Any Researchers on Boards?

GuanYin

Just curious are there any/many people on boards working in research as a profession/grad student/summer student/final year project?

What area are you in and what are you working on (in laymans terms)?

cerebus

Electronic Engineering... semiconductors and IC design.

Most of my life since undergraduate has been in R&D - big R, little D for the most part. Here's a potted history of what I've worked on:

Got a PhD from QUB in electronic engineering, spent a couple of years as a post-doc looking at forward error correction implementations for GSM chipsets and digital set-top boxes. Then went to work for an electronic design automation (EDA) company - writing software and developing methodologies to help engineers design chips.

Been working for a semiconductor company in North America for the last few years - mostly on the research side again. Currently looking at a number of issues associated with the technology we're using. These include low-power digital and mixed-signal design methods, deep submicron signal integrity and technology issues like the continuous move to ever-smaller transistor sizes.

Doesn't sound terribly exciting does it... but I enjoy it

Sarky

Just finished my final year in marine science. Half of it was a project. It was entitled "Biogeography of phytoplankton at 53 degrees north". Phyoplankton are single celled marine algae, very important for food webs and oxygen production in the sea.

Basically, I was looking at the physical oceanography of the sea just off the Aran islands for summertime for the last three years, to get a picture of water currents, temperature and density, how layered the water was because of the heat, and so on. I also had to look at the contents of a few fine net samples taken from the area, to identify what kind of phytoplankton were present and where. Then I had to (loosely) tie the two together, to see if they matched.

The main conclusion was that it changes a lot from year to year, and should be studied more to look for a pattern. 'Twas the best I could come up with...

Now I'm just unemployed and getting poorer...

deRanged

I'm a phd student working on Grid/Distributed Computing.
Got my degree in computer science and went working for a few years. Didn't like it - chucked in the job and went back to being a student. I'm very glad I did too.

GuanYin

I'm working on enteric (intestinal) pathogens at the moment. I'm looking at how bacteria colonise the human digestive system and looking at some potential vaccines.

Its always funny when you describe research it sounds alot more interesting than actually doing it. But hey, I love my job!

bug

I'm working on enteric (intestinal) pathogens at the moment. I'm looking at how bacteria colonise the human digestive system and looking at some potential vaccines.

That sounds really interesting give me a shout if/when you publish, would be a very interesting read.

/anything relating to Crone's disease or IBS?

GuanYin

Originally posted by bug
That sounds really interesting give me a shout if/when you publish, would be a very interesting read.

/anything relating to Crone's disease or IBS?

I've only moved into this area in the last year but I've submitted some stuff recently that should (fingers crossed) get published for September or so.

Actually yes, I'm doing a few collaborations that cover Crohns and IBS, mainly looking at degredation of the mucosal gel layer and opening of tight junctions.

bug

Dont want to turn thread in a particular direction but I have been reading alot about Crohn's and IBS, due to the extreme case of a friend. Do you know if a direct link between particular bacteria and Crohn's has been established or a genetic link? Either way the work that you are doing could possibly be a foundation for prevention of such diseases and condition. Not enough research being done in this area IMO, not enough funding, and so many ppl being diagnosed with IBS. Anyway dont forget to let me know where its gonna be published or what conference.

Cheers

GuanYin

Originally posted by bug
Dont want to turn thread in a particular direction but I have been reading alot about Crohn's and IBS, due to the extreme case of a friend. Do you know if a direct link between particular bacteria and Crohn's has been established or a genetic link? Either way the work that you are doing could possibly be a foundation for prevention of such diseases and condition. Not enough research being done in this area IMO, not enough funding, and so many ppl being diagnosed with IBS. Anyway dont forget to let me know where its gonna be published or what conference.

Cheers

Ok, well first off I think you may be confusing IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). There is no proven link between IBS and IBD and even though they may occur together, I think that pathway is a dead end.

IBD (of which Crohn's is a type) is poorly understood, however the most commonly heald theory is that it is somehow linked to an immune response to an enteric pathogen. HP has been associated as have certain flu-like viruses. Those diagnosed often have an abnormal immune response, although noone is sure if this is cause or effect of Crohns.

There is actually alot of research that touches over the IBD spectrum in this country. Those working on peyers patches seem to be popular at present.

I'm at a couple of conferences this year. I'll PM you references after.

Oh, I really wanted to see what the science community was like on boards. Seems to be alot of science undergrads.

Sarky

Seems to be alot of science undergrads.

I do very little else in my spare time:)

I had a good read through a lot of papers on marine symbiosis between animals and bacteria, there was an interesting case of a squid which hosted a species of glowing bacteria. They were Vibrio fischeri, closely related to V. cholerae which causes the well known intestinal disease.

Don't suppose your research goes anywhere near that direction, but I thought I'd mention it as it seems kind of relevant...

GuanYin

Originally posted by Sarky
closely related to V. cholerae which causes the well known intestinal disease.

Don't suppose your research goes anywhere near that direction, but I thought I'd mention it as it seems kind of relevant...

Are you planning on a postgrad?

Yeah, I've worked with the enterotoxin produced by V. cholerae (the imaginatively titled 'cholera toxin'). I've not done much with the live bug though.

smiles

Originally posted by sykeirl
Ok, well first off I think you may be confusing IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). There is no proven link between IBS and IBD and even though they may occur together, I think that pathway is a dead end.

Hmmm... doing anything on collitis and IBS and weird (really weird) problems that link into it? (pyodermia gangrenousum?)

<< Fio >>

GuanYin

Originally posted by smiles
Hmmm... doing anything on collitis and IBS and weird (really weird) problems that link into it? (pyodermia gangrenousum?)

<< Fio >>

Well Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease are pretty much a hand in hand sort of thing so yes.

My grandfather had the typical pyoderma gangrenosum on his legs so I know a bit about it but I've never encountered it professionally myself. There is an extreme rarer version that occurs internally, and although I don't know much about that, having seen the external ulcerations first hand I can imagine what its like.

I'd assume both are treated with a similar anti-inflammatory drug and/or immune regulator.

smiles

Originally posted by sykeirl
My grandfather had the typical pyoderma gangrenosum on his legs so I know a bit about it but I've never encountered it professionally myself. There is an extreme rarer version that occurs internally, and although I don't know much about that, having seen the external ulcerations first hand I can imagine what its like.

I'd assume both are treated with a similar anti-inflammatory drug and/or immune regulator.

What I'm talking about isn't an internal version (yet, thank god), but has been directly linked as a side effect of collitis, i assume it's similar to the stuff your grandfather has on his legs - this however is affecting multiple parts of her body, legs, arms, neck, etc.

It is indeed being treated with anti-inflammatories and immune regulators. The 'cure' is a colostemy, (or however you spell it), but is impossible due to the possibility of infection from the pyodermia gangrenosum.

<< Fio >>

Sparks

PhD student in robotics, working on nonlinear filtering for concurrent mapping and localisation. Mostly mathematical work and simulation though, not a lot of interesting hardware.

Elk

Just joined this board and have been reading above posts with interest. To contiune the previous thread a little, years ago I did a project on enterotoxigenic E. Coli (causes travellers diarrhoea and gastroenteritis in Developing World).....tried to develop a diagnostic test for it.

I am now doing a post-doc project trying to understand what genes are involed in labour specifically trying to find genes that cause pregnant woman to go into labour pre-term resulting in them having babies at around the 6 month period.

Elk

GuanYin

Originally posted by Elk
I am now doing a post-doc project trying to understand what genes are involed in labour specifically trying to find genes that cause pregnant woman to go into labour pre-term resulting in them having babies at around the 6 month period.

Elk

Cool, I'd never have thought about that to be honest. Where you doing the post-doc? Are you clinical or pre-clinical, or a bit of both (like me).

Elk

hi sykeirl,

I'm not a medic..if thats what you mean by if I am preclinical or clinical. I am purely a scientist...based at NUI galway now.
So have collaborations with hospital to obtain samples. ...


Elk

GuanYin

Originally posted by Elk
hi sykeirl,

I'm not a medic..if thats what you mean by if I am preclinical or clinical. I am purely a scientist...based at NUI galway now.
So have collaborations with hospital to obtain samples. ...


Elk

Ah right, I don't know that many in NUIG, Anthony Moran and Cyril Carrol, only because they are in the same area.