Richard McCulloch's guest appearances

Richard McCulloch

Finding Genius Podcast

FutureTech Podcast

Naveed Akbar

Marc Guell

Laura Potterat

Jan Vijg

Paul Turner

Eleftherios Mylonakis

Cory Kidd

Charles C.J

Helius Medical Technologies

Patrick McKeown

Michael G. Surette

Katelyn Parsons

John Tucker

Jake Kushner

Erik Gunther

OwlTail

At the University of Glasgow, Professor Richard McCulloch studies the biology of genomes, but unlike most other researchers, the human cell is not the subject of his research. Instead, he’s looking at parasite cells that cause diseases in humans and trying to develop a better understanding of how their genetic material is protected from harm in the human body and transmitted in the process of cell division. He’s focused on two specific parasites—one that causes a disease known as “sleeping sickness,” and another that causes a number of diseases that have widespread distributions. Dr. McCulloch explains that while both parasites are transmitted to hosts in the same way (via flies), they have very different mechanisms of action once in the host’s body. This is allowing him and his team of researchers to make useful comparisons between these parasites in the hopes of revealing more information about their genome, behavior, and protective mechanisms against the human immune system. Among a number of interesting topics, Dr. McCulloch discusses the possibility of making the vehicles of parasites resistant to parasites, some of the running hypotheses of how parasites avoid attack by the human immune system, a parasite’s capacity to create a limitless number of variant surface glycoproteins that coat cells and function as protection against antibodies, and new research on the replication and dissemination of parasites in the host. Tune in for all the details, and check out https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/staff/richardmcculloch/#/researchinterests to learn more.

At the University of Glasgow, Professor Richard McCulloch studies the biology of genomes, but unlike most other researchers, the human cell is not the subject of his research. Instead, he’s looking at parasite cells that cause diseases in humans and trying to develop a better understanding of how their genetic material is protected from harm in the human body and transmitted in the process of cell division. He’s focused on two specific parasites—one that causes a disease known as “sleeping sickness,” and another that causes a number of diseases that have widespread distributions. Dr. McCulloch explains that while both parasites are transmitted to hosts in the same way (via flies), they have very different mechanisms of action once in the host’s body. This is allowing him and his team of researchers to make useful comparisons between these parasites in the hopes of revealing more information about their genome, behavior, and protective mechanisms against the human immune system. Among a number of interesting topics, Dr. McCulloch discusses the possibility of making the vehicles of parasites resistant to parasites, some of the running hypotheses of how parasites avoid attack by the human immune system, a parasite’s capacity to create a limitless number of variant surface glycoproteins that coat cells and function as protection against antibodies, and new research on the replication and dissemination of parasites in the host. Tune in for all the details, and check out <a href="https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/staff/richardmcculloch/#/researchinterests" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/staff/richardmcculloch/#/researchinterests</a> to learn more.

Exploring the Genome and Behavior of Parasites—Dr. Richard McCulloch—University of Glasgow  

There’s a lot of research being done on the human genome, but less so on the genome of parasites. For a number of reasons, including their surprising and impressive ability to avoid attack by the human immune system, understanding more about how parasites function and behave could prove useful in preventing and treating the human diseases they cause. Dr. Richard McCulloch from the University of Glasgow joins the podcast to explain the ins and out of the research that’s being done in his lab. He and his team are looking at two different parasites, both of which enter their host via the bites of sand flies, and both of which cause disease. Once in the host’s bloodstream, however, these parasites behave very differently. In what ways do they behave differently, and what advantages are conferred to the parasite as a result of each behavior? How do they avoid attack from the human immune system on a seeming indefinite basis? And in what way do they utilize pseudogenes? These are just a few of the questions explored by Dr. Richard McCulloch—both in his lab and on today’s episode. Press play to hear the full conversation and learn more about his work by visiting https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/staff/richardmcculloch/#/researchinterests.

There’s a lot of research being done on the human genome, but less so on the genome of parasites. For a number of reasons, including their surprising and impressive ability to avoid attack by the human immune system, understanding more about how parasites function and behave could prove useful in preventing and treating the human diseases they cause. Dr. Richard McCulloch from the University of Glasgow joins the podcast to explain the ins and out of the research that’s being done in his lab. He and his team are looking at two different parasites, both of which enter their host via the bites of sand flies, and both of which cause disease. Once in the host’s bloodstream, however, these parasites behave very differently. In what ways do they behave differently, and what advantages are conferred to the parasite as a result of each behavior? How do they avoid attack from the human immune system on a seeming indefinite basis? And in what way do they utilize pseudogenes? These are just a few of the questions explored by Dr. Richard McCulloch—both in his lab and on today’s episode. Press play to hear the full conversation and learn more about his work by visiting <a href="https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/staff/richardmcculloch/#/researchinterests" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/staff/richardmcculloch/#/researchinterests</a>.

From Fly to Host: Understanding Parasitic Life—Dr. Richard McCulloch—University of Glasgow