Mr Craig McDougall - Ph.D. student

Craig obtained his first degree of BSc. Physics (hons) from the University of St Andrews in 2005. Following from this he undertook an MSc in Photonics and Optoelectronic devices run jointly by St Andrews and Heriot-Watt Universities and graduated in 2006 (with distinction). He is now in his third year as a PhD. student where his current research is concerned with investigating novel excitation routes for caged compounds for application in life sciences research and highly targeted drug delivery.

Recent publications

M. P. Van Ryssen, N. Avlonitis, R. Giniatullin, C. McDougall, J. L. Carr, M. N. Stanton-Humphreys, E. L. A. Borgström, C. T. A. Brown, D. Fayuk, A. Surin, M. Niittykoski, L. Khiroug and S. J. Conway
"Synthesis, photolysis studies and in vitro photorelease of caged TRPV1 agonists and antagonists"
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2009, DOI: 10.1039/b914981c.

Abstract: The synthesis of a range of caged TRPV1 agonists and antagonists is reported. The photolysis characteristics of these compounds, when irradiated with a 355 nm laser, have been studied and in all cases the desired compound was produced. Photolysis of a caged TRPV1 agonist in cultured trigeminal neurons produced responses that were consistent with the activation of TRPV1 receptors.

C. McDougall, D. Stevenson, C. T. A. Brown, F. Gunn-Moore , K. Dholakia 2
"Targeted optical injection of gold nanoparticles into single mammalian cells"
Journal of Biophotonics, DOI:10.1002/jbio.200910030, (2009).

Abstract: We present an all optical technique for the targeted delivery of single 100 nm diameter gold nanoparticles into a specified region of the interior of an individual mammalian cell through a combination of optical tweezing and optical injection. The internalisation of the nanoparticle is verified by confocal laser scanning microscopy and confocal laser scanning reflectance microscopy. This represents the first time that nano sized particles have been tweezed and optically injected into mammalian cells using only light, and provides a novel methodology for internalising nanosphere based biosensors within specific intracellular regions of a mammalian cell.

N. Avlonitis, S. Chalmers, C. McDougall, M. N. Stanton-Humphreys, C. T. A. Brown, J. G. McCarron and S. J. Conway
"Caged AG10: new tools for spatially predefined mitochondrial uncoupling"
Molecular BioSystems, DOI: 10.1039/b820415m, (2009).

Abstract: The study of mitochondria and mitochondrial Ca2+ signalling in localised regions is hampered by the lack of tools that can uncouple the mitochondrial membrane potential (m) in a spatially predefined manner. Although there are a number of existing mitochondrial uncouplers, these compounds are necessarily membrane permeant and therefore exert their actions in a spatially unselective manner. Herein, we report the synthesis of the first caged (photolabile protected) mitochondrial uncouplers, based on the tyrphostin AG10. We have analysed the laser photolysis of these compounds, using 1H NMR and HPLC, and demonstrate that the major product of caged AG10 photolysis is AG10. It is shown that photolysis within single smooth muscle cells causes a collapse of m consistent with photorelease of AG10. Furthermore, the effect of the photoreleased AG10 is localised to a subcellular region proximal to the site of photolysis, demonstrating for the first time spatially predefined mitochondrial uncoupling.

C. T. A. Brown, D. Stevenson, X. Tsampoula, C McDougall, A. A. Lagatsky, W. Sibbett, F. J. Gunn-Moore and K. Dholakia
"Enhanced operation of femtosecond lasers and application in cell transfection"
Journal of Biophotonics, 1, (3):183-199 (2008).

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