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Nigel Burroughs' Home Page

Programme manager of IPCR,

Professor,
Mathematics Institute and Warwick Systems Biology Centre,
University of Warwick, Coventry. CV4 7AL

Tel: 024 76524682. Fax: Not reliable. Email: N.J.Burroughs @ warwick.ac.uk

Photos: one of my stone sculptures and the making a gorilla bronze in Aberdeen.

Research interests

My main research interests are mathematical and statistical applications in cellular biology and systems biology, being motivated by both theoretical issues and problems in the analysis of biological data (fluorescence data and high throughput data). For instance, spatial information is often hard to extract from gfp images but can be very useful in testing models, while high through-put data (gene expression, proteomics, metabolomic data) remains highly challenging despite a decade of research. I use a variety of modelling and data analysis methods, including Modelling: dynamical systems, partial differential equations, stochastic models (eg random walks, queueing theory), large deviation methods, Statistical computation analysis methods: Bayesian methods such as Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques, including model selection.
My main projects at present are in immunology (NK synapse, T cell signalling), comparative genomics (identifying a bacterial evolutionary core), cell biology (actin based functions such as cell movement, phagocytosis), inference of regulatory gene-protein networks using a variety of data sources (data integration) and development of algorithms for analysis of biological experiments (gfp data, FRAP).

mathematical immunology, cellular biology, genetics, microbiology

Teaching

I teaching a new course in the new in the Warwick Systems Biology doctoral training centre, Modelling and statistics in Systems Biology.
Previously I have taught in the Mathematics degree programmes- Probability Theory in Bioinformatics, a 3rd year course covering dynamic programming, graph theory and Markov chains, Topics in Mathematical Biology, MA390, a third year course that is essentially a course on waves and stability analysis in biology, Mathematics in Medicine, MA498, a fourth year course on mathematical immunology and virology which I designed in 2000, and Variational principles, a second year course.

Postdocs and Jobs

We have one vacancy at present working on gene-metabolic

regulatory network inference. See here.

Look at the Warwick Systems Biology web site, there may be opportunities there.

Currently I have 4 PDRAs and 1 PhD student-

Vladimir Miloserdov. Developing models and data analysis methods (MCMC) for immunological synapses.
Stephen Whitelam working on Monte carlo simulations of actin models.
John Fry. Working on Bayesian methods of gene-protein network inference.
Miguel Juarez. Building Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms for gene network inference, and experimental design.
Ed Morrissey. (PhD) Working on Bayesian methods of gene-protein network inference.

Research Programmes/Initiatives.

In early 2006 the Warwick Systems Biology center was established bringing together expertise in mathematics, statistics, biology and statistics. It has cell regulation as its major theme with emphasis on data analysis methodology, (neuro)physiology, plant science and signalling. In Oct 2007, a Systems Biology DTC was launched (BBSRC funded).

A major Interdisciplinary Programme in Cellular regulation was launched in Oct 03 focussing on regulatory issues of cells at the genetic and cytosol levels. I am the programme manager responsible for the coordination and cohesion of the research program. An interdisciplinary post graduate training program, MOAC, also started in Oct 03.

We are always keen to expand our team, so contact me if you are interested in joining us. Systems Biology is a rapidly growing field with funding opportunities from EPSRC, BBSRC, PPARC, the Leverhulme Trust, the EU and the Wellcome Trust. I made the transition myself from Physics into Biological applications while on an EPSRC Advanced Fellowship (B/94/AF/1822).

Grants

My research is funded from EPSRC, BBSRC and the Leverhulme Trust as follows

Mathematical Architecture of Cell regulation. IPCR. EPSRC/BBSRC
Quantification, modelling and analysis of molecular dynamics, patterning and signalling in the NK synapse. BBSRC. A joint grant with 2 experimental groups lead by Dan Davis (Imperial) and Anton van der Merwe (Oxford).
SYSMO programme on Global metabolic switching in Streptomyces coelicolor. An EU wide consortium. BBSRC.

Previous grants have included:

Spatial dynamics and gene regulation of a bacteria-protozoa ecology, EPSRC/BBSRC joint mathematical modelling initiative.
Immunological synapse modelling BBSRC/EPSRC
Life and death of T-lymphocytes, BBSRC.
Modelling stochastic activation of T cells, EPSRC.
Horizontal gene transfer in the streptomycetes. BBSRC.
Human migration analysis (MCMC). Leverhulme Trust.
Spatial heterogeneity and the evolution of insecticide resistance. BBSRC.

Recent publications

Evidence for the intense exchange of MazG in marine cyanophages by horizontal gene transfer. PLOS ONE to appear. Michael J. Bryan, Nigel J. Burroughs, Edward M. Spence, Martha R. J. Clokie, Nicholas H. Mann and Samantha J. Bryan.

Nonequilibrium-Driven Motion in Actin Networks: Comet Tails and Moving Beads. Physical Review Letters. 98, 2007, (issue 23) 238302. N. J. Burroughs and D. Marenduzzo.

Stochasticity and spatial heterogeneity in TCR activation. NJ Burroughs and PA van der Merwe.
Immunological Reviews, (2007), 216: 69-80.

Close contact fluctuations: the seeding of signalling domains in the immunological synapse.
A.K. Chattopadhyay and N.J. Burroughs. EPL. 77, (2007), 48003.

A Markov Chain Monte Carlo Method for Estimating Population Mixing Using Y-chromosome Markers:
Mixing of the Han People in China. H. Jow, W. Amos, H. Luo, Y. Zhang and N. J. Burroughs. Annals of Human Genetics (2007) 71,407-420.

Ligand detection and discrimination by spatial relocalisation: a kinase-phosphatase segregation model of TCR activation. NJ. Burroughs, Z. Lazic, PA van der Merwe. (2006) BJ, 91: 1619-1629.

T cell activation: a queueing theory analysis at low agonist density. Janak Wedagedera and N.J. Burroughs. (2006) BJ, 91: 1604-1618.

Regulatory T cell adjustment of quorum growth thresholds and the control of local immune responses. [PDF]
N.J. Burroughs, Bruno Miguel Paz Mendes de Oliveira, Alberto Adrego Pinto. (2006) JTB. 241: 134-141.

Growth of a semi-flexible polymer close to a fluctuating obstacle: application to cytoskeletal actin fibers and testing of rachet models. NJ. Burroughs and D. Marenduzzo. J. Phys: Condens. matter. (2006). 18:S357-S374.

Three dimensional dynamic Monte-Carlo simulations of polymer ratchets.
NJ. Burroughs and D. Marenduzzo. Journal of Chemical Physics. 23, 174908 (2005). [PDF]

Discriminating self from nonself with short peptides from large proteomes. N.J. Burroughs, Can Kesmir and Rob de Boer. (2004). Immunogenetics. 56, 311--320.

Interactions between Salmonella typhimurium and Acanthamoeba polyphaga, and observation of a new mode of intracellular growth within contractile vacuoles. William H Gaze, Nigel Burroughs, Maurice P Gallagher and Elizabeth MH Wellington. Microbial. Ecol. 46 (2003) 358--369.

Perturbation theory analysis of competition in a heterogeneous population.
C. Utzny and NJ Burroughs. Physica D 175 (2003) 109--126.

Interface accumulation of receptor/ligand couples in lymphocyte activation: Methods, mechanisms and significance. Immunological Reviews, 189 (2002) 64-83. C. Wulfing, I. Tskvitaria-Fuller, N.J. Burroughs, M.D. Sjaastad, J. Klem and J.D. Schatzle.

Differential segregation in a cell:cell contact interface - the formation of the immunological synapse. Biophysical Journal, 83 (2002), 1784-1796. N.J. Burroughs and C. Wulfing.

Quantifying the strength of ligand antagonism in TCR triggering. Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, 64 (2002) 781-808. H.A. van den Berg, N.J. Burroughs & D.A. Rand.

TCR dynamics on the surface of living T cells. Int. Imm. 13 (2001) 1525-1532 Benoit Favier, N.J. Burroughs, Lucy Wedderburn, Salvatore Valitutti.

Long-term stability of Diverse Immunological Memory. Utzny C. and Burroughs N.J. Journal of Theortical Biology, 211 (2001) 393-402.

Stability of a diverse immunological memory is determined by T-cell population dynamics. Utzny, C. & Burroughs, NJ. Bulletin in Mathematical Biology, 63 (2001), 685-713.

A reliable and safe T cell repertoire based on low-affinity T cell receptors. J. Theor. Bio. 209; (2001) 465-486. H. van den Berg, D.A. Rand and NJ Burroughs. PDF

Mathematical Analysis of Growth and Interaction Dynamics of Streptomycetes and a Bacteriophage in Soil . Applied & Environmental Microbiology, 66 (2000), 3868-3877. N.J. Burroughs, P. Marsh, E.M.H. Wellington.

Defective Deletion Mutant Amplification. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 206 (2000) 449-464. N.J. Burroughs and B. McLeod

Significance testing of clinical data using virus dynamics models and MCMC. Proceedings of the Royal Society, B266; (1999), 2359-2366. N.J. Burroughs, D. Mutimer, D. Pillay.

Markov Chain Monte Carlo Analysis of Human Y Chromosome Microsatellites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 96; (1999) 11916-11921. G. Cooper , N.J. Burroughs, D.A. Rand, D.C. Rubinsztein, W. Amos.

Dynamics of T-cell Antagonism : Enhanced Viral Diversity and Survival. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences (1998) 265, 529-535. N.J. Burroughs, D.A. Rand.

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http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/~njb

July 07.