interests

Xunli’s key expertise lies in the area of microfluidics technology from design and fabrication of microfluidic devices, through the development of in-situ monitoring methods for bio/chemical processes, to microfluidic modelling, microsystems integration and automation. The application is largely associated with biomedical challenges like patient specific design of microfluidic devices for cancer treatment, rapid diagnosis, and tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The continuous flow reactors have been used for the synthesis of a range of nanoparticles, both organic and inorganic, for application in drug delivery and energy saving. The technologies developed in his research have also found great potential for industrial applications through a variety of industrial collaborations.

Connect with Xunli

Email: XL.Zhang@soton.ac.uk

Research outputs

Mycobacterium tuberculosis senses host Interferon-γ via the membrane protein MmpL10

Mohamed Ahmed, Jared Mackenzie, Liku Bekele Tezera, Robert Krause, Barry Truebody, Diana Garay Baquero, Andres Vallejo Pulido, Katya Govender, John Adamson, Hayden Fisher, Jonathan W. Essex, Salah Mansour, Paul Elkington, Adrie J. C. Steyn & Alasdair Leslie, 2022, Communications Biology, 5(1317)

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04265-0

Type: article

Elevated plasma matrix metalloproteinase-8 associates with sputum culture positivity in pulmonary tuberculosis

NF Walker, F Karim, MY Moosa, S Moodley, M Mazibuko, K Khan, TR Sterling, YF van der Heijden, AD Grant, Paul Elkington, A Pym & A Leslie, 2022, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 226(5), 928-932

DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac160

Type: article

Understanding the Tuberculosis granuloma: the Matrix revolutions

Paul Elkington, Marta Polak, MT Reichmann & Alasdair Leslie, 2021, Trends in Molecular Medicine, 28(2), 143-154

DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2021.11.004

Type: review

Mycobacterium tuberculosis senses host Interferon-gamma via the membrane protein MmpL10

Mohamed Ahmed, Jared Mackenzie, Robert Krause, Barry Truebody, Liku Bekele Tezera, Diana Garay Baquero, Andres F. Vallejo, Katya Govender, John Adamson, Paul Elkington, Hayden Fisher, Jonathan W. Essex, Salah Mansour, Adrie Steyn & Alasdair Leslie, 2021, Communications Biology

DOI: 10.1101/2021.11.12.468344

Type: article

Powered respirators are effective, sustainable, and cost-effective personal protective equipment for SARS-CoV-2

Alasdair Munro, Jacqui Prieto, Emmanouil Mentzakis, Mohammed AM Mansour, Nitin Mahobia, Peter Baker, Sarah Herbert, Trevor Smith, Matthew Hine, Joann Hall, Angie McClarren, Mike Davidson, Julie Brooks, Jane Fisher, David Griffiths, Hywel Morgan, Corrado Giulietti, Saul Faust & Paul Elkington, 2021, Frontiers in Medical Technology, 3(October 2021), 1-13

DOI: 10.3389/fmedt.2021.729658

Type: article