Richard Parton
Senior Postdoctoral Researcher
I have worked in the Davis lab for more than 15 years. My research involves using state-of-the-art and advanced imaging techniques as well as developing improved imaging methods and quantitative image analysis to investigate the molecular mechanism of RNA transport in Drosophila tissues. This includes working to establish semi-automated particle recognition and tracking applicable to the challenging live cell data produced in the Davis lab. Recently I have worked with Graeme Ball (Micron) and Russell Hamilton (Davis Lab) to quantitatively analyse the microtubule organisation of Drosophila oocytes.
During my own work and through collaborations I have gained considerable experience with quantitative live cell imaging and image analysis applied to a variety of biological systems and questions working in collaboration together with researchers with Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry backgrounds. I oversee the development of imaging technology in the Davis lab and was involved in the establishment of New Biochemistry Department Advanced Imaging Unit "Micron" and in the education courses it runs.
I have a special interest in dynamic cell activities at the single and multi cell level with respect to the determination of cell and tissue growth and development. In addition to my research projects, part of my role is to provide technical advice and imaging support to other researchers and students.
Outside of the lab I enjoy nature photography and fishing.
Selected Publications
2016
Davidson A, Parton RM, Rabouille C, Weil TT, Davis I. Localized Translation of gurken/TGF-α mRNA during Axis Specification Is Controlled by Access to Orb/CPEB on Processing Bodies. Cell Rep. 2016 Mar 15;14(10):2451-62.
2015
York-Andersen AH, Parton RM, Bi CJ, Bromley CL, Davis I, Weil TT. A single and rapid calcium wave at egg activation in Drosophila. Biol Open. 2015 Mar 6;4(4):553-60.
2012
Weil TT, Parton RM, Herpers B, Soetaert J, Veenendaal T, Xanthakis D, Dobbie IM, Halstead JM, Hayashi R, Rabouille C, Davis I. Drosophila patterning is established by differential association of mRNAs with P bodies. Nat Cell Biol. 2012 Dec;14(12):1305-13.
Weil TT, Parton RM, Davis I. Preparing individual Drosophila egg chambers for live imaging. J Vis Exp. 2012 Feb 27;(60).
Ball G, Parton RM, Hamilton RS, Davis I. A Cell Biologist's Guide to High Resolution Imaging. Methods Enzymol. 2012;504:29-55.
2011
Brown AC, Oddos S, Dobbie IM, Alakoskela JM, Parton RM, Eissmann P, Neil MA, Dunsby C, French PM, Davis I, Davis DM. Remodelling of cortical actin where lytic granules dock at natural killer cell immune synapses revealed by super-resolution microscopy. PLoS Biol. 2011 Sep;9(9):e1001152. Epub 2011 Sep 13.
Dobbie IM, King E, Parton RM, Carlton PM, Sedat JW, Swedlow JR, Davis I. OMX: a new platform for multimodal, multichannel wide-field imaging. Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2011 Aug 1;2011(8):899-909.
Parton RM, Hamilton RS, Ball G, Yang L, Cullen CF, Lu W, Ohkura H, Davis I. A PAR-1-dependent orientation gradient of dynamic microtubules directs posterior cargo transport in the Drosophila oocyte. J Cell Biol. 2011 Jul 11;194(1):121-35.
Dalgarno HI, Dalgarno PA, Dada AC, Towers CE, Gibson GJ, Parton RM, Davis I, Warburton RJ, Greenaway AH. Nanometric depth resolution from multi-focal images in microscopy. J R Soc Interface. 2011 Jul 6;8(60):942-51. Epub 2011 Jan 19.
2010
Hamilton RS, Parton RM, Oliveira RA, Vendra G, Ball G, Nasmyth K, Davis I. ParticleStats: open source software for the analysis of particle motility and cytoskeletal polarity. Nucleic Acids Res. 2010 Jul;38(Web Server issue):W641-6. Epub 2010 Jun 11.
Weil TT, Parton RM, Davis I. Making the message clear: visualizing mRNA localization. Trends Cell Biol. 2010 Jul;20(7):380-90. Epub 2010 May 3. Review.