Professor Ian Lamont studied microbiology in Edinburgh (where he was born before moving to St Andrews), then genetics for a PhD at Oxford. After an enjoyable spell at the excellent molecular biology centre in Adelaide, he moved to the Department of Biochemistry at Otago.
Ian has always been interested in bacteria and the molecules that work inside them, along with the associated genetics, and this is the focus of his research. His primary interest is organisms such as pseudomonas aeruginosa and their role in very serious infections, such as those associated with cystic fibrosis, the most common life threatening genetic disorder affecting New Zealand children.
This disease affects the structure of mucus, which is sometimes described as ‘hyperviscous’ - very sticky, and resistant to the normal ciliary systems that move mucus out of the lungs. Also, if the blockages affect the pancreas, this will reduce or stop enzymes from being released to digest food, causing problems with poor weight gain and malnutrition due to malabsorption.
Pseudomonas organisms are common in the environment, and most of us generally have no trouble resisting infection by them, but those with cystic fibrosis (CF) are particularly vulnerable to lung infections due to these bacteria. The research group headed by Ian is looking, among other things, into why the organism is so resistant to the body’s defences in CF.
A particularly distressing feature is that sufferers are more likely to pick up P. aeruginosa from other sufferers. This means that the very useful supportive groups that are associated with fellow-sufferers from a particular conditions are contraindicated in CF.
Prof Lamont mentioned that biochemistry students sometimes move into surprisingly diverse jobs, such as becoming patent lawyers for example.
