Professor Gail McConnell

Publications

An easy to use tool for the analysis of subcellular mRNA transcript colocalisation in smFISH data

Bentley-Abbot Calum, Heslop Rhiannon, Pirillo Chiara, Chandrasegaran Praveena, McConnell Gail, Roberts Ed, Hutchinson Edward, MacLeod Annette

Scientific Reports Vol 14 (2024)

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58641-3

Low-cost 3D printed lenses for brightfield and fluorescence microscopy

Christopher Jay, Rooney Liam M, Donnachie Mark, Uttamchandani Deepak, McConnell Gail, Bauer Ralf

Biomedical Optics Express Vol 15, pp. 2224-2237 (2024)

https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.514653

Multimodal optical mesoscopy reveals the quantity and spatial distribution of gram-positive biofilms in ex vivo tonsils

Clapperton Megan, Kunanandam Tash, Florea Catalina D, Douglas Catriona M, McConnell Gail

Journal of Microscopy (2024)

https://doi.org/10.1111/jmi.13266

Construction and characterisation of a structured, tuneable, and transparent 3D culture platform for soil bacteria

Rooney Liam M, Dupuy Lionel X, Hoskisson Paul A, McConnell Gail

Microbiology Vol 170 (2024)

https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.001429

Time-lapse mesoscopy of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus dual-species biofilms reveals a structural role for the hyphae of C. albicans in biofilm formation

Baxter Katherine J, Sargison Fiona A, Fitzgerald J Ross, McConnell Gail, Hoskisson Paul A

Microbiology Vol 170 (2024)

https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.001426

Using 3D printed optics for fluorescence microscopy

Christopher Jay, Rooney Liam, McConnell Gail, Bauer Ralf

Microscience Microscopy Congress 2023 (2023)

More publications

Research Interests

The optical microscope is so important to biomedicine that it is used as an icon to symbolise all science, but in the age of lasers, computers, digital detectors and new photochemistry the basic design of this classic tool of research can be greatly improved. My research involves the development of new optical instruments and technologies for cell and tissue imaging: this includes linear and nonlinear optics, new light sources, and new ways of preparing the specimen for imaging that reveals more structural information than the light microscope can normally provide.

An example of my interests is the Mesolens, where we have redesigned the microscope so that internal details of every cell of the millions present in a biological specimen of more than 100 cubic millimeters in volume can be seen. Our microscope does not use an eyepiece for recording, since the image exceeds the power of the human eye to perceive detail: our image datasets from a volume specimen are typically hundreds of gigabytes in size. We specified the novel optics for screening transgenic mouse embryos to discover human genes that might produce congenital abnormalities, such as vascular disease, which affects approximately one in two hundred human births. However, we are now finding applications throughout bioscience, e.g. in neuroscience and developmental studies. At the Strathclyde Mesolab, a newly created MRC-supported facility, we are working with life, physical and computer scientists worldwide to explore applications of our current technology and to develop new mesoscopic imaging modes that will provide a new insight into development and disease.

Professional Activities

Strathclyde Optical Microscopy Course

Organiser

4/8/2024

ELMI

Organiser

4/6/2024

MBL Lightsheet Conference and Workshop

Participant

6/5/2024

Optica Webinar

Participant

7/11/2023

Searching for biomarkers of tonsillar disease

Contributor

7/11/2023

MIFOBIO

Participant

11/2023

More professional activities

Projects

DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | Copeland, Laura

McConnell, Gail (Principal Investigator) Patton, Brian (Co-investigator) Copeland, Laura (Research Co-investigator)

01-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2027

Label-free intraoperative histological imaging (icase)

McConnell, Gail (Principal Investigator)

01-Jan-2023 - 30-Jan-2027

Industrial Case Account - University of Strathclyde 2023 | Walker, Lewis

McConnell, Gail (Principal Investigator) Patton, Brian (Co-investigator) Walker, Lewis (Research Co-investigator)

01-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2026

How does EFR3 control insulin-stimulated plasma membrane dispersal of GLUT4?

Gould, Gwyn (Principal Investigator) Li, David (Co-investigator) McConnell, Gail (Co-investigator) Van de Linde, Sebastian (Co-investigator)

15-Jan-2023 - 14-Jan-2026

New Endoscopic Imaging Technologies for Instantaneous assessment of Vasodilation as an Indicator of Bacterial Infection in Tonsillitis

McConnell, Gail (Principal Investigator)

03-Jan-2022 - 02-Jan-2026

DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | Brown, Mollie

McConnell, Gail (Principal Investigator) Gould, Gwyn (Co-investigator) Brown, Mollie (Research Co-investigator)

01-Jan-2022 - 01-Jan-2026

More projects