Patrick Laffy

Postgraduate Student

Contact Details

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology
• Bachelor of Science (Honours)

Research

Currently I am in the process of identifying the transcriptome of the hypobranchial gland of the marine snail Dicathais orbita using cDNA sequences and PCR-based techniques. The purpose of this work is not only do identify new sequences in this organism, increasing the molluscan genetic information currently available, but I am also interested in identifying the enzymes produced within the snail that are responsible for the formation of the pigment Tyrian purple. As the chemical precursors to Tyrian purple have exhibited antibacterial and potent anti-cancer activity, the identification of the enzymes may result in a synthetic procedure for the production of these compounds. Currently, we are using modern molecular techniques such as suppressive subtractive hybridization, gene sequencing, bioinformatic analysis and protein gel electrophoresis and assays to identify the target enzymes.

I am also currently involved in a molecular phylogenetic study utilizing gene expression data from several marine snails, combined with secondary metabolite chemical data to investigate the efficacy of chemotaxonomy in evolutionary studies of Muricid molluscs.

Supervisors

Dr Kirsten Benkendorff

Top of page