Why do neutrophils swarm? This project aims to combine novel immunology, microscopy and computational approaches to investigate how immune cells called neutrophils cooperate to protect the host against microbes. Neutrophils are rapidly recruited to sites of inflammation and then utilise a type of highly coordinated collective behaviour termed swarming. However, the role of neutrophil swarms in fighting off infection is poorly understood. The project is poised to generate new knowledge on the imp ....Why do neutrophils swarm? This project aims to combine novel immunology, microscopy and computational approaches to investigate how immune cells called neutrophils cooperate to protect the host against microbes. Neutrophils are rapidly recruited to sites of inflammation and then utilise a type of highly coordinated collective behaviour termed swarming. However, the role of neutrophil swarms in fighting off infection is poorly understood. The project is poised to generate new knowledge on the importance of immune cell cooperation by developing in silico models of the immune response. The project will provide benefit through enhanced understanding of fundamental principles of immunity and develop new computational tools to model complex immune function in silico.Read moreRead less
The macrophage nucleus - its form and function during migration in vivo. As cells migrate through tissues, they encounter complex, 3-dimensional environments that provide cues to guide them and present obstacles in their path. This project focuses on macrophages, a large immune cell capable of both amoeboid and mesenchymal modes of migration. The nucleus is the largest organelle and its bulk and stiffness must be managed as migrating cells travel through constrictions. The project uses specialis ....The macrophage nucleus - its form and function during migration in vivo. As cells migrate through tissues, they encounter complex, 3-dimensional environments that provide cues to guide them and present obstacles in their path. This project focuses on macrophages, a large immune cell capable of both amoeboid and mesenchymal modes of migration. The nucleus is the largest organelle and its bulk and stiffness must be managed as migrating cells travel through constrictions. The project uses specialised high-end microscopy and genetic methods to examine how the nucleus of migrating zebrafish macrophages deforms, repositions and is restructured during migration in living tissues, and how this influences macrophage locomotion. The goal is to provide fundamental insights into the cell biology of macrophage migration.Read moreRead less
Nuclear plasticity during neutrophil migration and function. This project aims to discover how nuclear shape affects neutrophil function. Cell migration needs overall cellular plasticity and plasticity of internal structures such as the nucleus. The neutrophil, one of the most peripatetic cell types, has a specialised lobulated nucleus, thought to facilitate its mobility and function. Using zebrafish reporter lines that concurrently display the nucleus and cytoplasm, this project will display th ....Nuclear plasticity during neutrophil migration and function. This project aims to discover how nuclear shape affects neutrophil function. Cell migration needs overall cellular plasticity and plasticity of internal structures such as the nucleus. The neutrophil, one of the most peripatetic cell types, has a specialised lobulated nucleus, thought to facilitate its mobility and function. Using zebrafish reporter lines that concurrently display the nucleus and cytoplasm, this project will display the dynamic plasticity of neutrophil nuclei during neutrophil migration and function in vivo. This project seeks to use the spatiotemporal resolution of a lattice light sheet microscope to examine this further, and explore its effect on neutrophil function. The project seeks to establish morphological and mechanical principles applying not just to neutrophils, but to all migratory cell types.Read moreRead less