Our aim is to understand the role of pH dynamics (pH signalling) and their relationship to calcium dynamics in neurones.
Electrical activity of nerve cells is well known to result in calcium changes, however, pH also changes. There has been much work done on the electrophysiological results of the calcium transients, but little is know about what the pH shifts do. Whilst almost all reactions in water are sensitive to pH, little is known about which proteins and reactions these pH changes effect. Indeed we are not even sure how big the pH changes are. Our laboratory is concerned with measuring these pH changes in different parts of nerves cells, including the pre- and post-synaptic regions. We are also engaged with measuring the various biophysical characteristics that govern the pH changes. Part of this work involves studying the diffusion of both calcium and protons within nerve cells.
Recently we have begun to look at how the pH shifts are affected by P/Q type channelopathies - inherited conditions in which calcium channels have altered permeabilities.