Ashley Gains

Current research

I am highly interested in the role of pathogens when it comes to infecting and influencing the host. My project is focussed on investigating host-pathogen interactions of Porphyromonas gingivalis, specifically looking at the roles of select outer membrane protein genes previously linked to a hyper-invasive subpopulation of P. gingivalis. My project is split into two main objectives. One objective is to isolate and identify the receptor mechanism behind the OmpA protein when interacting with host cells. The other objective is to make and characterise knockout mutants of specific genes, to understand their role in host-pathogen interactions. Working under the supervision of Professor Graham Stafford and Professor Daniel Lambert.

Previous lab work

• Investigating the effect of the Ppx enzyme on cyclic di-GMP in E. coli. (3 month)

• Developing an animal free gut model using a quasi-vivo chamber funded by the Dr Hadwin trust. (2 months)

• Investigating the role of the PG0063 gene on the virulence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, whilst developing a novel anaerobic fluorescence method. (1 year)