WE'VE JUST LAUNCHED OUR FIRST PHD PROJECT

We're really pleased to say that we are just starting our first PhD project, at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Adam Taylor is the doctoral student who is carrying it out.

Adam was born and grew up just outside Lancaster, in the Northwest of England. He was educated at The Lancaster Royal Grammar School where he finished with 10 GCSEs and 4 A-Levels. Following a gap year in N America he went on to study anatomy and human biology at The University of Liverpool and graduated from the course in July 2007 with a high upper second class honours degree. During his honours year Adam undertook a practical dissertation project on AKU looking at "The binding of homogentisic acid to the extracellular matrix in cultures of human chondrocytes and osteosarcoma cells", under the supervision of Professor Jim Gallagher. The project gave promising results.

Adam is looking forward to building on his initial project by undertaking a PhD funded by the AKU Society under the supervision of Jim Gallagher, Advisor to the AKU Society, and Dr Lakshminarayan Ranganath, Medical Director for the AKU Society. His PhD project will be an investigation of the mechanisms by which homogentisic acid is deposited as ochronotic pigment in the extracellular matrices of connective tissues such as cartilage and blood vessels. It is the deposition of ochronotic pigment in joints that eventually leads to premature arthritis, immobility and joint pain.

The research project will use an in vitro (tissue culture) model, of ochronosis that has been developed at the University of Liverpool. It will als involve direct analysis of tissue sample from AKU patients who have kindly donated tissue following joint replacement surgery. Experimental techniques will include cell culture, electron microscopy, proteomic analysis and mass spectrometry. The in vitro model will be used to provide a fundamental understanding of the development of ochronosis and to screen potential therapies. Only by understanding the basic mechanisms of the development of ochronosis will we be able to develop new strategies to prevent or cure ochronosis.