AUT - Molecular Genetics Research Unit
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Molecular Genetics Research Unit
The Molecular Genetics Research Unit was established in 2009. Its purpose is to provide support to staff and students within the Faculty of Health & Environmental Sciences who wish to apply molecular genetics tools to their research question.
Research being carried out in the Unit focuses on molecular communication between organisms (plants & viruses), gene expression and resulting phenotypes as well as molecular evolution of a range of organisms.
Staff and students within the Unit have a wide range of skills that can be applied to a molecular problem. Training opportunities are available for other staff and students who wish to learn molecular biology and bioinformatic skills to apply to their own research.
Contact Details:
Dr Colleen Higgins
Ph: +64-9-921 9999 ext 8066
Email: colleen.higgins@aut.ac.nz
RESEARCHERS
Dr Colleen Higgins
Senior Lecturer, Molecular Genetics
Dr Higgins is a plant molecular biologist with a particular interest in in plant/virus interactions and molecular evolution. Her research on plant/virus interactions focuses on understanding the molecular communication that occurs between a plant and an incoming virus that either allows an infection to proceed or not and the subsequent responses of the host to infection.
Colleen is also interested in how genetic variation can lead to phenotypes. She is studying this using three different systems, each with its own focus. Molecular evolution of the Potyviridae family of viruses is being assessed to understand how this might influence the virus’s host range and how they are evolving with their hosts. This research is focussing particularly on viruses from the South Pacific. Staying in the South Pacific, Colleen has extended her interest in evolution to study genetic variation in Pacific marine snails and possible speciation events. Colleen did her PhD on polymorphism of the human HLA-B27 gene and has maintained an interest in human genetics by analysing SNP haplotypes and drug responsiveness associated with metabolic syndromes.
Collaborations:
- Associate Professor Mike Pearson, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland
- Dr Andrea Alfaro, The School of Applied Sciences, AUT
- Assoc Prof Jane Coad, Institute of Food Nutrition & Human Health Massey University
- Assoc Prof Don Love, LabPlus, Auckland Hospital
Areas for supervision:
- Virus protein: plant protein interactions
- Host plant gene expression
- Potyvirus evolution
- Molecular evolution of marine snails
- Hypovitaminosis D and haplotype analysis
CURRENT POSTGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Reema Jain
Reema is doing research for her MAppSc . Type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis are two serious health issues affecting millions of people worldwide. Both diseases are multifactorial, with both genetic and environmental determinants having been identified. One risk factor well identified in bone health and under investigation in type 2 diabetes is hypovitaminosis D, a lack of vitamin D. The latter exerts its biological actions through the vitamin D receptor (VDR) whose polymorphic forms (change in DNA sequence) are potent enough to affect the binding capacity of vitamin D. Some of these polymorphic forms of VDR may be associated with reduced effectiveness of vitamin D and thus their combination (haplotype) may predispose individuals to diseases like osteoporosis, cancers and diabetes. For her Master’s research, Reema is analysing polymorphisms within the VDR gene and look for associations with phenotypes such as vitamin D responsiveness, bone density and insulin resistance.