Pathogen Research

Mechanisms of pathogenesis and evolution of virulence.

The Pathogen Research Group studies a range of organisms of importance to human health, including bacteria that cause severe infections in neonates (Cronobacter) and the elderly (drug resistant E. coli), as well as foodborne pathogens (Camyplobacter, Yersinia), and the protozoan Leishmania, an intracellular parasite causing around two million infections worldwide.

Our research is a mixture of classical bacterial genetics and pathogenesis research, in addition to population genetics and genomics to uncover mechanisms of pathogenesis and evolution of virulence. Using genomics we also analyse phage sequences to quantify polymorphism frequency in populations and thereby characterise evolution in experimental settings.

Skills/Techniques: next-generation genomics suite – MiSeq, Nanopore & associated kit; bacteria and phage culture including microaerobic, anaerobic & bioreactor; mammalian cell culture; direct droplet digital PCR; Galleria & tissue culture infection models; dual beam spectrophotometry; molecular biology, mutagenesis, recombinant protein purification and characterisation, systems biology.

• Dr Selman Ali – Leishmania, immune response
• Dr Ben Dickins – Phage, experimental evolution, genomic analysis
• Dr Lesley Hoyles
• Dr Michael Loughlin – Acinetobacter, antimicrobial resistance, pro-inflammatory immune response
• Dr Samantha McLean – Antimicrobial, bacterial molecular biology, carbon monoxide, reactive small molecules, pathogens
• Dr Gareth McVicker – E. coli pathogenesis, plasmid stability, mobile genetic elements
• Dr David Negus
• Dr Jody Winter – Helicobacter, bacterial membrane vesicles, immune modulation, pathogenesis