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The Powrie lab employs basic and translational science to study host-microbe crosstalk in health and disease, focussing on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colorectal cancer (CRC) and inflammatory arthritis. Research spans observational and functional analysis of a broad range of cell types including bacteria, fibroblasts, T cells and neutrophils.

Overview

Inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CRC), and inflammatory arthritis are complex diseases whose aetilogies are not fully understood.  The aim of the lab is to disentangle the multiple interacting factors that drive inflammatory diseases including how immune cells interact with each other, with structural cell compartments, and the microbiome. The group uses multiple techniques that span immunology, functional genomics and microbiology to achieve a holistic view of mucosal immunity and how it breaks down in disease.

To succeed in this multidisciplinary research, we work closely with researchers in the Translational Gastroenterology Unit (TGU), Oxford Centre for Microbiome Studies (OCMS) and Cancer Centre.

Techniques

  • Multi-colour flow cytometry (Cytek Aurora)
  • Primary cell culture and modified cell lines
  • Organoid and mucosoid cultures
  • Anaerobic and aerobic bacterial cultures
  • Bulk and single cell gene expression profiling
  • 16S amplicon sequencing, metagenomics and metatranscriptomics
  • Intravital imaging
  • BugFISH
  • Immunofluorescence (CellDive)
  • RNA-scope
  • Halo digital pathology analysis
  • Phosphoproteomics
  • Multiplex cytokine arrays

Selected publications

Related research themes