Rewiring of signal transduction

This group is working on the set-up and validation of a highly sensitive antibody-based assay on the Nanostring platform which will allow quantification of 50 - 100 phosphoproteins/proteins. It plans to digest tumour tissue obtained during surgery or from biopsies and expose them to a matrix of 20 - 30 anticancer drugs before obtaining phosphoproteomic data.

It also aims to use organoids and patient-derived xenografts to take this forward. The proteomic data will be modelled with the Computational Biology and Chemogenomics Team led by Professor Bissan Al-Lazikani. The group also supports PhD students studying the re-wiring of signal transduction in colon cancer and the role of stroma in influencing signal transduction.

The group also currently works with Professor Andrea Sottoriva at the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at the ICR to look at barcoding of cancer cells and the study of evolutionary trajectories of clones under experimental conditions. It is also studying mechanisms of resistance, collateral drug sensitivity and resistance of these emergent clones.