Liam Messin
I am currently studying for a PhD in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research (IBR) as part of the Medical Rearch Council Doctoral Training Partnership in the laboratory of Professor Jonathan Millar. My project is primarily focused on the role and regulation of Kinesin-8 during the cell cycle.
Undergraduate study
BSc in Biochemistry (Hons), First Class from the University of Warwick
Received class prize for the highest mark in Biochemistry (Final overall mark) and prize for the best piece of assessed work (Second year).
Summer Studentship
During the summer of 2011 I completed an eight week Summer Studentship in the laboratory of Dr Imogen Sparkes funded by the Gatsby Foundation. The aim of the project was to investigate the effect of Rab C2A and Rab D1 overexpression on Golgi and peroxisomes movement in Nicotiana tabacum. Rabs are small G proteins which modulate myosin attachment to Golgi bodies and proxisomes controlling the movement of these organelles. The project involved labelling Golgi bodies and peroxisomes with GFP and then, using confocal microscopy, measuring their displacement and velocity under Rab overexpression.
Post-graduate study
Msc (Distinction) in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research funded by the Medical Research Council. The MSc consisted of six months of taught modules, covering biology, chemistry, mathematics and computer science and their applications to current problems in biomedical research, and two 12 week mini projects. The first of these was spent studying cytokinesis in C. elegans embryos in the lab of Dr. Masanori Mishima, and the second in Jonathan's lab, with it acting as a primer for my PhD study.
Publications
Esmaeili, B.; Sagona A.; Pablo-Hernando, E.; Messin, L.J.; Mishima, M. (2015) Role of PIG-1/MELK kinase in cytokinesis revealed by a suppressor screen for spd-1(oj5ts) spindle defects – Conference Abstract for the 20th International C. elegans meeting. Work performed during MSc.
Messin, L.J. Meadows, J.C. (2016) Science For All, Exchanges, Volume 4, 147-157
Other Interests
I have a keen interest in communication, scientific or otherwise, having both written for the student paper's science section and presented a weekly student radio programme during my undergraduate study. I worked for the Naked Scientists, a science radio programme based at the University of Cambridge, the work I did there can be found here. I have also volunteered for the Big Bang Science fair twice, both times via the Society of Biology, where I explained subjects such as cell division and pH meters to the general public.
Liam Messin
L.Messin@warwick.ac.uk