Pathogen Research Group
The Pathogen Research Group, in the School of Science and Technology, studies a range of bacteria and protozoa of importance to human health. The highly cooperative research team study bacteria causing severe infections in neonates and the elderly, as well as foodborne pathogens. Campylobacter is the major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, and is recognised as the principle cause of bacterial foodborne illness. Nevertheless, there are many other, some emergent, bacterial pathogens. Yersinia enterocolitica, Cronobacter species and Enterobacter species which cause untold illness as they are either undetected or under reported. In contrast, the protozoan, Leishmania, is an intracellular parasite causing about two million infections worldwide.
Professor Steve Forsythe is Professor of Microbiology. His main interests are in foodborne pathogens and their affect on the human host; Cronobacter (Enterobacter sakazakii), Salmonella, Campylobacter and Arcobacter. Detection and characterisation methods include multilocus sequence typing, chromogenic agar, immunomagnetic separation and ATP bioluminescence. He research also includes genomic analysis and virulence of Cronobacter genus.
Dr Georgina Manning is a Principal Lecturer and subject leader of the Microbiology section. Her research is focussed primarily on Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli where she is interested in the pathogenesis of the organism, in particular how this organism interacts with host cells and how it has evolved as a pathogen. She also has been involved in research to develop rapid diagnostics for Campylobacter.
Dr Mike Loughlin is a lecturer in microbial metabolism at Nottingham Trent University and member of the Pathogen Research Group. His research interests include development of disinfectant resistance in Acinetobacter baumanii and other healthcare acquired pathogens and the role this may have on virulence, Enterobacter hormachaei and its virulence, as well as education in microbiology and inflammation as a cause of disease.
Dr Alan McNally is investigating the molecular aspects of bacterial pathogenesis, focussing on: Evolution of pathogenic Yersinia and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC). Molecular mechanisms of Yersinia and ExPEC pathogenicity. Development of modern molecular detection techniques for bacterial and viral pathogens.
Dr Selman Ali studies the protozoan parasite Leishmania. He is investigating the immunogenicity of newly discovered Leishamnia antigens using DNA vaccine and in vivo protection approaches, centrins as an example. In addition he is studying some of the immune evasion mechanisms used by the parasite in dendritic/macrophages models, including down regulation of T cell target molecules.
