Peter McCourt

Studerer reseptorer som er ansvarlige for fjerning av hyaluronan, denaturert kollagen og andre molekyler fra sirkulasjonen via lever sinusoidale endotelceller (LSEC) og beinmarg sinusoidale endotelceller (BMSEC).

Name: Peter Anthony Gerard McCourt

Date of Birth: 09.08.1965

Nationality: Australian

Academic background:                       

1986 – B.Sc. (Honours 1a) Flinders University, Australia

1999 – Ph.D. (Biochemistry), University of Uppsala, Sweden 

Areas of research expertise:

1. Protein purification and analysis;

2. Antibody production;

3. Biochemical assays of cytochrome P450 enzymes in hepatocytes

4. Tissue culture;

5. Recombinant protein expression in mammalian and bacterial systems;

6. Bioinformatic, PCR and cloning strategies;

7. Development of clinical ELISAs and other immunoassays.

8. Immunohistochemistry and immuno electron microscopy

9. Isolation of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC);

10. Isolation of bone marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells (BMSEC), bone marrow stem cells, homing and engraftment assays.

11. Super resolution optical microscopy methods (e.g. SIM, dSTORM) for use in the study of LSEC fenestrations.

Teaching:

Approved teaching portfolio (a compulsory requirement for teachers at the University of Tromsø) 19.06.12.

Currently teach Biochemistry to Medical Laboratory Scientists and Dental Nurses.

Research background:

2020-present: Professor of Biochemistry, IMB, studying the effects of ageing on LSEC morphology and biochemistry.

2016-2017: Sabbatical at the ANZAC Research Institute (Sydney, Australia), Biogerontology Research Group (hosts: Professors David Le Couteur and Victoria Cogger).

2016-present: Honorary Affiliate of the University of Sydney Medical School (Faculty of Medicine).

2012-2020: Associate Professor, IMB, studying the effects of ageing on LSEC morphology and biochemistry. 

2010-11: Guest Researcher, Niche Group, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Clayton, Australia, with Associate Professor Susie Nilsson, studying bone-marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells and stem cells and their utility in bone-marrow transplants.         

1999-2012: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow/Research Scientist at the Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Institute for Medical Biology, University of Tromsø with Professor Bård Smedsrød, studying receptors responsible for the clearance of hyaluronan, denatured collagen and other waste connective tissue molecules from the circulation by LSEC.  

1993-1999: Ph.D. Student, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Uppsala, Sweden under the supervision of Professors Torvard Laurent and Staffan Johansson, working on the purification, characterisation and cloning of hyaluronan/scavenger receptors on liver scavenger endothelial cells.

1990-1993: Guest Researcher, Department of Medical and Physiological Chemistry, University of Uppsala, Sweden under the supervision of Professor Torvard  Laurent, studying hyaluronan-binding properties of the monocytic cell lines U937 and J774.

1987-1990: Research Assistant, Lysosomal Diseases Research Unit, Adelaide Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia with Professor John Hopwood, working on the purification of lysosomal enzymes, production of hybridoma cell lines/monoclonal antibodies, and development of ELISAs for clinical assessment of lysosomal enzyme deficiencies. 

Financial Support:

University of Tromsø Researcher Fellowship, HelseNord, various small foundations, Norwegian Research Council Post-doctoral Fellowship, Tromsø Research Foundation, EU:Horizon 2020 MSCA.