mikebuckley - bioarchyork

Mike Buckley

Research

Under the guidance of my supervisors Dr Matthew Collins in archaeology, and Prof. Jane Thomas-Oates in chemistry, my PhD research focussed on several abiomolecular methods of species identification in archaeozoology, with a particular emphasis on protein sequencing. Although my office and one of my preparation labs is based in the BioArch facility, in which I carry out HPLC analyses for amino acid composition and racemization information for each sample, I spend most of my time working amongst the several service labs available to Biology in the Technology Facility, primarily the Proteomics and Analytical Biochemistry lab, but also the Protein Production and Molecular Interactions labs. These offer great facilities that allow me to carry out LC-MALDI-MS/MS, ESI-MS, and various types of other LC (using AKTA systems) methods and protein quantitation methods.

Primary Research Project

Using methods of proteomics and analytical biochemistry for species identification and phylogenetic analyses of archaeological remains.

Back in 2004, as part of my masters and early PhD research, I showed that the initial widely-adopted protein of choice, osteocalcin, was less frequently observed in archaeological samples (and processed/heated meat and bone meal samples) than DNA. Thus in 2005 I began sequencing type 1 collagen peptides by LC-MALDI-TOF-Mass Spectrometry, with the goals of identifying the species of fragments of ancient bone.

Using methods of amino acid racemization for studying 'collagen quality' and as a screening tool prior to MS analyses.

Racemization of particular amino acids can be used to describe the quality of the preserved collagen as well as the yields of protein within small samples of bone (<1 mg) before carrying out greater destruction of precious samples.

Previous Research projects

Chemical and Statistical Analysis of Anglo-Roman Coin Hoards using SEM-EDS

My year-long undergraduate dissertation project was based on using Scanning Electron Microscopy with added Energy Dispersive Spectrometry in order to study the changes in composition of the 'fake' romano-british coins of the late third century AD, known as barbarous radiates.

Other Interests Include

Bioinformatics in Biomolecular Archaeology and phylogenetic analyses of protein sequences from extinct species
Amino acid racemization in highly degraded bone samples

Cave archaeology in Britain

Scientific studies in archaeometallurgy

Excavation Participation

Domuztepe, South-East Turkey 2006 University of Manchester
Stonehenge Riverside Project Durrington, England in 2005 University of Sheffield and University of Manchester
Pyrgos tis Reginas, Cyprus in 2002
Dichin, Bulgaria in 2001 University of Nottingham

Educational History

B.A. Archaeology (1st Class) University of Nottingham 2000-2003
MSc Biomolecular Archaeology (with Distinction) University of Sheffield and UMIST (with Summer Project at BioArch, York) 2003-04
NERC-funded PhD University of York, Department of Biology 2004-2008
At the start of my PhD I worked as part of Professor Peggy Ostrom's lab at Michigan State University, aiming to improve the extraction of osteocalcin from fossils using enzymes.
NERC-funded Post-doctoral Research Associate at the University of York, Department of Biology 2008-2009.

Contact

mbuckley82@gmail.com

(44) 1904 328806