Role
Dr Loughlin is:
- Course Leader for Forensic Biology
- Module Leader for the undergraduate modules Microbial Metabolism and Genetics and The Microbial World
- Module Leader for the MSc module Biological Systems
- Chair of the Course Leaders forum
- Member of the Tutorial, Assessment and Blended Learning working groups
- Co- organiser of Annual 6th Form Biosciences Conference.
Career overview
- Post Doctoral Researcher at Nottingham University
- Research Scientist at BASF plc
- Research Associate at Aston University
Research areas
Dr Loughlin is a member of the Pathogen Research Group
Research Students:
- Charalampos Tsoukalas
- Mahmoud Agena
Areas of research interest include:
- Microbial Resistance to Disinfectants- The study of how bacteria adapt to disinfectants becoming resistant to antibiotics and how to prevent this. In addition establishing whether changes undergone are permanents and whether they affect other virulence factors.
- Inflammation induced by Bacteria- A large amount of the damage caused in infectious disease is due to inflammation, especially with organisms considered opportunistic pathogens. Establishing how important this property is in causing disease by comparing bacteria with known pathologies in their ability to induce inflammatory pathways in human tissues.
Dr Loughlin is keen to broaden his research in disinfectant resistances, widening the range of agents and pathogens examined. This is largely gram-negative bacteria linked to hospital associated infections.
Dr Loughlin is also keen to develop the tissue culture methodologies to focus on inflammatory pathways as an important facet of host-pathogen interaction. Cells to be investigated include lung, neonatal and adult intestinal, bladder and macrophage as is most appropriate for the pathogen under investigation.
Opportunities to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil/Phd exist and further information may be obtained from the NTU Graduate School.
External activity
Member of:
- The Society for General Microbiology
- The Society for Applied Microbiology
- Higher Education Academy
Peer reviewer for papers in:
- Journal of Applied Microbiology
- Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
- Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (expert opinion on investigational drugs)
- Anaerobe (expert opinion on therapeutic targets)
Pre- publication reviewer for:
- John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Dr Loughlin offers testing methods to fabric companies to determine levels of antibacterial kill in their fabrics or identification of contaminants in their products. These are European standard tests and previous clients include Craghoppers, Hawkshead, STR Uk Ltd, Shirley Technologies Ltd, SATRA and Gudbrandsdalens Uldvarefabrikk.
Bespoke work has been completed for PW circuits via Prospect IP, testing novel means of disinfecting water, and for companies via Future Factory investigating rapid diagnostic techniques and novel antimicrobials.
Sponsors and collaborators
Research funding has included:
- Summer Studentship, Nuffield Society (Aug-Sep 2011), £1,600
- Summer Studentship, Society for Applied Microbiology (Aug-Sep 2009), £1,600
Publications
Campylobacter jejuni activates NF-kappaB independently of TLR2, TLR4, Nod1 and Nod2 receptors. Al-Sayeqh AF, Loughlin MF, Dillon E, Mellits KH, Connerton IF, Microbial Pathogenesis, 2010 Nov, 49 (5), 294-304
Neonatal enteral feeding tubes as loci for colonisation by members of the Enterobacteriaceae. Hurrell E, Kucerova E, Loughlin M, Caubilla-Barron J, Hilton A, Armstrong R, Smith C, Grant J, Shoo S, Forsythe S, BioMed Central Infectious Diseases, 2009, Sep 1, 9, 146
Biofilm formation on enteral feeding tubes by Cronobacter sakazakii, Salmonella serovars and other Enterobacteriaceae. Hurrell E, Kucerova E, Loughlin M, Caubilla-Barron J, Forsythe SJ, International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2009, Dec 31, 136 (2), 227-31
Multilocus sequence typing of Cronobacter sakazakii and Cronobacter malonaticus reveals stable clonal structures with clinical significance which do not correlate with biotypes. Baldwin A, Loughlin M, Caubilla-Barron J, Kucerova E, Manning G, Dowson C, Forsythe S, BioMed Central Microbiology, 2009 Oct 23, 9, 223
Induction of a chemoattractant transcriptional response by a Campylobacter jejuni boiled cell extract in colonocytes, Mellits KH, Connerton IF, Loughlin MF, Clarke P, Smith J, Dillon E, Connerton PL, Mulholland F, Hawkey CJ, BioMed Central Microbiology, 2009, 928
Helicobacter pylori mutants defective in the clpP ATP-dependant protease and the chaperone clpA display reduced macrophage and murine survival. Loughlin MF, Arandhara V, Okolie C, Aldswoth TG & Jenks PJ, Microbial Pathogenesis, 2009, 46 (1), 53-57
Press expertise
- Bacterial resistance to disinfectants
- Antibiotic resistance