Dr Alex Eckersley leads a research group dedicated to elucidating the mechanisms and consequences of extracellular matrix (ECM) damage in ageing and disease. His group have particular interests in basement membrane damage and the role of cell-signalling matrix fragments, known as matrikines, in driving tissue degeneration and repair.

He collaborates with industry partners, including Boots No 7 to identify biomarkers of ECM ageing and to develop novel anti-ageing therapies aimed at promoting skin regeneration and repair. His lab pioneers novel proteomic methodologies, including mass spectrometry techniques and bespoke bioinformatics tools for spatial and structural proteomics. Among these innovations is “peptide location fingerprinting”, designed to detect damaged and post-translationally modified proteins within complex biological samples. Complementing these molecular techniques, the lab employs protein purification techniques, such as size-exclusion chromatography, and utilizes atomic force microscopy to characterize ultrastructural alterations in ECM assemblies at the nanoscale.

Dr Eckersley was recently awarded a 2024 BBSRC New Investigator Award to explore age-related modifications and proteolytic fragmentation of basement membrane proteins across skin, lung, and kidney. He was also awarded the 2019 Early-Career Award from the British Society for Proteome Research for his development of peptide location fingerprinting, as well as Seedcorn funding from the Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing (MICRA) in 2020 and the ECMage Network in 2023.

He also plays a key role in the design and evaluation of novel peptide-based bioactives for Boots No7, serving as co-inventor on four patents. Some of these bioactive peptides were incorporated into the Boots Future Renew product line, which launched commercially in 2023.

Current lab members:

Dr Krishna Purohit

Dr Krishan Mistry

Ms Tess Birtles