I teach Introductory Biochemistry and courses at Science III and IV level with an emphasis on Proteins (especially enzymes), their structure and study. I also have a strong interest in biophysical methods for studying proteins.

An outline of my courses and all courses taught by staff in the Department of Biochemistry are available in UCC's Book of Modules.
My courses are all available to registered students on Blackboard.
An electronic version of my teaching portfolio is available here.
Find my textbook Physical Biochemistry: Principles and Applications (2000; Wileys) here. The Second Edition will be published in early 2009.

• Dowd, C.A., Buckley, C.M. and Sheehan, D.
  Glutathione S-transferases of the white rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium. (1997)
  Biochemical Journal. 324, 243-248

• Foley, V. and Sheehan, D.
  Glutathione S-transferases of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica have unusually large molecular mass (1998)
  Biochemical Journal. 333, 839-845.

• Dowd, C. and Sheehan, D.
  Variable expression of glutathione S-transferase isoenzymes in the fungus Mucor circinelloides. (1999)
  FEMS Microbiol. Lett.s 170, 13-17.

• Sheehan, D. and Power, A.
  Effects of seasonality on xenobiotic and antioxidant defence mechanisms of bivalve molluscs. (1999)
  Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. 123, 3-9.

• Sheehan, D., Meade, G., Foley, V. and Dowd, C.
  Structure, function and evolution of glutathione S-transferases: Implications for the classification of non-mammalian members of an ancient enzyme superfamily. (2001)
  Biochemical Journal. 360, 1-16.

• McGoldrick, S., O’Sullivan, S.M. and Sheehan, D.
  Glutathione transferase-like proteins encoded in genomes of yeasts and fungi: Insights into evolution of a multifunctional protein superfamily. (2005)
  FEMS Microbiol. Lett.s. 242, 1-12.

• McGoldrick, S., McCarthy, T.V. and Sheehan, D.
  The 110 kDa glutathione transferase of Yarrowia lipolytica is encoded by a homologue of the TEF3 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Cloning, expression and homology modeling of the recombinant protein. (2005)
  Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 337, 1125-1132.

• O’Sullivan, S.M., McCarthy, R., Vargo, M., Coleman, R., Sheehan, D. (2006) Labelling cysteines-17 (subunit 1) of rat kidney Alpha class glutathione transferases with 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1, 4-benzoquinone: Highly correlated effects on both glutathione conjugation and tryptophan-20 intrinsic fluorescence. Biochemical Pharmacology 71, 1629-1636.

• Sheehan D.
  Applications of in vitro techniques in studies of biomarkers and ecotoxicology.
  In In Vitro Methods in Aquatic Toxicology (C. Mothersill and B. Austin, eds.). (2004)
  Springer-Verlag pp.55-76.

• Ní Shúilleabháin, S., Mothersill, C., Sheehan, D., O'Brien, N.M., O'Halloran, J., Van Pelt, F. and Davoren, M.
  In vitro cytotoxicity testing of three zinc metal salts using established fish cell lines. (2004)
  Toxicology In Vitro. 18, 367-376.

• Davoren, M., Ní Shúilleabháin, Hartl, MG.J.,S., Sheehan, D., O'Brien, N.M., O' Halloran, J., Van Pelt, F.N.A.M. and Mothersill, C.
  Assessing the potential of fish cell lines as tools for the cytotoxicity testing of estuarine sediment aqueous elutriates. (2005)
  Toxicology in Vitro. 19 , 421-431.

• Davoren, M., Ní Shúilleabháin, S., O' Halloran, J., Hartl, M.G.J., Sheehan, D., O'Brien, N.M.,Van Pelt, F.N.A.M., and Mothersill, C.
  A test battery approach for the ecotoxicological evaluation of estuarine sediments. (2005)
  Ecotoxicology. 14, 741-755.

• Ní Shúilleabháin, S., Mothersill, C., Sheehan, D., O'Brien, N.M., O' Halloran, J., Van Pelt, F.N.A.M., Kilemade, M. and Davoren, M.
  Cellular responses in primary epidermal cultures from rainbow trout exposed to zinc chloride. (2006)
  Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 65, 332-334.

We are applying 2-D SDS PAGE to molluscs exposed to environmental chemical pollutants in field-sampled mussels, in mussels deliberately exposed to pro-oxidants and in sediment-challenged clams. A separate project involves developing 2-D SDS PAGE methods for identifying proteins especially targeted by oxidative stress. This focuses on detection of carbonylated and glutathionylated proteins as well as effects on thiol and disulphide status. Recently, in collaboration with Tyndall Natl Laboratory, we have become interested in study of redox effects of nanoparticles.

• McDonagh, B. and Sheehan, D. (2008) Effects of oxidative stress on protein thiols and disulphides in Mytilus edulis revealed by proteomics: Actin and protein disulphide isomerase are redox targets. Marine Environmental Research 66, 193-195.

• McDonagh, B. and Sheehan, D. (2007) Effect of oxidative stress on protein thiols in the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis: Proteomic identification of target proteins. Proteomics, 7, 3395-3403.

• Chora, S., McDonagh, B., Sheehan, D., Starita-Geribaldi, M., Romeo, M and Bebianno, M.J. (2008) Ubiquitination and carbonylation as markers of oxidative stress in Ruditapes decussatus. Marine Environmental Research 66, 95-97.

• Sheehan D. (2007) Potential of proteomics in environmental health. Reviews on Environmental Health 22, 175-194.

• Prevodnik, A., Gardeström, J., Lilja, K., Elfwing, T., McDonagh B., Petrovic, N., Tedengren, M., Sheehan, D. and Bollner, T. (2007) Oxidative stress in response to xenobiotics in the blue mussel Mytilus edulis L: Evidence for variation along a natural salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea. Aquatic Toxicology, 82, 63-71.

• Dowling, V.A. and Sheehan D. (2006) Proteomics as a route to identification of toxicity targets in ecotoxicology Proteomics 6, 5597-5604.

• Dowling, V., Hoarau, P., Romeo, M., O’Halloran, J., F. van Pelt, F. N. A. M., O’Brien, N.M., and Sheehan, D. (2006) Protein carbonylation and heat shock response in Ruditapes decussatus following p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) exposure: a proteomic approach reveals DDE causes oxidative stress. Aquatic Toxicology 77, 11-18.

• Tyther, R., Ahmeda, A., Johns, E. and Sheehan D. (2008) Protein carbonylation in kidney medulla of the spontaneously hypertensive rat. Proteomics Clin. Invest. IN PRESS

• Sheehan D. and McDonagh B. (2008) Bivalves and oxidative stress: A proteomics approach. Invertebrate Survival Journal 5, 110-123.

• Tyther, R., Ahmed, M., Johns, E. and Sheehan, D. (2007) Proteomic identification of nitrosylated proteins in hypertensive rat kidneys. Proteomics 7, 4555-4564

• Sheehan D. (2006) Detection of redox-based modification in two dimensional electrophoresis proteomic separations. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 349 , 455-462.

• Hu, W., Keane, C., Doyle, H., Iacopino, D., Redmond, G., and Sheehan, D. (2008) Antioxidant effects of gold nanoparticles revealed by study of protein thiols in Escherichia coli. Nanotoxicology SUBMITTED

• Tedesco, S., Doyle, H., Redmand, G. and Sheehan, D. (2008) Gold nanoparticles effects on mussel Mytilus edulis: A proteomic approach. Marine Environmental Research 66, 131-133.

• 2008 €72,000 Irish Research Council for Science Engineering and Technology PhD grant Proteomics approach to oxidative stress in Daphnia magna.

• 2007 Invited participant in COST action FA0603 Plant Proteomics in Europe .

• 2006 €40,000 Environmental Protection Agency. A novel green technology for environmental remediation of chloroaromatic contaminants. Joint with Dr Marcel Jansen (ZEPS, UCC).

• 2006 €72,009 Irish Research Council for Science Engineering and Technology PhD grant Redox proteomic investigation of the mussel Mytilus edulis in ecotoxicology .

• 2005 €150,000 Irish Health Research Board grant; Dental Erosion in Irish Teenagers: An Epidemiological and Laboratory Investigation. Collaboration with Dr Helen Whelton, Dental School, UCC.

1. Sheehan, D. (Editor) (1997)
   Bioremediation Protocols
   Volume 2 in series Methods in Biotechnology
   (Humana Press, series editor Prof John Walker). 339pp.
   
2. Sheehan, D. (2000)
   Physical Biochemistry: Principles and Applications
   John Wiley & Sons Ltd. London . 350pp.
   
3. Sheehan, D. (2009)
   Physical Biochemistry: Principles and Applications,
   John Wiley & Sons Ltd. London.
   (350pp; http://www.wiley.co.uk ).
   Second edition published in Spring 2009.
   
4. Sheehan, D. (Editor) (2009)
   Two Dimensional Electrophoresis Protocols,
   (Humana Press, series editor Prof John Walker).
   (450pp.; http://www.humanapress.com).

For the past five years, I have acted as referee for 40 peer-reviewed journals including:

• The Biochemical Journal;
• Biochimica et Biophysica Acta;
• Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics;
• Environmental Pollution;
• Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology;
• Science of the Total Environment;
• European Journal of Biochemistry Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry;
• International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology;
• Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

1999 - Date
Editorial Advisor, Biochemical Journal

2002 - Date
Member of Editorial Board Essays in Biochemistry (Portland Press)

2006 - Date
Member of Editorial Board Research Journal of Biological Sciences (Medwell)

2008 - Date
Member of Editorial Board Drug Testing and Analysis (Wiley-Blackwell)

• Successfully supervised 13 PhD and 14 MSc students
• External examiner for 10 PhD and 2 MSc students

Project
Redox proteomic investigation of the mussel Mytilus edulis in ecotoxicology

• Gorbi S., Pellegrini D., Tedesco S., Regoli F. (2004).
  Antioxidant efficiency and detoxification enzymes in spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula.
  Mar. Environ. Res. 58: 293-297

• Regoli F., Gorbi S., Machella N., Tedesco S., Benedetti M., Bocchetti R., Notti A., Fattorini D., Piva F., Principato G. (2005).
  Pro-oxidant effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields in the land snail Helix aspersa.
  Free Radical Biology & Medicine 39: 1620-1628.

• Regoli F. , Gorbi S., Fattorini D., Tedesco S., Notti A., Machella N., Bocchetti R., Benedetti M., Piva F. (2006).
  Use of the Land Snail Helix aspersa as Sentinel Organism for Monitoring Ecotoxicologic Effects of Urban Pollution: An integrated Approach.
  Environmental Health Perspectives 114: 63-69

• Tedesco, S., Doyle, H., Redmond, G. and Sheehan, D. (2007).
  Gold Nanoparticles Effects on Mussel Mytilus Edulis: A Proteomic Approach.
  Marine Environmental Research. IN PRESS.

Project
Novel selection approaches in redox proteomics

Career History
Wentao completed a B.Sc. in Material Science, SUES, Shanghai, China. He came to Ireland in 2006 to complete an MSc in Applied Science (Biotechnology).

Project
Proteomics approach to oxidative stress in Daphnia magna

Career History

Louis-Charles is a Canadian student from Quebec Province. He holds a BSc in Biochemistry and Biotechnologies and a MSc in oceanography from the University of Quebec (ISMER,UQAR), during which he started specialising in ecotoxicology by exploring multixenobiotic resistance in marine algae.. He has a strong interest in proteins and biophysics, but wants to apply this mostly to the environmental field. He is a lover of science, philosophy and knowledge in general. He says, you'll generally see him in a lot of places as he tends to get involved a lot in university life! His PhD research topic is Proteomics approach to oxidative stress in Daphnia magna.