Key details
Dr Giulia T M Getti
Associate Professor in Microbiology
Dr Giulia Getti graduated from the University of Perugia, Italy, in July 2000 with a degree in biological science, specialising in microbiology and molecular biology. She worked as a research assistant at Perugia University for a year and in 2003 moved to the University of Greenwich to start a PhD on 'Interaction between Leishmania parasites and mammalian macrophages'.
In 2006, Dr Getti started working at the University of East London as a research fellow developing standard protocols in proteomics and MALDI-TOF based analytical techniques for the analysis of microbial protein expression. She joined the University of Greenwich in 2008 as a senior lecturer in microbiology.
Responsibilities within the university
Programme leader
- MSc Biomedical Science
Course coordinator
- Pharmaceutical Microbiology and an introduction to Biotechnology
- Medical Microbiology.
Course participation
- Cell and Microbial Biology
- Human Molecular Biology
- Immunology
- Introduction to Medical Science
- Pharmaceutics.
Research / Scholarly interests
Dr Getti's research focuses on the study of the interaction between Leishmania parasites and mammalian macrophages.
Leishmania is a digenetic protozoan parasite whose life cycle alternates between two stages, an extracellular promastigote stage (carried by host sandfly) and intracellular amastigotes (inside human host cells). Once the parasite has established itself inside host macrophages, it spreads causing a variety of symptoms ranging from skin lesion to visceral involvement and death. No vaccine or suitable cure is available to date. Dr Getti's research concentrates on the infection stage relevant to the disease: the intracellular amastigote stage.
Study of the intracellular stage is challenging for a number of reasons, one of which is that detection and monitoring of infection takes place through time consuming techniques such as GIEMSA stain and microscopic counting. Dr Getti's research group has worked on this problem and generated GFP-expressing parasites (L. aethiopica, L. major, L. tropica and L. mexicana) that allow the automatized detection of infection via flow cytometry. This model has also been successfully validated for in-vitro screening of novel compounds on intracellular parasites. They are currently looking at the possibility of using our GFP-expressing parasites for in-vivo studies.
The mechanism through which the parasites survive and spread inside the human host is far from understood and the group are looking at it from a number of points.
A comparative proteomic study of the infection process of 4 parasite species is under way and it will give an overview of those proteins that are contributing to the disease development and are therefore possible targets for therapies.
A number of infectious organisms are well known to interfere with host cell apoptosis, ability to regulate this process is likely to greatly contribute to the success of the infection. Dr Getti's research group are looking at elucidating the effect of Leishmania at various stages of infection on host cell apoptosis.
The ability of the parasites to express specific membrane proteins at various stages of it life cycle as well as during infection is under study. Families of proteins that have been found in a number of organisms and are responsible for cellular processes essential for survival have been identified and their expression studied.
Leishmania parasites can successfully establish themselves in the human host thanks to their ability to use the very cell that should be killing infectious organisms. The results of this research will support the much needed understanding of the basic biology behind this infection. Moreover this research has the potential to greatly impact on the search and development of novel treatment against leishmaniasis.
Recent publications
Article
Coakley-Youngs, Emma , Ranatunga, Medhavi, Richardson, Simon, Getti, Giulia , Shorter, Susan , Fivaz, Marc (2022), Autism-associated CHD8 keeps proliferation of human neural progenitors in check by lengthening the G1 phase of the cell cycle. The Company of Biologists. In: , , , . The Company of Biologists, Biology Open, 11: bio058941 (9) . pp. 1-11 2046-6390 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.058941).
Ghanizadeh Tabriz, Atabak , Viegas, Beatriz, Okereke, Michael, Uddin, Md Jasim , Arribas Lopez, Elena , Zand Fard, Nazanin , Ranatunga, Medhavi , Getti, Giulia , Douroumis, Dionysios (2022), Evaluation of 3D printability and biocompatibility of microfluidic resin for fabrication of solid microneedles. MDPI. In: , , , . MDPI, Micromachines, 13: 1368 . pp. 1-16 2072-666X (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13091368).
Getti, Giulia , Harris, Sarah, Alexandru, Ioana-Christina, Boulas, Raphaelle , Brempong, Louise , Huckstepp, Rebekah , Gandhi, Vishwa Hiteshbhai , Muntean, Diana , Pires Piedade, Ana , Tresserras-Segura, Clara (2021), The challenges of teaching and learning during a pandemic become an opportunity: reflections on a student and academic partnership. Educational Development Unit, University of Greenwich. In: , , , . Educational Development Unit, University of Greenwich, Compass: Journal of Learning and Teaching, 14 (3) . pp. 1-4 ISSN: 2044-0081 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.21100/compass.v14i3.1239).
Ahmed, Asif , Boateng, Joshua, Getti, Giulia (2021), Medicated multi-targeted alginate-based dressings for potential treatment of mixed bacterial-fungal infections in diabetic foot ulcers. Elsevier B.V.. In: , , , . Elsevier B.V., International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 606: 120903 ISSN: 0378-5173 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120903).
Akanda, Md Mushfiq , Getti, Giulia, Nandi, Uttom, Mithu, Md Sadeque Hossain , Douroumis, Dionysios (2021), Bioconjugated solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) for targeted prostate cancer therapy. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 599: 120416 ISSN: 0378-5173 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120416).
Akanda, Mushfiq , Getti, Giulia, Nandi, Uttom, Sadeque Mithu, Md , Douroumis, Dionysios (2021), Bioconjugated solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) for targeted prostate cancer therapy. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 599: 120416 ISSN: 0378-5173 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120416).
Ranatunga, Medhavi , Rai, Rajeev, Richardson, Simon C. W., Dyer, Paul , Harbige, Laurence , Deacon, Andrew , Pecorino, Lauren , Getti, Giulia T. M. (2019), Leishmania aethiopica cell-to-cell spreading involves caspase-3, AkT and NF-jB but not PKC-d activation and involves uptake of LAMP-1 positive bodies containing parasites. Wiley. In: , , , . Wiley, The FEBS Journal (Federation of European Biochemical Societies), 287 (9) . pp. 1777-1797 ISSN: 1742-464X (Print), 1742-4658 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.15166).
Getti, G. T. M and , Poole, P. L. (2019), Allicin causes fragmentation of the peptidoglycan coat in Staphylococcus aureus by effecting synthesis and aiding hydrolysis: a determination by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry on whole cells. Microbiology Society. In: , , , . Microbiology Society, Journal of Medical Microbiology, 68 (4) . pp. 667-677 ISSN: 0022-2615 (Print), 1473-5644 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.000950).
Ahmed, Asif , Getti, Giulia, Boateng, Joshua (2017), Ciprofloxacin-loaded calcium alginate wafers prepared by freeze-drying technique for potential healing of chronic diabetic foot ulcers. Springer US. In: , , , . Springer US, Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 8 (6) . pp. 1751-1768 ISSN: 2190-393X (Print), 2190-3948 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13346-017-0445-9).
Rai, Rajeev , Dyer, Paul, Richardson, Simon, Harbige, Laurence , Getti, Giulia (2017), Apoptotic induction induces Leishmania aethiopica and L. mexicana spreading in terminally differentiated THP-1 cells. Cambridge University Press. In: , , , . Cambridge University Press, Parasitology, 144 (14) . pp. 1912-1921 ISSN: 0031-1820 (Print), 1469-8161 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182017001366).
Akiyode, Olufunke , George, Daliya, Getti, Giulia, Boateng, Joshua (2016), Systematic comparison of the functional physico-chemical characteristics and biocidal activity of microbial derived biosurfactants on blood-derived and breast cancer cells. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 479 . pp. 221-233 ISSN: 0021-9797 (Print), (doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2016.06.051).
Dyer, Paul D. R. , Kotha, Arun K., Gollings, Alex S., Shorter, Susan A. , Shepherd, Thomas R. , Pettit, Marie W. , Alexander, Bruce D. , Getti, Giulia T. M. , El-Daher, Samer , Baillie, Les (2016), An in vitro evaluation of epigallocatechin gallate (eGCG) as a biocompatible inhibitor of ricin toxin. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects, 1860 (7) . pp. 1541-1550 ISSN: 0304-4165 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.03.024).
Conference item
Getti, Giulia , Tsay, Han-Huei (Crystal), Quan, Lianfeng, Minh, Van (2024), Using early feedback to start a conversation with students. In: Teaching and Learning Conference 2024, 2nd - 4th Jul, 2024, Nottingham Trent University , . , (doi: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/programmes-events/calendar/teaching-and-learning-conference-2024).