Biomedical and Life Sciences

Professor Roger Pickup

Chair of Biomedical and Life Sciences

Office B15
Biological Sciences Building
Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences
Faculty of Health and Medicine
Lancaster University
Lancaster
LA1 4YQ
UK

Tel: +44 1524 593746
Fax: +44 1524 593192
Email:r.pickup@lancaster.ac.uk

Research Interests

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and Crohn's disease (with Dr Glenn Rhodes, CEH Lancaster)

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis is a very slow growing mycobactin-dependent member of the Mycobacterium avium complex. Unlike other M. avium species, M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis has the specific ability to cause chronic inflammation of the intestine, Johne's disease which can affect many species including primates. Despite its broad pathogenicity M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis can live in animals for years without causing clinical disease. Subclinical infection is widespread in domestic livestock especially cattle, sheep, and goats. Europe and North America have been particularly affected, but infection and disease are now spreading worldwide. Clinically and subclinically infected animals shed M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis in their milk. These pathogens are more robust than M. bovis. Research so far carried out in the UK, USA and Czech Republic shows that M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis is from time to time transmitted to human populations in retail milk supplies. Recent research from several centres using appropriate laboratory methods shows that most people with chronic inflammation of the intestine of the Crohn's disease type are infected with these chronic enteric pathogens. Like Johne's disease, the incidence of Crohn's disease is increasing particularly in children.

Ultimately we wish to progress towards a multidisciplinary program of research designed to inform future policy decisions with quantitative data on the level of environmental contamination by MAP and provide the essential quantitative basis for future testing of the efficacy of potential remedial measures such as the use of new generation veterinary vaccines to minimise environmental contamination and cycling. However, in order to achieve this we have to understand the fate and behaviour of MAP in a number of environmental compartments as specified by our model (see reference; for instance, rivers, sediments, aerosols) through quantification and source identification in order to test the hypothesis that Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis contaminating environmental compartments constitutes a significant and incremental threat to human health.

Pickup, R.W., Rhodes, G., Bull, T.J, Arnott, S., Sidi-Boumedine, K., Hurley, M.J. and Hermon-Taylor, J. (2006). Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in lake catchments, in river water sourced for domestic supply and in effluent from domestic sewage treatment works: diverse opportunities for environmental cycling and human exposure. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 72, 4067-4077.

Mycobacterium chelonae complex and respiratory disease (with Dr Glenn Rhodes, CEH Lancaster)

Real time PCR analysis of M. immunogenum

M. immunogenum, a known human pathogen is a recently described species and has as closest relatives M. chelonae, M. abscessus. Collectively these bacteria form the M. chelonae complex. In recent years M. immunogenum has been implicated in the causation of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) in automobile workers and other occupational workers exposed to metal working fluids. The early detection of M. immunogenum and related bacteria may be important in the possible prevention of HP. Since developing a highly specific quantitative PCR detection method, our interests now focus on its source, diversity and role in hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Rhodes, G., Fluri, A., Gerber, M., Henderson, A. & Pickup R.W. (2008). Detection of Mycobacterium immunogenum by real-time Taqman PCR. Journal of Microbiological Methods 73, 266-268.

Current projects

Crohn's Disease and Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis, a Public Health tragedy whose resolution is long overdue: Quantifying diverse opportunities for human exposure (NERC; 2008-2011).

Water availability and quality: natural environments, domestic use and food production CHINA-BRIDGE programme (EPSRC; 2009-2012)

LOST IN TRANSLATION: a cross-disciplinary analysis of knowledge exchange and effectiveness in animal disease management (NERC-RELU; 2008-2011)

Cell-Mineral Interface Research Programme (EPSRC, BBSRC; 2004-2009 [with Sheffield University)

Going Underground: Health Risks from Pathogens in the Soil-Water Environment (NERC; 2007-2009 [with Sheffield University]

Hyporheic Network : A knowledge transfer network on groundwater - surface water interactions and hyporheic zone processes (NERC; 2007-2009 [with Sheffield University]

Selected Publications

Pickup, R.W., Rhodes, G. and Hermon-Taylor, J. (2003) Monitoring bacterial pathogens in the environment: a multilayered approach. Current Opinions in Biotechnology 14, 319-325.

Bull, T.J., McMinn, E.J., Sidi-Boumedine, K., Skull, A., Durkin, D., Neild, P., Rhodes, G., Pickup, R.W. and Hermon-Taylor, J. (2003). Detection and verification of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in fresh ileocolonic mucosal biopsies from people with and without Crohn's disease. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 41, 2915-2933.

Bull,T.J., Sidi-Boumedine, K., McMinn, E.J., Pickup, R. and Hermon-Taylor, J. (2003). Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU) differentiate Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis from other species of the Mycobacterium avium complex. Molecular and Cellular Probes 17, 157-164.

Bull, T.J., McMinn, L., Sidi-Boumedine, K., Skull, A., Durkin, D., Cen, S., Rhodes, G., Pickup, R. and Hermon-Taylor, J. (2003). Detection and verification of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) in fresh endoscopic mucosal biopsies from patients with and without Crohn's disease. Gastroenterology 124, A559-A559 Suppl. S.

Rhodes, G., Parkhill, J., Bird, C., Ambrose, K., Jones, M., Huys, G., Swings, J., and Pickup, R.W. (2004). The complete nucleotide sequence of the IncU tetracycline resistance plasmid pFBAOT6. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 70, 7497-7510.

Pickup, R.W., Rhodes, G., Sidi-Boumedine, K., Arnott, S., Bull, T.J., Weightman, A.J., Hurley, M.J. and Hermon-Taylor, J. (2005). Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in the catchment and water of the river Taff in South Wales, UK and its potential relationship to clustering of Crohn's disease in the city of Cardiff. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 70, 2130-2139.

Mura, M., Tim J. Bull, T.J., Evans, H., Sidi-Boumedine, K.,, McMinn, E., Rhodes, G., Pickup, R.W., and Hermon-Taylor, J.. (2006). Replication and long term persistence of bovine and human strains of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis within Acanthamoeba polyphaga. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 72, 854-859.

Pickup, R.W and Rhodes G. (2006). Mechanisms for soil resistance. Science 312, 529.

Pickup, Z.L., Pickup, R.W. and Parry, J.D. (2007). A comparison of the growth and starvation responses of Acanthamoeba castellanii and Hartmannella vermiformis in the presence of suspended and attached Escherichia coli K12. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 59, 526-563.

Pickup, Z.L., Pickup, R.W. and Parry, J.D. (2007). Growth of Acanthamoeba castellanii and Hartmannella vermiformis on live, heat-killed and DTAF-stained bacterial prey. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 61, 264-276.

Pickup, Z.L., Pickup, R.W. and Parry, J.D. (2007). Effects of bacterial prey species and concentration on the growth of the amoebae Acanthamoeba castellanii and Hartmannella vermiformis Applied and Environmental Microbiology 73, 2631-2634.

Rhodes, G., Fluri, A., Gerber, M., Henderson, A. & Pickup R.W. (2008). Detection of Mycobacterium immunogenum by real-time Taqman PCR. Journal of Microbiological Methods 73, 266-268.

Pickup RW, Rhodes G, Hermon-Taylor J. Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, Johne's disease and Crohn's disease. (2009). Textbook on Environmental Medicine (ed. Ayres, Harrison, Nichols and Maynard) (In Press)

Selected from 110 peer-reviewed paper and 37 book chapters or non-peer reviewed articles