Staff Profile
Dr Alex Laude
Senior Experimental Scientific Officer
- Email: alex.laude@ncl.ac.uk
- Telephone: 44 (0) 191 208 4860
- Address: The BioImaging Unit
Second Floor William Leech Building
Medical School
Framlington Place
Newcastle
NE2 4HH
I took up the position of facility manager in Newcastle ten years ago and in doing so my work and interests changed focus from biomedical science to techniques and technologies centred around bio-microscopy. I draw upon my broad imaging background to advise on experimental design and image analysis. However, my primary responsibility now is to manage the Faculty’s microscopy facilities this includes overseeing their: maintenance; user training and quality control to ensure that they are fit for purpose. I have secured over £3.3m investment for the facility and have grown it from two microscopes and two members of staff to now 34 microscope systems spread across three campus locations. As a facility, we have grown to 6.5 members of staff and now cover a diverse array of imaging techniques and technologies ranging from: high-content imaging through to super resolution and multi-photon small animal microscopy. The facility has a user-base of over 100 researcher groups and around 450 scientists. We also provide a microscopy service throughout the campus and regionally to other higher education establishments and SMEs.
Academic Career: As part of my PhD studies I developed a microscope-based laser photoablation system and applied it to investigate calcium signalling dynamics in live cells. Further postdoctoral research projects have all used microscopy in various forms to image and track cells in both fixed and live environments. My research has contributed towards publications in the fields of Calcium Signalling, Cancer (RAS proteins) and more recently, microscopy, where I have helped to develop novel fluorescence-based imaging techniques and preparatory methods.
Technical career: As manager of the BioImaging Unit, I am currently responsible for the organisation, maintenance, user training and development of high-end microscopy resources in the Faculty these include: automated wide field, confocal, super resolution, live-cell imaging systems and data analysis software. In addition to this, I have a track record in assisting the development, validation and application of novel preparatory and imaging methods used to study cellular processes in both three dimensional tissues and individual cells.
Microscopy community: I am an active participant in the UK bioimaging community and was chosen to host their annual meeting in 2012. I am leading the UK’s efforts to improve microscope quality control procedures and was invited to set-up The Royal Microscopical Society’s ‘Quality Control Focused Interest Group’ to drive the subject nationally. I am also closely linked with other international communities with similar aims.
PSC2002 - Fluorescent-based techniques to study intracellular signalling in living cells
UG / PG - Fluorescence imaging techniques theory and hands-on
Microscopy workshop - three-day microscopy- and techniques focussed workshop
Small-group microscopy tutorials
- Harriman A, Karlsson JKG, Laude A, Hall MJ. Photoisomerization of the Cyanine Dye Alexa‐Fluor® 647 (AF‐647) in the Context of dSTORM Super‐Resolution Microscopy. Chemistry - A European Journal 2019, 25(65), 14983-14998.
- Wadkin LE, Orozco-Fuentes S, Neganova I, Bojic S, Laude A, Lako M, Parker NG, Shukurov A. Seeding hESCs to achieve optimal colony clonality. Scientific Reports 2019, 9(1), 15299.
- Wadkin LE, Orozco-Fuentes S, Neganova I, Swan G, Laude A, Lako M, Shukurov A, Parker NG. Correlated random walks of human embryonic stem cells in vitro. Physical Biology 2018, 15(5), 056006.
- Wilson R, Ahmmed AA, Poll A, Sakaue M, Laude A, Sieber-Blum M. Human peptidergic nociceptive sensory neurons generated from human epidermal neural crest stem cells (hEPI-NCSC). PLoS ONE 2018, 13(6), e0199996.
- Wadkin LE, Elliot LF, Neganova I, Parker NG, Chichagova V, Swan G, Laude A, Lako M, Shukurov A. Dynamics of single human embryonic stem cells and their pairs: a quantitative analysis. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 570.
- Phillips J, Laude A, Lightowlers R, Morris CM, Turnbull DM, Lax NZ. Development of passive CLARITY and immunofluorescent labelling of multiple proteins in human cerebellum: understanding mechanisms of neurodegeneration in mitochondrial disease. Scientific Reports 2016, 6, 26013.
- Lax NZ, Grady J, Laude A, Chan F, Hepplewhite PD, Gorman G, Whittaker RG, Ng Y, Cunningham MO, Turnbull DM. Extensive respiratory chain defects in inhibitory interneurones in patients with mitochondrial disease. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2016, 42(2), 180-193.
- Chrysostomou A, Grady JP, Laude A, Taylor RW, Turnbull DM, Lax NZ. Investigating complex I deficiency in Purkinje cells and synapses in patients with mitochondrial disease. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2016, 42(5), 477-492.
- Werner A, Patti M, Zinad HS, Fearn A, Laude A, Forster I. Molecular determinants of transport function in zebrafish Slc34a Na-phosphate transporters. American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology 2016, 311(6), R1213-R1222.
- Laude AJ. Super Resolution Microscopy: are there limits?. BSCB Newsletter 2011, (Autumn), 8-9.
- Laude AJ, Simpson AW. Compartmentalized signalling: Ca2+ compartments, microdomains and the many facets of Ca2+ signalling. The FEBS Journal 2009, 276(7), 1800-1816.
- Laude AJ, Prior IA. Palmitoylation and localisation of RAS isoforms are modulated by the hypervariable linker domain. Journal of Cell Science 2008, 121(4), 421-427.
- Omerovic J, Laude AJ, Prior IA. Ras proteins: paradigms for compartmentalised and isoform-specific signalling. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 2007, 64(19-20), 2575-2589.
- Laude AJ, Tovey SC, Dedos SG, Potter BV, Lummis SC, Taylor CW. Rapid functional assays of recombinant IP3 receptors. Cell Calcium 2005, 38(1), 45-51.
- Riley AM, Laude AJ, Taylor CW, Potter BV. Dimers of D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate: design, synthesis, and interaction with Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors. Bioconjugate Chemistry 2004, 15(2), 278-289.
- Laude AJ, Prior IA. Plasma membrane microdomains: organization, function and trafficking. Molecular Membrane Biology 2004, 21(3), 193-205.
- Turvey MR, Laude AJ, Ives EO, Seager WH, Taylor CW, Thorn P. Modulation of IP(3)-sensitive Ca(2+) release by 2,3-butanedione monoxime. Pflügers Archiv European Journal of Physiology 2003, 445(5), 614-621.
- Rosenberg HJ, Riley AM, Laude AJ, Taylor CW, Potter BV. Synthesis and Ca2+-mobilizing activity of purine-modified mimics of adenophostin A: a model for the adenophostin-Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor interaction. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2003, 46(23), 4860-4871.
- Taylor CW, Laude AJ. IP3 receptors and their regulation by calmodulin and cytosolic Ca2+. Cell Calcium 2002, 32(5-6), 321-334.
- Steel GJ, Laude AJ, Boojawan A, Harvey DJ, Morgan A. Biochemical Analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SEC18 Gene Product: Implications for the Molecular Mechanism of Membrane Fusion. Biochemistry 1999, 38(24), 7764-7772.