Policy and Research Strategy

Policy

One objective of staffing policy and research strategy has been to strengthen microbiology. With the creation of the Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology (CBCB), ICaMB has underpinned its aim to further its status as a world leading research institution. ICaMB believes that the quality of new recruits is of paramount importance. The acquisition of Errington, Gerdes and Vollmer is testament to the University’s commitment to support ICaMB’s aspirations. The appointment of Embley and Hirt has added an extra dimension to eukaryotic microbiology research, most notably the exploitation of parasitic protozoa and lateral gene transfer. 

ICaMB has developed extensive expertise in cell signalling research and nurtured competencies in advanced protein characterisation, including structural biology. One facet of ICaMB’s future strategy is to marry these two strengths in order to visualise multi-protein complexes involved in cell signalling.  Several commercial ventures will be supported by new investment in chemical genetics. In conjunction with the School of Natural Sciences in Newcastle, ICaMB has well advanced plans to recruit 2 synthetic chemists with experience of chemical genetics. Successful drug discovery ventures provide a powerful platform for these developments.

Research Strategy

Our strategic priorities as stated in the 2001 RAE exercise - the establishment of structural biology, proteomics, micro-array analysis and bioinformatics within the Insitute - have all been realised. This has consolidated and expanded both our expertise and our facilities for fundamental Cell-Science.

Our abiding principal is to appoint the best people to sustain and create critical mass in existing and emerging areas of research emphasis within cell-science while, concomitantly, maximising technical capabilities in:

  • in vivo manipulation and imaging of a range of genetically-tractable cells
  • in vitro analysis of proteins and their interactions

ICaMB’s Bacterial Cell Biology and Bacterial Biochemistry groups aspire to be unsurpassed in exploiting bacteria to understand fundamental cell processes. ICaMB also plans to further integrate eukaryotic cell biology and eukaryotic biochemistry by enhancing competence to visualise multi-protein complexes. Defining protein complexes is central to almost all areas of science research.