Dr Philip Skuce
Address:
Moredun Research Institute
Pentlands Science Park
Bush Loan
Penicuik
Midlothian EH26 0PZ
Scotland
Telephone Number:
+44 (0)131 445 5111
Email address:
Philip Skuce is a Senior Research Scientist at Moredun. He graduated with BSc Hons in Zoology from Queen’s University, Belfast in 1984 where he also gained his PhD in Parasitology. He continued his research at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and, subsequently, at the Veterinary Sciences Division, Stormont, before joining Moredun in 1995. His research interests are in the application of molecular techniques to the diagnosis and control of the major helminth parasites of livestock. Initially, he was involved in the identification and molecular characterisation of antigens within the Haemonchus vaccine. More recently, his research has focused on understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying anthelmintic resistance with the ultimate aim of developing sensitive genetic tests for its detection. He has strong collaborative links in this area with researchers in the UK, EU and internationally. He is a member of the British Society for Parasitology (BSP), the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP) and the Consortium on Anthelmintic Resistance and Susceptibility (CARS). He is also Moredun’s spokesperson on Livestock and Climate Change.
Current Research:
- The molecular genetics of anthelmintic resistance and the development of sensitive markers for its detection (RERAD Programme Research, 2006-11)
- The application of molecular approaches to the detection and diagnosis of gastrointestinal nematodes in livestock (RERAD Programme Research, 2006-11)
- The population genetics of benzimidazole resistance on UK sheep farms (BBSRC-CEDFAS)
- The evaluation of diagnostic tests for liver fluke infection in sheep (QMS, Moredun)
Selected Key Publications:
Selected Key Publications
- Skuce, P. J., Stenhouse L. J., Jackson F., Hypsa V., & Gilleard J. S. 2010. Benzimidazole resistance allele haplotype diversity in UK isolates of Teladorsagia circumcincta supports a hypothesis of multiple origins of resistance by recurrent mutation. International Journal for Parasitology. 40(11):1247-1255.
- van Dijk, J., Sargison N. D., Kenyon F., & Skuce P. J. 2010. Climate change and infectious disease: helminthological challenges to farmed ruminants in temperate regions. animal. 4(03):377.
- Kenyon, F., Sargison N. D., Skuce P. J., & Jackson F. 2009. Sheep helminth parasitic disease in south eastern Scotland arising as a possible consequence of climate change. Veterinary Parasitology. 163(4):293 - 297.
- Höglund, J., Gustafsson K., Ljungström B-L., Engström A., Donnan A., & Skuce P. 2009. Anthelmintic resistance in Swedish sheep flocks based on a comparison of the results from the faecal egg count reduction test and resistant allele frequencies of the β-tubulin gene. Veterinary Parasitology. 161(1-2):60 - 68.
- von Samson-Himmelstjerna, G. G., Walsh T. K., Donnan A. A., Carrière S., Jackson F., Skuce P. J., et al. 2009. Molecular detection of benzimidazole resistance in Haemonchus contortus using real-time PCR and pyrosequencing. Parasitology. 136(03):349.
- von Samson-Himmelstjerna, G. G., BLACKHALL W. J., McCARTHY J. S., & Skuce P. J. 2007. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for benzimidazole resistance in veterinary nematodes. Parasitology. 134(08):1077.
- Walsh, T., Donnan A., Jackson F., Skuce P., & Wolstenholme A. 2007. Detection and measurement of benzimidazole resistance alleles in Haemonchus contortus using real-time PCR with locked nucleic acid Taqman probes. Veterinary Parasitology. 144(3-4):304 - 312.
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