Rate My Professor Tina Edgar

Tina Edgar serves as a senior research technician in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Otago, a position she has held for over thirty years. She earned a New Zealand Certificate of Science in Biochemistry and Microbiology from the University of Otago. As a pivotal member of Emeritus Professor Warren Tate's laboratory, Tina has provided essential technical support across a wide array of research projects. Her expertise encompasses molecular biology techniques, protein purification, biochemical assays, microarray analyses, and the processing of blood samples into various fractions for downstream applications. This skill set has been crucial in facilitating high-quality experimental outcomes in the laboratory.

Tina's contributions extend to significant studies in neurodegenerative and chronic diseases. She processed blood samples for a large Parkinson's disease study and has continued similar work within her research group focused on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Currently, she is involved in a team led by Emeritus Professor Warren Tate that compares molecular profiles of long-hauler COVID-19 patients with those of ME/CFS patients and healthy controls to explore potential biological links and therapeutic possibilities. This effort includes collaboration with Dr. Torsten Kleffmann from the Centre for Protein Research, Associate Professor Aniruddha Chatterjee, postgraduate student Anna Blair, and immunologist Dr. Anna Brooks. Additionally, Tina supports the Dementia Prevention Research Clinic biobank as part of the Dunedin Clinic team under Dr. Nick Cutfield, handling sample preparation for biomarker identification in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Her technical assistance has been acknowledged in multiple peer-reviewed publications, including 'Eukaryotic translational termination efficiency is influenced by the 3' nucleotides of the mRNA' (2018), 'Mapping Functionally Important Motifs SPF and GGQ of the Eukaryotic Release Factor eRF1' (2019), and 'The ribosomal binding and peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis functions of E. coli release factor RF2 are coupled to GTP hydrolysis by RF3' (2000), as well as various theses investigating neuroprotective pathways in Alzheimer's disease and effects on astrocyte and neuron transcriptomes and proteomes. Tina's enduring commitment has underpinned decades of impactful research in translational control, protein synthesis, and disease mechanisms at the University of Otago.