Professor David Fernig BSc, PhD
Professor of Biological Chemistry Biochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology
- +44 (0)151 795 4471
- Work email Dgfernig@liverpool.ac.uk
- Personal Websitehttp://ferniglab.wordpress.com/
Research
Research Interest 1
David Fernig is a North West Cancer Research Fund Professor of Biological Chemistry whose research focuses on understanding the regulation of cell fate by growth factors. The regulation of cell fate lies at the heart of the development of animals from a single cell, the fertilised egg, to the mature organism. Many human diseases, ranging from developmental defects affecting neonates to cancers result from incorrect cell fate decisions. At the molecular level, cell fate is regulated by the assembly of complexes of proteins, polysaccharides, lipids and nucleic acids that are dynamic in time, location and composition. The molecular focus of research are the fibroblast growth factors (FGF) and hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF), their cognate receptor tyrosine kinases and heparan sulfate co-receptors since molecules are central players in normal development and in diseases whose basis is incorrect cell fate decisions.
The complexity of the biological problem at the molecular level necessitates a highly interdisciplinary approach, in which analytical techniques from the physical sciences are applied to solve biological problems. The foundation for this approach is the major central facilities of the School of Biological Sciences and the collegiate character of the University, and indispensable ingredient for interdisciplinary research. ÊResearch projects flow freely within the Facilities of the School of Biological Sciences and within the orbit of the virtual Liverpool Centre for Nanoscale Science. Particularly strong links exist with the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, and within the Faculty of Medicine with the Schools of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, and of Health Sciences, Reproductive and Developmental Medicine. Further afield, Proteoglycans NorthWest (PgsNoW) groups seventeen major research groups in the North West of England and provides a major forum for collaboration between the major research Universities in the region.
Research Grants
Bench Fees for Faizah Alotaibi
ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA CULTURAL BUREAU IN LONDON (UK)
November 2019 - October 2023
Development of a biotechnology platform for enzymatic sulfation of industrial products based on polysaccharide sulfotransferases
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
December 2020 - December 2022
High-throughput Luminescent Assay for Measuring Polymer Sulfation
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
August 2020 - September 2021
Bench Fees for Marim Alsadun (201446690)
ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA CULTURAL BUREAU IN LONDON (UK)
January 2021 - January 2025
Bench Fees for Sarah Abdullah S Alsaiari (201454096)
ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA CULTURAL BUREAU IN LONDON (UK)
December 2020 - November 2024
Antivirulence treatment for microbial keratitis
FIGHT FOR SIGHT (UK)
May 2022 - May 2025
Non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents for microbial keratitis
ROYAL LIVERPOOL AND BROADGREEN UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST (UK)
March 2022 - May 2022
Engineering algae polysaccharide sulfotransferases for biotechnology
UNILEVER PLC (UK)
October 2020 - September 2024
PhD in IIB -Mr Pawin Ngamlert
ROYAL THAI EMBASSY
April 2015 - March 2019
3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate translocation in altered membrane biology: A new strategy for early population screening and halting Alzheimer’s neurodegeneration (ArrestAD)
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
January 2017 - May 2022
European Nanotechnology Characterisation Laboratory
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
May 2015 - December 2019
Allergan experiment plan 2
ALLERGAN (USA)
August 2015 - December 2021
Newton Bhabha PhD Placement Prgrame VN01 Phuomg Thao Bui
BRITISH COUNCIL (UK)
March 2016 - February 2019
Non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents for microbial keratitis
FIGHT FOR SIGHT (UK)
October 2018 - February 2022
New tools and resources to evaluate biological sulphation
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2016 - March 2018
Bench Fees Ahmed Alzahrani
MINISTRY OF HEALTH (SAUDI ARABIA)
September 2015 - August 2016
Investigation of a novel mechanism for the mitogenic action of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor and its possible role in malignant transformation
NORTH WEST CANCER RESEARCH FUND
September 2005 - August 2008
Student Elective Prize for Derek Cocker
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
June 2008 - July 2008
Regulation of the intracellular signals activated by bFGF.
NORTH WEST CANCER RESEARCH FUND
September 2001 - December 2004
Characterisation of regulatory sequences in mammary cell HS that bind HGF/SF.
WORLDWIDE CANCER RESEARCH (UK)
October 1998 - April 2002
Liverpool GeneMill
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
September 2014 - September 2015
Exploiting mechanical stimuli to increase prenatal growth of the hypoplastic lung.
ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND(UK)
August 2002 - July 2003
Endothelial-vascular smooth muscle interactions in the hypertensive hypoplastic perinatal lung.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
August 2004 - February 2007
Exploiting mechanical stimuli to increase prenatal growth of the hypoplastic lung.
BIRTH DEFECTS FOUNDATION (UK)
July 2002 - December 2006
The C-terminal Region of Calcium Binding Protein S100A4: A Potential Target for Therapy in Metastatic Disease.
CANCER RESEARCH UK (UK)
March 2003 - February 2005
Cancer and Polio Research Laboratory.
CANCER AND POLIO RESEARCH FUND LTD (UK)
January 1993 - December 2023
Mr Zaid Khalaf Abdullah Alghrair - bench fees
REPUBLIC OF IRAQ MINISTRY OF EDUCATION🚩
August 2014 - April 2017
Microarray Bioassays for Functional Glycome Screening
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2009 - September 2010
Student Elective Prize for Victoria Blake
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
June 2008 - July 2008
Cancer and Polio Research Fund Central Facility for Molecular Oncology.
CANCER AND POLIO RESEARCH FUND LTD (UK)
April 2001 - July 2009
Exploiting mechanical stimuli to increase prenatal growth of the hypoplastic lung.
THE HEALTH FOUNDATION (UK)
September 2002 - August 2007
Molecular function in post-genome biology (MOLFUN).
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
October 2006 - September 2010
Magnetic transition metal nanoparticles: a tool for cancer research
NORTH WEST CANCER RESEARCH FUND
February 2006 - January 2007
Production and characterisation of the properties of an "auroglycan" probe.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
May 2003 - May 2006
Cloning. Identification of mRNA's Differentially Expresssed In Breast Lesions
NORTH WEST CANCER RESEARCH FUND
January 1991 - January 2006
The Role of Interactions between Estrogen Receptors and Tcf-related Molecules on Osteopontin Gene Expression and Breast Cancer Metastasis.
CANCER AND POLIO RESEARCH FUND LTD (UK)
September 2002 - August 2008
Identification of sequences in mammary cell HS that regulate the activity of bFGF.
NORTH WEST CANCER RESEARCH FUND
September 1998 - August 2001
Exploiting saccharide microarrays: towards glycomic studies of heparan sulphate-protein interactions.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2004 - January 2007
Reflection Anistropy Spectroscopy (RAS) of DNA Interactions at Surfaces.
ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL
September 2001 - December 2002
Physiology of the pulmonary pacemaker: a new regulator of prenatal lung growth.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
August 2004 - July 2006
Nanoparticle-based receptor dimerisation sensor.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2003 - February 2006
Molecular markers of prognosis in ovarian cancer though analysis of the EORTC/NCRI randomised phase III study of platinum/taxane chemotherapy ± erlotinib.
CANCER RESEARCH UK (UK)
April 2007 - September 2010
Cellular Models for Studying Lung Abnormalities in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.
CHILDRENS RESEARCH FUND (UK)
October 2000 - September 2002
CIC BiomaGUNE studentships
CIC BIOMAGUNE (SPAIN)
October 2013 - September 2017
Ultrastable targeted multifunctional hybrid nanomaterials for long-term stem cell tracking
ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL
September 2010 - October 2014
A novel biophysical approach to the study of interactions between nucleic acids.
ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL
January 2005 - June 2007
Biological Sensors and Acuators Based on Nanoparticles (SENSACT).
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
January 2002 - December 2005
Macromolecular assemblies: compositionally dynamic units that regulate cell behaviour.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
April 2003 - April 2004
Analysis of HC/A interactions with heparin and klotho alpha and klotho beta
ALLERGAN (USA)
February 2015 - August 2015
Development of live cell imaging from single cells to single molecules
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
September 2007 - August 2010
University of Liverpool Institutional Discipline Bridging.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2003 - October 2006
Regulation of the intracellular signals activated by HGF/SF.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
August 2001 - March 2005
Developing a stem cell based therapy to replace nephrons lost through reflux nephropathy. EU - PROPOSAL NUMBER 036097-2 KIDSTEM
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
September 2006 - August 2010
Nanoparticle-based electronic biosensor for diagnostics of cardiovascular disease. (NACARDIO)
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
October 2006 - December 2009
Development nanoparticle-based techniques to monitor differentiating neural stem cells after transplantation.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
April 2009 - March 2011
Establishment of core proteomic facilities for post-genomic research.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2002 - October 2004
Chemical intervention in heparan sulphate-dependent growth factor signalling systems using engineered heparin saccharides.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2006 - March 2009
Liverpool Imaging Partnership: Molecular physiology and drug response
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2013 - February 2017
Research Collaborations
Dr Marcello Lima
External: Universidade Federal de São Paulo
Bionanotechnology probes and single molecule microscopy analysis of bioactive sugars and peptides.
Analysis and Characterisation Division
External: A*STAR Research Institutes, Singapore
Bionanotechnology, synthetic biology and building links for UoL PIs to take advantage of 2+2 PGRs with A*STAR Graduate Academy
Prof. Brahim Lounis
External: University of Bordeaux I
Photothermal microscopy of metal nanoparticles
Prof. Kazuyuki Sugahara
External: University of Hokkaido, Japan
Interactions of proteins with glycosaminoglcyans and development of novel nanparticle-based tecnologies for thier analysis