Role
Dr Biola Egbowon is a Research Fellow (Neuro and Repro Toxicology research group) and Lab Manager of the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Centre.
Career overview
Dr Egbowon graduated with a MPhil in Reproductive Physiology at the University of Nottingham from 2007 to 2010 (Effects of environmental disrupting compounds on testicular development), followed by a PhD (Reproductive Toxicology) at the Nottingham Trent University, Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Technology from 2011 to 2015 (The toxicity of cadmium chloride towards testicular cell lines). The PhD focused on researching the cytotoxicity of heavy metals, cadmium in particular on the Sertoli and Leydig cell lines.
She was appointed as a Cell Culture Scientist at Nano Products Limited, United Kingdom from 2014 to 2015 and ESP Technologies, United Kingdom from 2015 to 2016. The research primarily focused on testing the interactive ability of human osteoblasts with polymers coated with antimicrobial agents (perflouroelastoma +/- silver chloride + hydroxyapatite).
From 2017 to 2019 Dr Egbowon was a postdoctoral Research Fellow in the department of Biosciences, Nottingham Trent University conducting research into the biocompatibility of cell lines with 3D electrospun nanofibre scaffolds. In 2019, she became Bioscience Research Technical Specialist in the same department providing technical support for researchers.
She became Research Fellow and laboratory Manager of the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Centre in April 2023. She has been a member of a very active research group concerned with the development of 3D in vitro cell culture model for cell growth and development. The main focus was collaborating with the Flexotronix/Saphiros Limited UK & USA investigating structural and functional development of Retinal pigmented epithelium grown in culture with ultra-thin 3D electrospun nanofibre scaffolds.
Awards and Recognition
2023, Fellow in Higher Education Academy
2022, People’s choice award Image of Research Competition (NTU)
2009, Commonwealth Scholarship, United Kingdom
2006, Excellent teamwork (Head of Department)
2004, Federal Government Scholarship
Research areas
- The main area of research is biochemical and toxicological analysis of functional and structural features of reproductive cell lines exposed to environmental compounds. Heavy metals are environmental pollutants of great concern because of their persistent occurrence, arising from increasing industrialisation and other anthropogenic activities. A primary concern regarding exposure to heavy metals centres on their deleterious effects on human health including metabolic, neurodegenerative, reproductive and developmental disorders. Exposure to metal compounds including cadmium and mercury has long been known to cause damage to mammalian testes potentially contributing to the decline in male reproductive health that has occurred over the last 60 years. We have carried out research to identify many mechanisms and potential markers of effects among others in cadmium chloride exposure in reproductive cell lines
- Loss or damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a common feature of serious eye disease and currently there is no effective way of curing or regenerating this tissue. Engineered tissue currently lacks requisite capacity to sustain cell viability and functionality. We have produced artificial membranes used as scaffolds that have shown positive results that show promising reconstruction of RPE cell monolayers. In addition, we have created a nanofibre environment for maintaining a long-term viability and functionality of RPE cells by producing a 3D construct of nanofibre membranes that facilitate a desired biological environment for prolonged cell viability and functioning prior to implantation.
Collaborators: Flexotronix/Saphiros Limited
Successful grant application: Health and wellbeing funding application, Nottingham Trent University (2017)
Publications
Biola F. Egbowon, Enzo Fornari, Joseph M. Pally, Alan J. Hargreaves, Bob Stevens, T. Martin McGinnity, Barbara K. Pierscionek, Retinal pigment epithelial cells can be cultured on fluocinolone acetonide treated nanofibrous scaffold, Materials & Design, Volume 232, 2023, 112152, ISSN 0264-1275, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2023.112152.
Lea RG, Mandon-Pépin B, Loup B, Poumerol E, Jouneau L, Egbowon BF, Bowden A, Cotinot C, Purdie L, Zhang Z, Fowler PA, Sinclair KD. Ovine fetal testis stage-specific sensitivity to environmental chemical mixtures. Reproduction. 2022 Feb 3;163(2):119-131. doi: 10.1530/REP-21-0235. PMID: 35015698; PMCID: PMC8859917.
Nusrat Abedin, Abdullah Hamed A. Alshehri, Ali M.A. Almughrbi, Olivia Moore, Sheikh Alyza, Elizabeth K. Rusbridge, Naqash Masood, Biola F. Egbowon, Alan J. Hargreaves, Felix Dafhnis-Calas, Anthony J. Fitzpatrick. (2020). Expanding the family of tetrahalide iron complexes: Synthesis, structure and biological applications Polyhedron 190, 114755.
Egbowon, B.F., Harris, A., Arnott, G., Lloyds Mills, C. and Hargreaves, A.J. (2016). Sub-lethal concentrations of CdCl2 disrupts cell migration and cytoskeletal proteins in cultured mouse TM4 Sertoli cells. Toxicol Invitro. 32, 154-165.
Egbowon, B.F., Harris, A., Arnott, G., Lloyds Mills, C. and Hargreaves, A.J. (2015). Cadmium chloride inhibits Sertoli cell precursor proliferation and migration: an in vitro study. Toxicol Lett. 238/2S, S1-S420.
Egbowon, B.F. and Mustapha, O. A. (2011). Endocrine disrupting compounds exposure and testis Development in mammals. EXCLI Journal, (10) 173-191.
Egbowon, B.F., Osinowo, O.A., Biobaku, W.O. and Dipeolu, M.A. (2005). Effects of breed, age, season and week on milk secretion rate and part daily milk yield in West African Dwarf and Red Sokoto goats. Archivos de Zootecnia. 54 (208) 643-646).
Egbowon, B.F., Osinowo, O.A., Biobaku, W.O. and Dipeolu, M.A. (2005). Comparative evaluation of milk of West African Dwarf and Red Sokoto goats. ASSET International journal, University of Agriculture Abeokuta (Series A Volume 4 Number 3).
Published book
Egbowon, B.F. and Osinowo, O.A. Heat stress index in three breeds of goat.
Publisher: VDM Verlag Dr. Muller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Dudweiler Landstr. 99, 66123 Saarbrucken, Germany. Printed in the U.S.A. and U.K. ISBN: 978-3-639-25053-4.
Egbowon, B.F., Fafiolu, A. and Osinowo, O.A. Comparative evaluation of milk composition and milk secretion rate of West African Dwarf and Red Sokoto goats by Publisher: Lambert Academic Publishing, Heinrich-Bocking-Street. 6-8, 66121, Saarbrucken, Germany.