Dr. Richard Porter

I completed my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at Trinity College. This was followed by a Ph.D. with Prof. John M. Scott in the area of carbon-one metabolism and a three year postdoctoral position at the Department of Biochemistry University of Cambridge UK with Prof. Martin D. Brand. I was subsequently awarded a Health Research Board (HRB)Fellowship based in Prof. Clive William's laboratory in Trinity. Dr. Porter's research focuses on understanding mammalian energy metabolism. His research achievements are based ideas founded in solid science, a substantial grant base, the quality of the researchers that he recruits, the advanced technology in the laboratory and his collaborations with prominent international laboratories, both academic and industrial. I have been a lecturer and Principal Investigator in Trinity since 1997, was appointed Director of Teaching and Learning in the School of Biochemistry & Immunology (Postgraduate) from 2004-2008 & 2016-2017, was elected for two terms as Head of Biochemistry from 2011-2017, and was elected Fellow of Trinity College Dublin since 2007. I have over 60 publications in peer reviewed scientific journals and currently has over €0.5M in research grants. I am an editor with a leading Elsevier Journal (Biochimica Biophysica Acta-Bioenergetics) and am regularly invited to give lectures at Conferences, Universities and Research Institutes. I teach many aspects of biochemistry to scientists, medical students, pharmacists at all levels within the University and has received a Provost Teaching Award commendation. I am on the management committee of several International Scientific Societies, including the European Bioenergetics Conference, MITOEAGLE COST and the International Union of Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (IUBMB) Nominating Committee. I regularly participates in scientific outreach projects such as the "Fat" exhibition in the Science Gallery. I also act a consultant for Price Waterhouse Coopers in the area of R&D Tax Credits and as a product consultant for Artelo. My research has resulted in the discovery of the nature of the "speed gene" in Thoroughbred horses [https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/1106/1008968-race-horses/][https://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/irish-scientists-pinpoint-what-makes-thoroughbred-racehorses-go-faster-1.3688584] and I am an inventor on the World's First Nutrigenomic Product for Thoroughbred Horses, now sold as EnerGene-Q10 by Plusvital[http://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/world-s-first]. Furthermore, in addition to basic research grants from Science Foundation Ireland, The Health Research Board, Teagasc and Trinity, I have an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership Programme grant in collaboration with Plusvital.

  (HUMAN)   (RAT LIVER)   (SKELETAL MUSCLE)   Ageing, memory and other cognitive processes   Analytical Techniques   Basic Skills Education   Biochemistry, Carbohydrates   Biochemistry, Lipids   Biochemistry, metabolism   Biochemistry, Proteins   BODY-MASS   BOVINE   BRAIN   BROWN-ADIPOSE-TISSUE   Diabetes & Obesity   Diabetes and diabetic complications   Drug discovery   Energy Chemical Sciences   EQUINE   Immune system   Innate immunology   Life Sciences   Lipids, steroids, membranes   Membrane Transport   Membrane transport, structure and dynamics   Metabolic Biology   Metabolism and metabolic diseases   Mitochondria   Neuroscience   ORAL-CANCER   OXYGEN CONSUMPTION   Photosynthesis   Proteins, enzymology and protein engineering   Thermal Effects

1. The molecular basis of metabolic rate, and cold adaptation in mammals: The majority of my research career has focused on the molecular basis of metabolic rate, and cold adaptation in mammals, research areas that has direct implications for understanding physiology and for developing anti-obesity and anti-type 2 diabetes strategies. I have demonstrated that a phenomenon known as mitochondrial proton leak explains one fifth our resting metabolic rate and factors, such as body size, that determine metabolic rate also effect mitochondrial efficiency (data published in high impact factor (IF) journals such as Nature 24.36; Biochem J 4.33; BBA 3.465; Am J Physiol 3.55). Our laboratory also has a major focus on mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs) demonstrating (a) that UCP1 can regulate reactive oxygen species production in brown adipose tissue, (b) UCP1 is covalently modified and its turnover is regulated by the proteasome, (c) that UCP1 is also present in the thymus, (d) that UCP3 is activated in skeletal muscle by ecstasy and (e) UCP3 can direct T-cell activation and proliferation, (data published in high impact factor journals such as FASEB J 5.391; JBC 4.1; BBA 3.465; Mitochondrion 3.43). 2. Thoroughbred horse performance, bioenergetics and metabolism: We have recently elucidated the biochemical basis of the crucial performance defining myostatin polymorphism in Thoroughbred Horses (Rooney et al., 2018). Essentially we have discovered why certain Thoroughbred horses are are born to be sprinters ! In addition, we uncovered a bioenergetic difference between endurance and sprint Thoroughbred Horses (Rooney et al., 2017) which resulted in us patenting the discovery through TCD & UCD, and us getting a licence to use that IP to grant the company PlusVital to produce the First Nutrigenomic Nutrient for Thoroughbred horses [World's First Nutrigenomic Product for Thoroughbred Horses, now sold as EnerGene-Q10 by Plusvital. See recent press coverage: http://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/world-s-first] and publication of efficacy (Rooney et al., 2020). We also currently have an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership Programme grant to develop an in vitro assay system for skeletal muscle of Thoroughbred horses. Data published in moderately high impact factor journals such as PLOS One (2.776). 3. Cancer Metabolism: We have a major Marie Curie grant to discover new anti-cancer targets in oral squamous cancer cells (OSCCs), focusing on proteins associated with mitochondrial function. We have recently identified IL-6 as a protagoist in anoikis resistance and metabolic/mitochondrial programming, while demonstrating the IL-6 receptor is a potential target for OSCC therapy (Karavyraki, 2020; Karavyraki et al., 2017; 2018). We have also published anti-cancer target data for (a) neuroblastoma cancers (Geoghegan et al., 2017), (b) mesothelioma and non-small lung cancer cells (Geoghegan et al., 2017) and (c) breast cancer cells (Martinez et al., 2017). Some of the work has involved collaboration with Lorraine O'Driscoll in Pharmacy (TCD) and Data published in high impact factor journals such as Scientific Reports (4.525); Onotarget (3.710). 4. The Mitochondrial Choline Transporter: I discovered and characterised the transporter for the metabolite, choline, across the mitochondrial inner membrane (Porter et al., 1992; 1993; Kaplan et al., 1993; O'Donoghue et al., 2009)[data published in high impact factor journals such as JBC (4.1); BBA (3.465)]. Choline is an important metabolite and has been classed as a constitutive vitamin. It is oxidised to betaine in the kidney which acts as a methyl-donor in liver and kidney (linking it to folic acid/vitamin B12 metabolism) and betaine is important for osmotic status in kidney. I have recently entered an official collaboration with Prof. Laurence Brody at NIH, Bethesda to hunt for the gene that expresses the choline transporter protein.