Dr Craig Boote

: Media commentator
: Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Craig Boote

Reader, Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research
School of Optometry and Vision Sciences

Research Overview

My main research interests are the biophysical properties and structural biology of the cornea and sclera. I am using x-ray scattering and microscopic imaging to investigate the factors that govern corneal transparency and refractive status, and their compromise in disease and surgery. I am also researching the structural biology and biomechanical function of the sclera and optic nerve head, and investigating their role in the development of glaucoma.

Teaching Overview

I am lecturer and module leader for the BSc Optometric Physics (OP0204) and Research & Study Skills (OP1204) modules. I also contribute teaching to the BSc Geometrical & Visual Optics (OP1203) module.

Date
Type

2014

Geraghty, B. et al., 2014. Age-related variation in the biomechanical and structural properties of the corneo-scleral tunic. In: Derby, B. and Akhtar, R. eds. Mechanical Properties of Aging Soft Tissues. Engineering Materials and Processes Springer. , pp.207-235. (10.1007/978-3-319-03970-1_9)
Pijanka, J. K. et al. 2014. Changes in scleral collagen organization in murine chronic experimental glaucoma. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 55 (10), pp.6554-6564. (10.1167/iovs.14-15047)
Whitford, C. et al., 2014. Modelo biomecanico de la cornea humana considerano la variacion regional de la anisotropia, la densidad y la cohesion interlaminar de las fibrillas de collageno. In: del Buey Sayas, M. A. and Martez, C. P. eds. Biomecanica y Arquitectura Corneal. Barcelona: Elsevier. , pp.343-357.

2013

Boote, C. et al. 2013. Quantification of Collagen Ultrastructure after Penetrating Keratoplasty - Implications for Corneal Biomechanics. PLoS ONE 8 (7) e68166. (10.1371/journal.pone.0068166)
Coudrillier, B. et al., 2013. Scleral anisotropy and its effects on the mechanical response of the optic nerve head. Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology 12 (5), pp.941-963. (10.1007/s10237-012-0455-y)
Hayes, S. et al. 2013. The effect of Riboflavin/UVA collagen cross-linking therapy on the structure and hydrodynamic behaviour of the ungulate and rabbit corneal stroma. PLoS ONE 8 (1) e52860. (10.1371/journal.pone.0052860)
Morgan, S. R. et al. 2013. An X-Ray scattering study into the structural basis of corneal refractive function in an Avian Model. Biophysical Journal 104 (12), pp.2586-2594. (10.1016/j.bpj.2013.04.053)
Pijanka, J. K. et al. 2013. A wide-angle X-ray fibre diffraction method for quantifying collagen orientation across large tissue areas: application to the human eyeball coat. Journal of Applied Crystallography 46 (5), pp.1481-1489. (10.1107/S0021889813022358)

2012

Boote, C. et al. 2012. Quantitative assessment of ultrastructure and light scatter in mouse corneal debridement wounds. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 53 (6), pp.2786-2795. (10.1167/iovs.11-9305)
Coudrillier, B. , Boote, C. and Nguyen, T. D. 2012. Effects of the scleral collagen structure on the biomechanical response of the optic nerve head. Presented at: ASME 2012 Summer Bioengineering Conference Fajardo, Puerto Rico 20-23 June 2012. Proceedings of the ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference--2012 : presented at ASME 2012 Summer Bioengineering Conference, June 20-23, 2012, Fajardo, Puerto Rico. New York, N.Y.: ASME. , pp.513-514. (10.1115/SBC2012-80540)
Hayes, S. et al. 2012. Depth Profile Study of Abnormal Collagen Orientation in Keratoconus Corneas. Archives of Ophthalmology 130 (2), pp.251-252. (10.1001/archopthalmol.2011.1467)
Pijanka, J. K. et al. 2012. Quantitative mapping of collagen fiber orientation in non-glaucoma and glaucoma posterior human scleras. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 53 (9), pp.5258-5270. (10.1167/iovs.12-9705)

2011

Boote, C. et al. 2011. The influence of lamellar orientation on corneal material behavior: biomechanical and dtructural changes in an avian corneal disorder. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 52 (3), pp.1243-1251. (10.1167/iovs.10-5962)
Boote, C. et al. 2011. Quantification of collagen organization in the peripheral human cornea at micron-scale resolution. Biophysical Journal 101 (1), pp.33-42. (10.1016/j.bpj.2011.05.029)
Coudrillier, B. , Boote, C. and Nguyen, T. D. 2011. Modeling the effect of the experimentally-derived collagen structure on the mechanical anisotropy of the human sclera. Presented at: ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference 2011 Farmington, PA, USA 22-25 June 2011. Proceedings of the ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference--2011 : presented at 2010 ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, June 22-25, 2011, Farmington, Pennsylvania, USA. New York, N.Y.: ASME. , pp.419-420. (10.1115/SBC2011-53272)
Hayes, S. et al. 2011. Riboflavin/UVA Collagen Cross-Linking-Induced Changes in Normal and Keratoconus Corneal Stroma. PLoS ONE 6 (8) e22405. (10.1371/journal.pone.0022405)
Hayes, S. et al. 2011. The effect of vitamin C deficiency and chronic ultraviolet-B exposure on corneal ultrastructure: a preliminary investigation. Molecular Vision 17 , pp.3107-3115.
Kamma-Lorger, C. S. et al., 2011. FTIR has the potential to detect stem cells in the bovine corneal stroma. Journal of Physical Chemistry and Biophysics 1 (1) 10000103.
Koudouna, E. et al. 2011. Preliminary electron microscopical studies of connective tissue in the human lamina cribrosa [Abstract]. International Journal of Experimental Pathology 92 (6), pp.A26. (10.1111/j.1365-2613.2011.00780.x)

2010

Kamma-Lorger, C. S. et al. 2010. Collagen and mature elastic fibre organisation as a function of depth in the human cornea and limbus. Journal of Structural Biology 169 (3), pp.424-430. (10.1016/j.jsb.2009.11.004)
Palka, B. P. et al. 2010. Structural Collagen Alterations in Macular Corneal Dystrophy Occur Mainly in the Posterior Stroma. Current Eye Research 35 (7), pp.580-586. (10.3109/02713681003760150)
Sheppard, J. et al. 2010. Changes in corneal collagen architecture during mouse postnatal development. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 51 (6), pp.2936-2942. (10.1167/iovs.09-4612)

2009

Boote, C. et al. 2009. Ultrastructural changes in the retinopathy, globe enlarged (rge) chick cornea. Journal of Structural Biology 166 (2), pp.195-204. (10.1016/j.jsb.2009.01.009)
Hayes, S. et al. 2009. A structural investigation of corneal graft failure in suspected recurrent keratoconus. Eye 24 (4), pp.728-734. (10.1038/eye.2009.159)
Kamma-Lorger, C. S. et al. 2009. Collagen ultrastructural changes during stromal wound healing in organ cultured bovine corneas. Experimental Eye Research 88 (5), pp.953-959. (10.1016/j.exer.2008.12.005)
Kamma-Lorger, C. S. et al. 2009. Effects on collagen orientation in the cornea after trephine injury. Molecular Vision 15 , pp.378-385.
Meek, K. M. A. and Boote, C. 2009. The use of X-ray scattering techniques to quantify the orientation and distribution of collagen in the corneal stroma. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research 28 (5), pp.369-392. (10.1016/j.preteyeres.2009.06.005)
Young, R. D. et al. 2009. Stromal Edema in Klf4 Conditional Null Mouse Cornea Is Associated with Altered Collagen Fibril Organization and Reduced Proteoglycans. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 50 (9), pp.4155-4161. (10.1167/iovs.09-3561)

2008

Boote, C. et al. 2008. Collagen organization in the chicken cornea and structural alterations in the retinopathy, globe enlarged (rge) phenotype - An X-ray diffraction study. Journal of Structural Biology 161 (1), pp.1-8. (10.1016/j.jsb.2007.08.015)

2007

Hayes, S. et al. 2007. Comparative Study of Fibrillar Collagen Arrangement in the Corneas of Primates and Other Mammals. The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology 290 (12), pp.1542-1550. (10.1002/ar.20613)
Hayes, S. et al. 2007. A study of corneal thickness, shape and collagen organisation in keratoconus using videokeratography and X-ray scattering techniques. Experimental Eye Research 84 (3), pp.423-434. (10.1016/j.exer.2006.10.014)
Quantock, A. J. et al. 2007. Small-angle fibre diffraction studies of corneal matrix structure: a depth profiled investigation of the human eye-bank cornea. Journal of Applied Crystallography 40 (S1), pp.S335-S340. (10.1107/S0021889807005523)

2006

Boote, C. et al. 2006. Mapping collagen organization in the human cornea: left and right eyes are structurally distinct. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 47 (3), pp.901-908. (10.1167/iovs.05-0893)
Pinsky, P. M. et al., 2006. Modeling the human cornea - a stromal tissue constitutive model based on measured collagen architecture [Abstract]. Journal of Biomechanics 39 (S1), pp.S386. (10.1016/S0021-9290(06)84558-6)

2005

Boote, C. et al. 2005. Lamellar orientation in human cornea in relation to mechanical properties. Journal of Structural Biology 149 (1), pp.1-6. (10.1016/j.jsb.2004.08.009)

2004

Boote, C. , Hayes, S. and Meek, K. M. A. 2004. Spatial mapping of collagen fibril organisation in primate cornea - an X-ray diffraction investigation. Journal of Structural Biology 146 (3), pp.359-367. (10.1016/j.jsb.2003.12.009)
Meek, K. M. A. and Boote, C. 2004. The organization of collagen in the corneal stroma. Experimental Eye Research 78 (3), pp.503-512. (10.1016/j.exer.2003.07.003)
Sturrock, E. J. et al., 2004. The effects of the biaxial stretching of leather on fibre orientation and tensile modulus. Journal of Materials Science 39 (7), pp.2481-2486. (10.1023/B:JMSC.0000020013.90114.92)

2003

Boote, C. et al. 2003. Collagen fibrils appear more closely packed in the prepupillary cornea: Optical and biomechanical implications. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 44 (7), pp.2941-2948. (10.1167/iovs.03-0131)
Boote, C. , Hayes, S. and Meek, K. M. A. 2003. Collagen organisation in adult and foetal marmoset cornea. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 44 (E-Abst)
Boote, C. et al. 2003. Collagen fibrils appear more closely packed in the prepupilliary cornea: optical and biomechanical implications. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 44 (7), pp.2941-2948. (10.1167/iovs.03-0131)
Boote, C. et al. 2003. A wide-angle x-ray diffraction study of the developing embryonic chicken cornea. Fibre Diffraction Review 11 (1), pp.123-129.
Boote, C. et al. 2003. Collagen orientation during development of the embryonic avian cornea. Fibre Diffraction Review 11 (1), pp.130.
Hayes, S. et al. 2003. Ultrastructural Changes in Keratoconic-like Mice Corneas [Abstract]. Fibre Diffraction Review 11 , pp.135.
Quantock, A. J. et al. 2003. Collagen organization in the secondary chick cornea during development. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 44 (1), pp.130-136.
Quantock, A. J. et al. 2003. Collagen Organization in the Secondary Chick Cornea during Development. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 44 (1), pp.130-136. (10.1167/iovs.02-0544)
Quantock, A. J. et al. 2003. Annulus of collagen fibrils in mouse cornea and structural matrix alterations in a murine-specific keratopathy. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 44 (5), pp.1906-1911. (10.1167/iovs.02-0884)

2002

Boote, C. et al. 2002. Collagen orientation during development of the embryonic avian cornea [Abstract]. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 43 E-Abstract 3214.
Boote, C. et al. 2002. Psuedo-affine behaviour of collagen fibres during the uniaxial deformation of leather. Journal of Materials Science 37 (17), pp.3651-3656. (10.1023/A:1016505107534)

2001

Sturrock, E. J. et al., 2001. The effect on bending stiffness of drying leather under strain. Jornal of Leather Tech and Chem 86 , pp.6-10.

1998

Forsyth, V. T. et al., 1998. Instrument D19 at the Institut Laue-Langevin: A high resolution diffractometer for single crystal and fibre diffraction studies. Fibre Diffraction Review 7 , pp.17-24.
Shotton, M. W. et al., 1998. New Developments in Instrumentation for X-ray and Neutron Fibre Diffraction Experiments. Journal of Applied Crystallography 31 (5), pp.758-766. (10.1107/S0021889898005287)

The role of scleral and optic nerve head micro-architecture in glaucoma.

Elevated IOP is a major glaucoma risk factor. However the exact role that IOP plays in the RGC cell loss that characterises glaucoma is unknown. The biomechanical model of glaucoma proposes that IOP-induced deformation in and around the lamina cribrosa of the optic nerve head results in axonal dysfunction and apoptosis. The physical effects of IOP on nerve head axons are primarily mediated by the collagen-rich tissues of the lamina cribrosa and surrounding sclera. Our research aims are to: (i) characterise scleral and laminar tissue micro-architecture as a function of age and glaucoma, and (ii) use this information to determine the biomechanical factors that underpin glaucoma susceptibility and pathogenesis. We have developed novel synchrotron x-ray scattering and laser scanning multiphoton imaging (Fig. 1) tools, to quantify scleral and laminar collagen fibre arrangement, and are using the information to build finite-element models to describe the mechanical behaviour of these tissues under normal/elevated IOP, and thereby their projected influence on nerve head axons.

Corneal dysfunction and the development of therapeutic strategies.

The cornea is a uniquely transparent, precisely curved tissue whose functionality depends heavily on the hierarchical structure and complex micro-anatomy of its extracellular matrix. Despite their importance for vision, the fundamental basis of corneal transparency and shape, and their compromise due to injury and disease, is not fully understood. Our ultimate objective is to relate loss of transparency and changes in corneal shape/astigmatism to tissue micro- and ultra-structure. We are using x-ray scattering methods (Fig. 2) and a range of complementary microscopic imaging modalities to determine in three-dimensions the relationships between the constituent collagen, proteoglycans and cells within normal and pathological mature/developing corneas, post-surgical corneas and emerging biosynthetic corneal replacements. Our aims are to: (i) model corneal transparency at the cellular and fibrillar level, and use this to explain the loss of transparency in a range of pathological conditions, including corneal wounds; (ii) characterize the full three-dimensional structure of the cornea, explain the structural basis of astigmatism, and demonstrate how ectatic and astigmatic pathologies and their surgical treatments can be modelled and their effect on the cornea$acirc; s macroscopic behaviour predicted by finite element analysis; (iii) develop methodologies for stabilizing corneal curvature and restoring transparency, including cell-based and photochemical cross-linking methods.Fig. 2: Collagen fibril orientations in the human cornea, as determined using wide-angle x-ray scattering< (Source:http://www.projectsmagazine.eu.com/randd_projects/understanding_the_complexities_of_the_cornea)

Research Funding (Recent)

Zhu H (PI), Blain E, Boote C, £55,251, PhD Studentship: "Gaining cellular control of ocular biomechanics: a potential route to the treatment of eye disease.", EPSRC, 2019-2020.

Boote C (PI), £79,828, Project Grant: "The biomechanics of the human lamina cribrosa and posteriorsclera: Effects of age and glaucoma.", NIH, 2016-2018.

Meek KM (PI), Quantock AJ, Knupp C, Boote C, £1.75M, Programme Grant: "The ultrastructural basis of corneal dysfunction and the development and optimization of novel therapeutic strategies", MRC, 2012 - 2017.

Boote C (PI), Meek KM. £122,672, Project Grant:"The role of the sclera in human glaucoma.", Fight For Sight , 2012-2015.

Research Collaborators

Dr Harry Quigley, Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins University, USA.
Prof. Thao Nguyen, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, USA.
Prof. Ahmed Elsheikh, School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, UK.
Dr Michael Girard, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore.
Prof Jodbir Mehta, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.
Dr Gary Yam, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA.
Dr Mor Dickman, MERLN Institute, Maastricht University, Netherlands.

Educational and Professional Qualifications:

1995-1999 PhD, Structural studies of DNA using diffraction and spectroscopic methods, Keele University
1992-1995 BSc (Physics/Biochemistry Dual Hons, Class: I), Keele University

Honours and awards

2022 Fellow, Royal Society of Biology

2018 Visiting Researcher Appointment, Newcastle Research & Innovation Institute, Singapore

2018 Visiting Scholar Appointment, National University of Singapore

2018 Research Leave Fellowship, Cardiff University

2013 Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy

2005 Research Merit Prize, 5th World Corneal Congress, Washington DC, USA

2004 Travel Award, The Royal Society

Professional memberships

2022-Present Fellow, Royal Society of Biology
2013-Present Academic Editor, PLoS One Journal
2012-Present STEMNET ambassador
2010-Present Visiting lecturer, HERCULES international training school, Universite Grenoble-Alpes, France

Academic positions

2014-2020: Senior Lecturer, Cardiff University
2010-2014: Lecturer, Cardiff University
2001-2011 Senior research Associate, Cardiff University
1999-2001 Research Associate, Cardiff University

Committees and reviewing

2018-Present Grant Reviewer, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong
2012-Present Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research, School of Optometry & Vision Sciences, Cardiff University

Current supervision

Qian Ma

Xiaorui (raya) Wang

Contact Details

[email protected]
+44 29208 70586

Dr Craig Boote

Teams and roles for Craig Boote

Reader, Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research

Overview

Research Overview

Teaching Overview

Publication

2025

2024

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2019

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2016

2015