Mr Sean Kelly

I am a PhD student working with Dr Gyorgy Fejer investigating interactions between respiratory bacterial pathogens and alveolar macrophages, and the development of more complex and relevant in vitro systems for the study of such interactions. 

I have a focus on the study of bacterial pathogens of notable antimicrobial resistance (AMR), such as Mycobacterium abscessus, Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative genera Cupriavidus, Ralstonia and Pandoraea; notably, these are pahogens of significance for patients with cystic fibrosis (PWCF).  As part of my work, I investigate the efficacy of new antibiotic combinations against these pathogens, as well as novel antimicrobial peptide treatments, discovered from the natural product screening programme run by Prof Mat Upton and his Antimicrobial Resistant Pathogens Research Group.

This project involves collaboration with scientists from Dr Jonathan Cox's Mycobacterial Research Group at Aston University, as well as Clinicians Dr Heather Green and Dr Andrew Jones from the Manchester Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, with my work kindly part-funded by the North West Lung Centre Charity.

Qualifications

2018-2022 ResM Biomedical Science (PT), University of Plymouth.

2010-2013 BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science, Achieved First Class (1st), University of Plymouth.

Professional membership

• Member of Microbiology Society.

• Member of Society for Applied Microbiology.

Research interests

My research interests are in the investigation of how respiratory pathogens, particularly bacterial species, interact with the innate immune system of the lungs. Specifically, I am focused on the interaction of such pathogens with alveolar macrophages (AMs), as the sentinel immune cells of the lung airways. 

Primarily, we use the well-characterised MPI cell model for our research; a continuously-growing, non-transformed murine AM-like cell line, established by Dr Gyorgy Fejer (Fejer et al., 2013). However, we are also characterising a number of other murine, porcine, and human primary cell models, to help advance our in vitro systems for respiratory pathogen investigations. These other cell lines are based on the same principles of macrophage development that guided MPI cell establishment. 

Notably, we have produced and characterised novel murine AM-like cell lines, which exhibit gene knockouts pertaining to key components of macrophage innate immune responses. This knockout cell work was funded by the NC3Rs, with Dr Fejer's work commended for its potential to reduce the use of animals in research.

These primary cell models enable large-scale investigation of AM functions, which would ordinarily be limited by the scarce availability of primary isolated AMs from animal and human donors. Importantly, these cell lines can replace and reduce in vivo macrophage studies, and help contribute to a significant reduction in the number of experimental animals required for such investigations.

Our research into pathogen-macrophage interactions helps to understand mechanisms of infection-associated lung disease pathogenesis. Furthermore, we are able to model respiratory bacterial infection of AMs in vitro, and investigate potential antimicrobial treatments for such pathogens - particularly those that persist intracellularly within macrophages.

Other research

Previously completed research projects:

• "The role of lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferases in mononuclear phagocyte immune responses to double-stranded RNA." with Prof Simon Jackson (Undergraduate dissertation project; 2012-2013).

• "Novel targets for Septic Shock: Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase expression and its role in the inflammatory response." with Prof Simon Jackson (Wellcome Trust Biomedical Vacation Scholarship; 2012).

Links

• Twitter
• ResearchGate