Biological Chemistry

Dr James G Logan

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Insect repellents
Human beings are differentially attractive to biting insects such as mosquitoes and midges and we have shown that low human attractiveness is due to variation in the emission of key volatile semiochemicals. Laboratory and small-scale field evaluations have shown that the identified human-derived repellents are as effective as the most widely used commercial repellent N, N-diethyltoluamide (DEET), at lower concentrations, in providing personal protection against the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, Culex quinquefasciatus and the Scottish biting midge Culicoides impunctatus. As well as providing personal protection, these repellents provide a space protection effect and have the ability to protect against the immediate presence of biting flies. With funding from the Scottish Executive (NESTech), we, in collaboration with the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology, Kenya (icipe) and Professor Jenny Mordue of the University of Aberdeen, are working to optimise the repellent and make it accessible to developing countries by cheap production via a botanical route. As well as this we hope to bring the repellent to commercialisation.

Insect attractants
Through the use of electrophysiological techniques, laboratory-based behavioural experiments and field trapping, we are investigating semiochemicals (including their stereochemistry) that can be exploited to develop effective traps for mosquitoes and other biting insects. 

Control of African sleeping sickness
African sleeping sickness (Trypanosomiasis) is endemic 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa with 60 million people at risk of the disease. Through a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded project we hope to reduce the rates of transmission of trypanosomes by producing repellents for personal protection against the vector, the tsetse fly, and attractants to increase the efficiency of traps and thus create a 'push-pull' control strategy.

Identification of endometriosis biomarkers in urine
Endometriosis is a common disease which affects over 10% of women and is associated with abdominal and menstrual pain as well as increased risk of infertility. Diagnosis is usually done by surgical laparoscopy which can have attendant risks and can create up to 7 years delay in diagnosis.
The aim of this project is to determine whether small lipophilic molecules can be detected in urine of women with endometriosis. Such molecules could be potential non-invasive biomarkers of the disease. This is a TMRC-funded collaborative project with Professor Paul Fowler of the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen.

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