McCarthy Lab Research Areas
We study multiple aspects of gene expression, whereby most of our work focuses on the posttranscriptional steps in this pathway, with a particular emphasis on the translation of mRNA.
Gene expression is made possible by a very large number of coordinated molecular interactions and transformations and, like many research groups, we investigate the details of these molecular processes. We utilize a combination of biophysical, biochemical, genetic and computational methods to study a subset of the underpinning molecular mechanisms in considerable detail.
However, molecular properties and functions cannot be fully understood simply in isolation living organisms comprise systems of component molecules that are organized in physical and functional networks. We therefore apply experimental and theoretical methods of systems analysis to elucidate how molecular properties and functions combine to generate the system-level properties of gene expression and signaling pathways.
Our understanding of the full complexity of biological systems is in its infancy. Molecular processes are, by their very nature, stochastic, and the significance of the resulting noise in pathways such as gene expression and signaling is only beginning to be understood. We are applying a combination of molecular, systems and synthetic biology approaches to the analysis of stochasticity in cells.
Methodological advances play a key role in driving biological discovery, and we try, wherever possible, to develop new experimental and theoretical tools that will be of value to researchers in our own and related fields.
- de Souza-Guerreiro, Tailise Carolina, Meng, Xiang, Dacheux, Estelle, Firczuk, Helena, McCarthy, John E. G., 2021. Translational control of gene expression noise and its relationship to ageing in yeast. The FEBS Journal, 288 (7), pp. 2278-2293
- McCarthy, John E. G., 2021. Engineering and standardization of posttranscriptional biocircuitry in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Integrative Biology, 13 (8), pp. 210-220
- Firczuk, Helena, Teahan, James, Mendes, Pedro, McCarthy, John E. G., 2020. Multi-site rate control analysis identifies ribosomal scanning as the sole high-capacity/low-flux-control step in mRNA translation. FEBS Journal, 287 (5), pp. 925-940
- Santos Rodrigues, Fabio Henrique dos, Firczuk, Helena, Breeze, Alexander L., Cameron, Alexander, Walko, Martin, Wilson, Andrew J, Zanchin , Nilson I.T., McCarthy, John E. G., 2019. The Leishmania PABP1?eIF4E4 interface : a novel 5'?3' interaction architecture for trans-spliced mRNAs. Nucleic Acids Research, 47 (3), pp. 1493-1504
- Dacheux, Estelle, Malys, Naglis, Meng, Xiang, Ramachandran, Vinoy, Mendes, Pedro, McCarthy, John E. G., 2017. Translation initiation events on structured eukaryotic mRNAs generate gene expression noise. Nucleic Acids Research, 45 (11), pp. 6981-6992
- Garcia-Ojalvo, Jordi, Khalil, Ahmad S., McCarthy, John E. G., 2016. Editorial : Biological insights from synthetic biology. Integrative Biology, 8 (4), pp. 380-382
- Meng, Xiang, Firczuk, Helena, Pietroni, Paola, Westbrook, Richard, Dacheux, Estelle, Mendes, Pedro, McCarthy, John E. G., 2016. Minimum-noise production of translation factor eIF4G maps to a mechanistically determined optimal rate control window for protein synthesis. Nucleic Acids Research, 45 (2), pp. 1015-1025
- McCarthy, John E. G., 2016. WISB : Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre. Biochemical Society Transactions, 44 (3), pp. 678-680
- Firczuk, Helena, Kannambath, Shichina, Pahle, Jürgen, Claydon, Amy J., Beynon, R. J. (Robert J.), Duncan, John, Westerhoff, Hans V., Mendes, Pedro, McCarthy, John E. G., 2013. An in vivo control map for the eukaryotic mRNA translation machinery. Molecular Systems Biology, Vol.9
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Smallbone, Kieran, Messiha, Hanan L., Carroll, Kathleen M., Winder, Catherine L., Malys, Naglis, Dunn, Warwick B., Murabito, Ettore, Swainston, Neil, Dada, Joseph O., Khan, Farid, Pir, Pinar, Simeonidis, Evangelos, Spasic, Irena, Wishart, Jill, Weichart, Dieter, Hayes, Neil W., Jameson, Daniel, Broomhead, D. S., Oliver, S. G., Gaskell, S. J. et al (Select to open full list), 2013.
- Drummond, Sheona P., Hildyard, John, Firczuk, Helena, Reamtong, Onrapak, Li, Ning, Kannambath, Shichina, Claydon, Amy J., Beynon, R. J. (Robert J.), Eyers, Claire E., McCarthy, John E. G., 2011. Diauxic shift-dependent relocalization of decapping activators Dhh1 and Pat1 to polysomal complexes. Nucleic Acids Research, Vol.39 (No.17), pp. 7764-7774
- Stevenson, Abigail L., Juanes, Pedro P., McCarthy, John E. G., 2010. Elucidating mechanistic principles underpinning eukaryotic translation initiation using quantitative fluorescence methods. Biochemical Society Transactions, 38 (6), pp. 1587-1592
- Cridge, A. G., Castelli, L. M., Smirnova, J. B., Selley, J. N., Rowe, W., Hubbard, S. J., McCarthy, John E. G., Ashe, M. P., Grant, C. M., Pavitt, G. D., 2010. Identifying eIF4E-binding protein translationally-controlled transcripts reveals links to mRNAs bound by specific PUF proteins. Nucleic Acids Research, Vol.38 (No.22), pp. 8039-8050
- Tait, S., Dutta, K., Cowburn, D., Warwicker, J., Doig, A. J., McCarthy, John E. G., 2010. Local control of a disorder-order transition in 4E-BP1 underpins regulation of translation via eIF4E. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol.107 (No.41), pp. 17627-17632
- Dixon, N., Duncan, J. N., Geerlings, T., Dunstan, M. S., McCarthy, John E. G., Leys, D., Micklefield, J., 2010. Reengineering orthogonally selective riboswitches. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol.107 (No.7), pp. 2830-2835
- Malys, Naglis, Wishart, Jill A., Oliver, Stephen G., McCarthy, John E. G., 2011. Protein production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for systems biology studies. In Jameson, Daniel; Verma , Malkhey; Westerhoff, Hans V. (eds.), Methods in Systems Biology, Academic Press, pp. 197-212
- McCarthy, John E. G., 2011. Synthetic biology themed issue. Integrative Biology, Royal Society of Chemistry
Title | Funder | Award start | Award end |
---|---|---|---|
WISB extension Oct 21 - March 22 | BBSRC | 01 Oct 2021 | 31 Mar 2022 |
Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre (WISB) extension - related to 46082 | BBSRC | 01 Apr 2020 | 31 Mar 2022 |
H20 BioRoboost Fostering Synthetic Biology standardisation through international collaboration | European Commission | 15 Oct 2018 | 14 Oct 2021 |
Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre (WISB) | BBSRC | 14 Nov 2014 | 31 May 2020 |
An Imperial College led innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) in Synethic Biology | EPSRC | 01 Oct 2013 | 30 Sep 2018 |
Trypanosomatid protein synthesis as a target for novel drug therapies | MRC | 01 Jan 2016 | 31 Dec 2017 |
Synthetic Biology Café Scientifique | Royal Society of Biology | 16 Mar 2016 | 31 Dec 2016 |
Integrated systems biology study of the control of protein synthesis capacity and fitness in a eukaryotic microbe | BBSRC | 01 Aug 2011 | 30 Sep 2015 |
Studying stochasticity in eukaryotic gene expression using novel tools of synthetic biology, modelling and analytical science | BBSRC | 04 Apr 2011 | 31 Aug 2015 |
Medical Research Fund of Warwick | Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund | 25 Mar 2011 | 31 Dec 2014 |
BB/H53156X/1 - International Partnering Award | BBSRC | 01 Oct 2010 | 30 Sep 2014 |
Transatlantic SynBio Workshop | BBSRC | 01 Apr 2014 | 30 Apr 2014 |
BBSRC Sparking Impact award to School of Life Sciences | BBSRC | 01 Apr 2013 | 31 Mar 2014 |
An integrated systems approach to posttranscriptional gene expression | BBSRC | 01 Oct 2010 | 31 Jan 2013 |
The Systems-Synthesis Interface in Bioscience | BBSRC | 16 Oct 2012 | 16 Nov 2012 |
Composition, heterogeneity and dynamics of the eukaryotic translation machinery | BBSRC | 01 Oct 2010 | 26 Oct 2011 |
How internal interactions between the processive phases of eukaryotic proteinsynthesis control flux through the overall system | BBSRC | 01 Oct 2010 | 30 Sep 2011 |