Muscle Cellular and Molecular Physiology

Professor Mark P Lewis

“Traditional” exercise physiologists are adept at altering the functional demands on a tissue and in measuring that adaptation. There is however a “gap” in understanding the mechanisms by which this occurs due to the nature of the experimentation.

In order to fill this “gap”, Professor Mark P Lewis has recently moved his Muscle Cell Biology/Physiology Group to the institution.

His group has a 15 year history in research in this area from the isolation, purification, characterisation and maintenance of primary human muscle precursor cells cultures through to studies on their proliferation, migration, fusion and maturation.

In recent years, the influence of the mechanical three-dimensional environment has come to the fore and the group now has at its disposal 3D biomimetic models that show some physiological and biochemical features of skeletal muscle.

This means the group can “make” skeletal muscle in the laboratory, controlling exactly its cellular and molecular composition, and we can alter the functional demands in a highly controllable way.

The same kinds of outputs as above can then be measured but can be done multiple times, over a time period etc.

The group has its own newly established and dedicated tissue culture facilities including specialist equipment for the growth and testing of three dimensional skeletal muscle tissue.

These exist alongside state of the art Exercise Science laboratories whilst facilities for biochemistry, histology, molecular biology (including qPCR) and microscopy (including electron and confocal) are also easily accessible.

Current Sport and Exercise Sciences staff who members of the Muscle Cellular and Molecular Physiology group are:

Professor Mark P Lewis
Dr Paul Castle
Dr Nick Sculthorpe
Kevin Wyld
Iain Fletcher

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Muscle Cellular and Molecular Physiology