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I am interested in microbial evolution and the mechanisms
that facilitate genetic exchange between bacteria (horizontal
gene transfer). Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) plays an important
role in the evolution of new properties, such as pathogenicity
and antibiotic resistance, and is therefore a major component
of bacterial evolution. Other interests include bacterial
cell division and the application of fluorescence microscopy
in studying the cellular location of both proteins and DNA
elements during a bacterial cell cycle.
Staphylococci are a major cause of hospital-acquired
infections and most clinical strains contain multiple resistance
plasmids. Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA elements that
play a central role in facilitating HGT, and therefore promote
the acquisition and spread of antimicrobial resistance determinants.
At present, our research focuses on the staphylococcal multiresistance
plasmids pSK1 and pSK41, and we are interested in characterising
the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the stable maintenance
of these plasmids in the absence of selective pressure (i.e.
antimicrobial agents). Specific areas of research include:
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Molecular characterisation of plasmid
partitioning systems
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Global transcriptional regulation of plasmid
maintenance functions, such as plasmid partitioning and
conjugative transfer
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Determining if plasmid encoded factors
regulate the expression of host encoded functions, and
vice versa
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