Crisanti:Andrew M Hammond
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Andrew M Hammond (Drew)
Contact Info
Andrew M Hammond
Crisanti lab
Department of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences
South Kensington Campus, SAF
London, SW7 2AZ
UK
andrew.hammond08[ät]imperial.ac.uk
Education
- 2012 - Present, PhD, Imperial College London
- 2011, BSc, Imperial College London
Research interests
I am a PhD student in Crisanti Lab at Imperial College, working towards the development of a synthetic gene drive strategy for population suppression in malaria mosquitoes [1]. As a lab, we are investigating the use of HEGs, TALENs and CRISPR as a homing endonuclease to invade and subsequently supress mosquito populations – as initially theorised by the principal investigator, Professor Austin Burt [2], [3]. Take a look at some of our most recent developments here [4],[5],[6],.
My work is focused upon CRISPR, validating it as a tool for genome engineering in mosquitoes and testing the potential to use it in a gene drive. Previous research has predicted that an endonuclease-based gene drive targeting a female fertility gene would efficiently suppress populations if the mutations to this gene result in a recessive sterile phenotype [7].
We have made great steps towards achieving this ambitious aim, including the first use of CRISPR in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. To date, we have used CRISPR to characterise in vivo a number of recessive female sterile genes - demonstrating a high level of CRISPR activity in the process. Early results suggest that we can precisely engineer the genome of mosquitoes using CRISPR and that the technology meets all of the requirements for use a population suppressor.
Other interests
Aside from my time spent in the lab, I am an avid traveller and power lifter. I have taken it upon myself to train our lab in the skill that really matters in life, superhuman strength! Every morning at 8am, I take the not-so-willing volunteers to the University gym for some serious exercise - everything from weightlifting to cardio and pilates-style mobility and core strengthening. Personally, my best achievement in power lifting has been to place 2nd in the Greater London bench press competition and I'm hoping to enter other lifting competitions soon.
Publications
- Hammond, A. M. & Nolan, T. (2014). Sex-, tissue- and stage-specific transgene expression. In: Benedict, M. (Ed.), Transgenic insects: techniques and applications (pp. 29-50). Oxfordshire, UK: CABI. isbn=978-1-78064-451-6 [8]
Awards
- 2014 1st Prize for "Best PhD Presentation" at Imperial College London
- 2014 2nd Silver medal for the Greater London bench press competition
