Richard A. Collins

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Richard Anthony Collins FRSC (born 18 February 1966) is a British scientist.

Contents

Life

He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry on 'Purification and characterisation of a mutant form of pyruvate kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced by site-directed mutatgenesis' [1] from the University of Edinburgh in 1994. He did post-doctoral research on natural products with anti-viral properties in the USA and Hong Kong, and has published peer reviewed scientific articles on HIV-1 inhibition, [2] [3] [4] novel nucleic acid based diagnostics for avian influenza, [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), [10] and foot-and-mouth disease. [11] [12] [13]

Scientific career

Collins identified potential anti-HIV-1 activity in a number of partially purified plant extracts, especially Chrysanthemum morifolium, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Prunella vulgaris and commercially available supplements, i.e. polysaccharopeptide (PSP) from Trametes versicolor. [2] [3] [14] He represented a biotechnology company in discussing the scientific validity of the method proposed by the Government in the Bills Committee stage of the proposed legislation [15] and the media. [16]

As a result of the growing interest in genetic parentage testing (DNA profiling) in Hong Kong, Collins, working with others, found that the number of men in Hong Kong who were not the biological fathers of their children might be much higher than expected. [17] [18] [19]

Collins also helped develop a number of rapid diagnostic tests based on nucleic acid analysis, notably the nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) technique. Many of these were developed in response to high-profile disease outbreaks in Hong Kong and around the world, e.g. avian influenza H5N1, H7, foot-and-mouth disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Collins has given numerous presentations and interviews to scientists and the media to support the development of the new tests. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]

Currently, Collins is scientific review director in the Research Office of the Food and Health Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government, where he is involved in managing public funds related to health services and infectious disease research. His recent interest is in assessing the payback from research supported by public funds. [26]

Collins is also the author of "Under A Blood Red Sky" ( ISBN   978-0755201549), a techno-thriller which received favourable reviews when it was published in November 2004. [27] [28] [29]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Influenza A virus</i> Species of virus

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a pathogen that causes the flu in birds and some mammals, including humans. It is an RNA virus whose subtypes have been isolated from wild birds. Occasionally, it is transmitted from wild to domestic birds, and this may cause severe disease, outbreaks, or human influenza pandemics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avian influenza</span> Influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds

Avian influenza, also known as avian flu, is a bird flu caused by the influenza A virus, which can infect people. It is similar to other types of animal flu in that it is caused by a virus strain that has adapted to a specific host. The type with the greatest risk is highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemagglutinin (influenza)</span> Hemagglutinin of influenza virus

Influenza hemagglutinin (HA) or haemagglutinin[p] is a homotrimeric glycoprotein found on the surface of influenza viruses and is integral to its infectivity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza A virus subtype H5N1</span> Subtype of influenza A virus

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 (A/H5N1) is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other species. A bird-adapted strain of H5N1, called HPAI A(H5N1) for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of type A of subtype H5N1, is the highly pathogenic causative agent of H5N1 flu, commonly known as avian influenza. It is enzootic in many bird populations, especially in Southeast Asia. One strain of HPAI A(H5N1) is spreading globally after first appearing in Asia. It is epizootic and panzootic, killing tens of millions of birds and spurring the culling of hundreds of millions of others to stem its spread. Many references to "bird flu" and H5N1 in the popular media refer to this strain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza A virus subtype H2N2</span> Subtype of Influenza A virus

Influenza A virus subtype H2N2 (A/H2N2) is a subtype of Influenza A virus. H2N2 has mutated into various strains including the "Asian flu" strain, H3N2, and various strains found in birds. It is also suspected of causing a human pandemic in 1889. The geographic spreading of the 1889 Russian flu has been studied and published.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global spread of H5N1</span> Spread of bird flu

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza A virus subtype H7N7</span> Virus subtype

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza A virus subtype H9N2</span> Virus subtype

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An emergent virus is a virus that is either newly appeared, notably increasing in incidence/geographic range or has the potential to increase in the near future. Emergent viruses are a leading cause of emerging infectious diseases and raise public health challenges globally, given their potential to cause outbreaks of disease which can lead to epidemics and pandemics. As well as causing disease, emergent viruses can also have severe economic implications. Recent examples include the SARS-related coronaviruses, which have caused the 2002-2004 outbreak of SARS (SARS-CoV-1) and the 2019–21 pandemic of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2). Other examples include the human immunodeficiency virus which causes HIV/AIDS; the viruses responsible for Ebola; the H5N1 influenza virus responsible for avian flu; and H1N1/09, which caused the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Viral emergence in humans is often a consequence of zoonosis, which involves a cross-species jump of a viral disease into humans from other animals. As zoonotic viruses exist in animal reservoirs, they are much more difficult to eradicate and can therefore establish persistent infections in human populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H5N1 genetic structure</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuen Kwok-yung</span> Hong Kong microbiologist and physician

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fujian flu</span> Strains of influenza

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Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, commonly referred to as NASBA, is a method in molecular biology which is used to produce multiple copies of single stranded RNA. NASBA is a two-step process that takes RNA and anneals specially designed primers, then utilizes an enzyme cocktail to amplify it.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza</span> Infectious disease, often just "the flu"

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Chen Hualan is a Chinese veterinary virologist best known for researching animal epidemic diseases. She is a member of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and a member of the Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT). She is now a researcher and PhD Supervisor at Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

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Gao Fu, also known as George Fu Gao, is a Chinese virologist and immunologist. He served as Director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention from August 2017 to July 2022 and has been Dean of the Savaid Medical School of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences since 2015.

Leo Poon (潘烈文) is the Head of the Division of Public Health Laboratory Science of the University of Hong Kong. In July 2020, Professor Malik Peiris stepped down from the position of co-director of the joint research pole between Hong Kong University and the Pasteur Institute (HKU-Pasteur), and Professor Leo Poon succeeded to this crucial WHO recognized Centre. He is one of the worlds' leading scientists investigating the emergence of viral diseases transferring from animals to humans, such as new strains of Influenza viruses and coronaviruses. Along with colleagues in his Division, he has made major contributions to the understanding of disease causes, diagnostic testing, and epidemiological control of these pandemic viral diseases.

References

  1. ↑ A., Collins, Richard (1994). "Purification and characterisation of a mutant form of pyruvate kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced by site-directed mutatgenesis". hdl:1842/19640.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. 1 2 Collins RA, Ng TB, Fong WP, Wan CC, Yeung HW (1997). "A comparison of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 inhibition by partially purified aqueous extracts of Chinese medicinal herbs". Life Sciences. 60 (23): PL345–51. doi:10.1016/S0024-3205(97)00227-0. PMID   9180371. S2CID   29318896.
  3. 1 2 Collins RA, Ng TB (1997). "Polysaccharopeptide from Coriolus versicolor has potential for use against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection". Life Sciences. 60 (25): PL383–7. doi:10.1016/S0024-3205(97)00294-4. PMID   9194694.
  4. ↑ Au TK, Collins RA, Lam TL, Ng TB, Fong WP, Wan DC (April 2000). "The plant ribosome inactivating proteins luffin and saporin are potent inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase". FEBS Letters. 471 (2–3): 169–72. doi:10.1016/S0014-5793(00)01389-2. PMID   10767416. S2CID   2385448.
  5. ↑ Collins RA, Ko LS, So KL, Ellis T, Lau LT, Yu AC (May 2002). "Detection of highly pathogenic and low pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5 (Eurasian lineage) using NASBA". Journal of Virological Methods. 103 (2): 213–25. doi:10.1016/S0166-0934(02)00034-4. PMID   12008015.
  6. ↑ Collins RA, Ko LS, Fung KY, et al. (January 2003). "Rapid and sensitive detection of avian influenza virus subtype H7 using NASBA". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 300 (2): 507–15. doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(02)02896-6. PMID   12504113.
  7. ↑ Shan S, Ko LS, Collins RA, et al. (March 2003). "Comparison of nucleic acid-based detection of avian influenza H5N1 with virus isolation". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 302 (2): 377–83. doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(03)00165-7. PMID   12604358.
  8. ↑ Collins RA, Ko LS, So KL, Ellis T, Lau LT, Yu AC (2003). "A NASBA method to detect high- and low-pathogenicity H5 avian influenza viruses". Avian Diseases. 47 (3 Suppl): 1069–74. doi:10.1637/0005-2086-47.s3.1069. PMID   14575113. S2CID   24911414.
  9. ↑ Lau LT, Banks J, Aherne R, et al. (January 2004). "Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification methods to detect avian influenza virus". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 313 (2): 336–42. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2003.11.131. PMC   7111163 . PMID   14684165.
  10. ↑ Lau LT, Fung YW, Wong FP, et al. (December 2003). "A real-time PCR for SARS-coronavirus incorporating target gene pre-amplification". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 312 (4): 1290–6. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2003.11.064 . PMC   7111096 . PMID   14652014.
  11. ↑ Collins RA, Ko LS, Fung KY, Lau LT, Xing J, Yu AC (September 2002). "A method to detect major serotypes of foot-and-mouth disease virus". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 297 (2): 267–74. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.328.625 . doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(02)02178-2. PMID   12237113.
  12. ↑ Feng Q, Chen X, Ma O, et al. (March 2003). "Serotype and VP1 gene sequence of a foot-and-mouth disease virus from Hong Kong (2002)". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 302 (4): 715–21. doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(03)00250-X. PMID   12646228.
  13. ↑ Chen X, Feng Q, Wu Z, et al. (September 2003). "RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene sequence from foot-and-mouth disease virus in Hong Kong". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 308 (4): 899–905. doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(03)01511-0. PMID   12927804.
  14. ↑ Collins RA, Ng TB, Fong WP, Wan CC, Yeung HW (September 1997). "Inhibition of glycohydrolase enzymes by aqueous extracts of Chinese medicinal herbs in a microplate format". Biochemistry and Molecular Biology International. 42 (6): 1163–9. doi: 10.1080/15216549700203631 . PMID   9305534. S2CID   35462917.
  15. ↑ http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr00-01/english/bc/bc51/minutes/bc512811.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  16. ↑ "DNA-testing policy bad for families and hi-tech companies". South China Morning Post. 14 July 2001.
  17. ↑ Collins RA, Wu WS, Xing J, Lau LT, Yu AC (May 2003). "Parentage testing anomalies in Hong Kong SAR of China". Chinese Medical Journal. 116 (5): 708–11. PMID   12875686.
  18. ↑ "Parentage test findings signal rise in promiscuity". South China Morning Post. 13 July 2003.
  19. ↑ Parentage testing in Hong Kong. BBC World Service. The World Today: East Asia. 14 July 2003.
  20. ↑ New DNA test could have detected flu earlier. South China Morning Post. 6 June 2001.
  21. ↑ DNA testing could stop H5N1 spread. Medical Tribune. June–July 2001.
  22. ↑ HK-made kit for rapid SARS checks ready for testing. Sunday Morning Post. 21 April 2003.
  23. ↑ The molecular biology revolution: Applications in veterinary diagnosis. BioIT World Conference / MedPharma World 2002. 30 January 2002.
  24. ↑ A NASBA method to detect pathogenic and non-pathogenic avian influenza A subtype H5. 5th International Symposium on Avian Influenza. Athens, GA, USA. 17 April 2002.
  25. ↑ Rapid Detection of Avian Flu H5 Type. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Hong Kong Medical Technology Association. 21 July 2002.
  26. ↑ Kwan P, Johnston J, Fung AY, Chong DS, Collins RA, Lo SV (2007). "A systematic evaluation of payback of publicly funded health and health services research in Hong Kong". BMC Health Services Research. 7: 121. doi:10.1186/1472-6963-7-121. PMC   1952059 . PMID   17662157.
  27. ↑ Hannah Kennard.Grimsby Telegraph.14 Jan 2005.
  28. ↑ Robin Kwong.South China Morning Post. 16 Feb 2005
  29. ↑ David Watkins.Reasons to be fearful.South China Morning Post. 22 Feb 2005.
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