Contact Us

Mailing address:
Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
Box 7633, NC State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7633

Shipping address:
Suite 1104, 850 Main Campus Dr.
Raleigh, NC 27606

Phone 919.515.2274
Fax 919.515.7169

Nigel Deighton, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor and Director, Genomic Sciences Laboratory
Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology

Phone: 919-513-0738
E-mail: nigel_deighton@ncsu.edu

Education

BSc, Biochemistry, University of Essex, UK
PhD, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kings College, London, UK

Research Interests

Metabolomics/Proteomics

In the post-genomic era of biology, focus is slowly shifting from the raw sequence data generated from these large multinational projects, to downstream consequence of that sequence, such as gene function, and its relationship to phenotype. As such, the `omics’ technologies are enjoying a boom. Transciptomics, the study of gene expression, proteomics, the study of protein expression, and metabolomics, the snap-shot observation of metabolic status are of great current interest.

Such technologies offer a powerful insight into molecular mechanisms, and have great utility in functional genomics and diagnostics, to name but two applications. A common technological approach for the studies of proteomics and metabolomics is mass spectrometry, which in combination with chromatography can detect, identify and quantify large numbers of metabolites from a single sample.

Genomic Sciences Laboratory (GSL)

The Genomic Sciences Laboratory (GSL) was established in 2008 by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NCSU to provide researchers and students with the necessary infrastructure and equipment to conduct genomic, proteomic and metabolomics research at NC State University.

Formed from the merger of the Genome Research Laboratory (GRL) and the Metabolomics & Proteomics Laboratory (MPL), the lab provides the NCSU community with high-throughput DNA sequencing and fingerprinting, equipment to perform functional genomic assays, protein identification and characterization as well as metabolomics, biochemical profiling and target compound analyses.

Selected Publications

• RITCHIE MR, MORTON MS, THOMPSON AM, DEIGHTON N, BLAKE A, CUMMINGS JH & STEEL CM 2004. Investigation of the reliability of 24 h urine excretion as a biomarker of isoflavone exposure over time and over a wide range of isoflavone intakes. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 5, 1286-1289.
• RITCHIE MR, MORTON MS, DEIGHTON N, BLAKE A, THOMPSON AM, CUMMINGS JH & STEEL CM 2004. Plasma and urinary phyoestrogens as biomarkers of intake: validation by duplicate diet analysis. British Journal of Nutrition, 91, 447-457.
• MUCKENSCHNABEL I, GOODMAN BA, WILLIAMSON B, LYON GD & DEIGHTON N 2002. Infection of leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana by Botrytis cinerea: changes in ascorbic acid, free radicals and lipid peroxidation products. Journal of Experimental Botany 53, 207-214.
• GARDNER HW & DEIGHTON N 2001. Effect of 4-Hydroxy-2(E)-nonenal on soybean lipoxygenase-1. Lipids, 36, 623-628.
• DOBSON G & DEIGHTON N 2001. Analysis of phospholipid molecular species by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry of diacylglycerol nicotinates. Chemistry & Physics of Lipids 111, 1-17.
• DEIGHTON N, MUCKENSCHNABEL I, COLMENARES AJ, COLLADO IG & WILLIAMSON B 2001. Botrydial is produced in plant tissues infected by Botrytis cinerea. Phytochemistry 57, 689-692.
• GRIFFITHS DW, DEIGHTON N, BIRCH ANE, PATRIAN B, BAUR R & STADLER E 2001. Identification of glucosinolates on the leaf surface of plants from the Cruciferae and other closely related species. Phytochemistry 57, 693-700.
• MUCKENSCHNABEL I, WILLIAMSON B, GOODMAN BA, LYON GD, STEWART D & DEIGHTON N 2001. Markers for oxidative stress associated with soft rots in French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) infected by Botrytis cinerea. Planta, 212, 376-381.
• DEIGHTON N, BRENNAN R, FINN C & DAVIES HV 2000. Antioxidant properties of domesticated and wild Rubus species. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 80, 1307-1313.
• GRIFFITHS DW, BAIN H, DEIGHTON N, ROBERTSON GW & DALE MFB 2000. Photo-induced synthesis of tomatidenol based glycoalkaloids in Solanum phureja tubers. Phytochemistry, 53, 739-745.
• DEIGHTON N, MUCKENSCHNABEL I, GOODMAN BA & WILLIAMSON B 1999. Lipid peroxidation and the oxidative burst associated with infection of Capsicum annuum by Botrytis cinerea. The Plant Journal, 20, 485-492.
• DEIGHTON N & McDOUGALL GJ 1998. Coniferyl alcohol oxidase operates through a bound free radical intermediate. Phytochemistry, 48, 601-606.
• BUTCHER RD, GOODMAN BA & DEIGHTON N 1995. Evaluation of the allergic / irritant potential of air pollutants: Detection of proteins modified by volatile organic compounds from oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) using electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 25, 985-992.