Dr Arthur Pratt, Dr Amy Anderson, Sophie Reay, Imogen Wilson, Emma Jackson, Abbie Degnan, Ioana Nicorescu and Dr Daniel Maunder hosted the ‘Patient Day’ in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University.
The Musculoskeletal Research Group seeks discoveries that can be translated into diagnostics, treatments or therapies to reduce the growing health burden associated with arthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders.
Here they blog about their behind-the-scenes laboratory tour:
“The Musculoskeletal Research Group hosted a laboratory tour for interested patients and members of the public. After warming up with hot drinks to combat the chill of a gloomy not-so-spring-like day, attendees enjoyed live demonstrations of the research done in the laboratories at Newcastle University. Tissue culture experts Sophie Reay, Imogen Wilson and Emma Jackson showed our guests how blood samples are typically processed for analysis in the lab. Sophie demonstrated the process of ‘Peripheral blood mononuclear cell isolation’, Imogen explained how different types of cells can be further isolated with magnetic separation, and Emma talked everyone through the culture procedure, demonstrating how different types of cells are grown in culture flasks. Attendees were then shown how tissue samples are processed in the laboratory. Resident lab-wizard Abbie demonstrated how tissue samples are either fixed or frozen in order to preserve them, and explained the meticulous way that we store them for any future research. Microscopy expert Ioana then showed everybody some pre-prepared tissue down the microscope, and explained the different ways we can stain tissue to give us information about the cells we’re looking at. The event was rounded out by two fantastic presentations, by PhD students Emma and Imogen, explaining how the techniques the patients had just observed are used in their own every-day research, lending in-depth context to the day. Feedback was very positive, with guests and hosts-alike thoroughly enjoying, and got a lot out of, the event.”
“The Musculoskeletal Research Group hosted a laboratory tour for interested patients and members of the public. After warming up with hot drinks to combat the chill of a gloomy not-so-spring-like day, attendees enjoyed live demonstrations of the research done in the laboratories at Newcastle University.
Tissue culture experts Sophie Reay, Imogen Wilson and Emma Jackson showed our guests how blood samples are typically processed for analysis in the lab.
Sophie demonstrated the process of ‘Peripheral blood mononuclear cell isolation’, Imogen explained how different types of cells can be further isolated with magnetic separation, and Emma talked everyone through the culture procedure, demonstrating how different types of cells are grown in culture flasks.
Attendees were then shown how tissue samples are processed in the laboratory. Resident lab-wizard Abbie demonstrated how tissue samples are either fixed or frozen in order to preserve them, and explained the meticulous way that we store them for any future research.
Microscopy expert Ioana then showed everybody some pre-prepared tissue down the microscope, and explained the different ways we can stain tissue to give us information about the cells we’re looking at.
The event was rounded out by two fantastic presentations, by PhD students Emma and Imogen, explaining how the techniques the patients had just observed are used in their own every-day research, lending in-depth context to the day. Feedback was very positive, with guests and hosts-alike thoroughly enjoying, and got a lot out of, the event.”
Find out more about our Musculoskeletal and Inflammation Medicine research theme
Find out more about the Musculoskeletal Research Group