ISTM

Nicolas Pionnier undertook his undergraduate studies at the University of Avignon, France where he obtained his Bachelor Degree in Life Sciences in 2005. Then he got a Master's Degree in Microbiology and Parasitology at the University of Montpellier, France in 2008. During this period, he worked on the interaction between entomopathogenic nematodes (NEP) and their bacterial associates (first-year placement at the Insect Microbial Ecology and Host-Pathogen Interactions laboratory, EMIP, Montpellier, France) and on a model of co-infection of mice with two parasite models with a bibliographic synthesis on the notion of immunocompetence (second-year placement at the Sciences of Evolution of Montpellier Institute, ISEM, Montpellier, France). During the year 2008-2009 he worked at the ISEM as a technician in the fields mentioned above: 3 months with a researcher to work on the pathogenicity of the bacterial strains associated with the NEP and approximately 4 months with a researcher on a genetic study of strains of mice.

Nicolas started at Keele with a PhD position in September 2009. He is a part of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network and he joined the NEMO project exploring 'Protective Immune Modulation in Warm Water Fish by Feeding Glucans'. Under the supervision of Prof. Dave Hoole, he will work on the effect of glucan or infection (pathogenic organisms e.g. KHV, Aeromonas hydrophila) on the profile of a range of innate acute phase proteins (e.g. C-reactive protein). Proteins from the serum of fish will be isolated utilizing a range of affinity chromatography procedures. ELISA techniques will be developed, incorporating polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, to determine the levels of innate proteins in the serum. And then the local intestinal responses will be evaluated utilizing immunocytochemical and molecular techniques to monitor expression and activity of innate immune proteins.