Biological Chemistry

Professor Lin M Field BA (Hons), PhD, FRES

Head of Department

lin.field@bbsrc.ac.uk

01582 763133 extension 2355

Personal Publication List

Professional Positions

---

Career summary and research interests

After completing her PhD in 1989, Lin continued research on the esterase genes responsible for metabolic insecticide resistance in the aphid Myzus persicae. This led to exciting findings on aspects of gene amplification and control of gene expression by DNA methylation. In 2000, when Lin became head of the Insect Molecular Biology (IMB) Group her involvement in resistance studies broadened to include the supervision of projects on target site resistance. This has included the insect sodium channel, acetylcholinesterase and the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and has provided fundamental information on the functioning of these nervous system proteins and genome evolution in response to environmental stress. More recently Lin has led the development of DNA-based diagnostics for the development of control strategies for insect vectors of vertebrate diseases, especially malaria. During the last few years Lin has also been building up molecular studies on insect/semiochemical interactions. This has included characterising genes encoding chemosensory proteins in aphids, and cloning and expressing odorant-binding protein genes identified from the Drosophila and Anopheles genomes. Recombinant proteins are now being used for ligand-binding determinations, which will be the first comprehensive study of such interactions. In the longer term, this will contribute to an understanding of how insects interact with their hosts and the potential to disrupt this in novel control strategies. There is also the longer-term possibility of developing "biosensors" for the detection of volatile chemicals, which has potential for broad industrial application.