Dr Richard Mort
Senior Lecturer in Cell and Developmental BiologyProfile
My resreach interests are in applying imaging based methods to understand development, tissue homoeostasis and disease with a particular interest in pigmentation and melanoma.
Lab web pages: http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/mortlab/
Research Interests
Melanocytes and melanoma: Melanocytes are the cells in our skin and hair that produce pigment. Melanoma, a cancer of melanocytes, is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. Its incidence has increased 7-fold in men and 4-fold in women in the last 40-years. The risk of developing melanoma is exacerbated by exposure to UV radiation in sunlight/sunbed lamps. My research is concerned with the early development of the melanocyte lineage and the lineage relationships and behaviour of the adult melanocyte populations and their roles in melanoma.
Biosensors of tissue homoeostasis: Biosensors that mark cell cycle stage allow real time visualisation of cell cycle dynamics in cell culture, during embryonic development and in tissue homoeostasis. Fucci was developed by Prof. Atsushi Miyawaki and Dr. Asako Sakaue-Sawano (RIKEN, Japan) and incorporates genetically encoded probes that highlight G1 and S/G2/M phases of the cell cycle allowing live imaging. In collaboration with Prof. Miyawaki and Dr. Sakaue-Sawano I have developed polycistronic versions of these cell cycle probes allowing the generation of single Cre-inducible mouse strains. The first line developed (R26R-Fucci2a) is now available through the Riken BRC (RBRC06511) and EMMA (EM:08395) mouse repositories.
Current Teaching
Biol 124 – Hormones and Development
Biol 272 – Cell Biology Techniques (Module Organiser)
Biol 211 – Cell Biology
PhD Supervision Interests
I can offer PhD and MSc by research projects on either melanocytes and melanoma or cell/tissue biosensors. Please contact me for further details.
The role of Gli similar transcription factors and the primary cilium in melanocyte development and melanoma phenotype switching
01/10/2024 → 31/03/2028
Research
p27-FucciCA - A next-generation Quiescence and Cell Cycle indicator for functional studies in mouse
01/10/2024 → 30/09/2025
Research
Spot the Difference: The Cellular and Clonal Basis of Dalmatian and Mouse Spots
01/09/2024 → 29/02/2028
Research
Building and optimisation of a microscope stage mounted stretch apparatus to investigate the role of physical forces in melanoblast behaviour
01/11/2021 → 31/10/2022
Research
The generation and validation of novel molecular biology tools for the study of 'protective protein' combination therapies in Alzheimer's disease
01/10/2021 → 30/09/2023
Research
LIC has identified a structural variant of interest that is assumed to cause white spotting in the coats of bovine and wishes to undertake a model development project to demonstrate causality of this variant
27/08/2021 → 26/08/2024
Research
MSI:iCASE: Electrically conductive biomaterials for the preservation and regeneration of soft tissue
01/10/2020 → 30/09/2024
Research
A next generation Quiescence and Cell Cycle Indicator (QuCCi) for the refinement and reduction of animal usage in proliferation assays
07/01/2020 → 06/07/2023
Research
NWCR Equipment grant: Spinning Disc Confocal Microscope for superfast multichannel live imaging
01/10/2019 → 31/03/2020
Research
Investigating the thermosensitivity of cancer cell division dynamics: toward cancer thermotherapies?
01/07/2019 → 30/09/2020
Research
MSI: Feasibility of developing light emitting wound care dressing
01/08/2018 → 31/03/2020
Research
Proximity to Discover: Industry Engagement for Impact
31/03/2018 → 30/11/2019
Research
Patterns in Biology: mechanisms, analysis and utility
Symposium
North West Melanoma Interest Group
Symposium
North West Melanoma Interest Group
Symposium
Stimuli-responsive materials for drug delivery
Oral presentation
Ruman Rahman
Hosting an academic visitor
Lancaster mini melanocyte Symposium 2022
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Benedicte Thiebaut
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
Meeting with Livestock Improvement Corporation
Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor
Meeting with Livestock Improvement Corporation
Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor
Meeting re: collaborative PhD studentship
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
Meeting with Livestock Improvement Corporation
Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor
Meeting with Norbreck Genetics
Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor
Knowledge Exchange activity with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
Meeting with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
Meeting with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
MRC Proximity to Discovery Project Evaluation Interviews
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
Meeting with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
Meeting with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
Farm of James Parker
Business Engagement
Helen Barker
Hosting a Non-Academic Visitor
Meeting with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
North West Cancer Research, Lunesdale Area Annual meeting.
Other
Society for Mathematical Biology Lee A.Segel Prize 2021
Prize (including medals and awards)
- Ageing and Neuroscience
- Cancer Biology and Genome Stability