Skip to main content

Research

His main area of research is microbial/host interactions, which covers his interest in arthropod symbiosis, pathogens and microbiomes. He has extensive experience in designing and analysing genomic and RNAseq data, including arthropod genomes, e.g., Nasonia wasp (Science), tsetse fly (Science), mite (GigaScience), and a new high-quality version of the Diamondback moth genome sequence using the PacBio (data at lepbase.org). His research also uses single-cell genomics, and he is the lead for the CGR single-cell genomics facility.

Pandemic response and roles:
His recent work has resulted in a key role as the Deputy Director of the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK), where he was instrumental in leading the UK genomics response to the current pandemic. This work, funded by UKRI, Wellcome, and the Department of Health & Social Care Testing Innovation Fund, provided crucial genomic insights into the pandemic. COG-UK's mission was to enable a research network to provide the knowledge and expertise to set up UK-wide SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing and analysis and then to pass this know-how on to Public Health Agencies to enable the creation of a national pathogen genomics service significantly impacting the UK's response to the pandemic.

Arthropod Genomics

Microbiomes

Applied Entomology

Research grants

NERC Environmental Omics Facility (Renewal)

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL

April 2024 - March 2031

How can AI be applied to predict the severity of an infectious disease?

DEFENCE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY (UK)

April 2023 - April 2026

Enabling Population-Scale Genomics insights using high-throughput, robotic liquid handling at the Centre for Genomic Research

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

August 2024 - July 2025

NovaseqX at Centre for Genomics Research

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

August 2023 - July 2024

COVID-19 Genomics UK

PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND (UK), UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

April 2020 - March 2023

Sars-CoV-2 Genomic surveillance through wastewater

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)

May 2021 - September 2023

A cellenONE BSC to enhance UK capability for single-cell proteomics

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

July 2022 - July 2023

The Tick Cell Biobank: arthropod vector cell lines for human and animal health

WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

January 2022 - December 2026

COG-UK Hospital Onset Covid-19 Infection (HOCI) Study (HOCI)

UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

September 2020 - May 2021

Long read sequencing from low input DNA/RNA samples

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

July 2020 - July 2021

Confronting the spectre of a COVID-19 epidemic in South Sudanese refugee camps in Uganda; capacity building to pursue fundamental epidemiological data

UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

August 2020 - February 2022

Can norethisterone enantate (NET-EN) reduce the risk of recurrent bacterial vaginosis in women at high risk for HIV infection?

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

October 2017 - March 2022

ReMOT Control: Development of a flexible toolkit for the genetic manipulation of insects

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

February 2020 - July 2023

Advanced development of the constant depth film fermenter towards optimised biofilm modelling and development of functional insights of biofilm communities

UNILEVER UK CENTRAL RESOURCES LTD (UK)

October 2019 - March 2024

Establishing the genetic basis of symbiosis in an insect host

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

June 2019 - January 2023

Genomics for Optimal Aphid Biocontrol

JAMES HUTTON LTD (UK)

October 2015 - September 2019

Resistance: The role of genetic architecture and refuge strategy on the evolution of resistance to Bt-crops in lepidopteran pests

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

April 2018 - September 2022

MIDGESYM - Symbiotic bacteria in midges: understanding their role in determining vector competence and transmission of viruses

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

August 2015 - July 2017

Caecal Microbiome Transfer: a novel approach to Campylobacter control and improved broiler chicken gut health

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

May 2018 - September 2021

A computational cloud framework for the study of gene families

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

March 2017 - August 2018

The Tick Cell Biobank - a UK and international biological resource

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

July 2017 - March 2023

The Tick Cell Biobank: outposts in Asia, Africa and South America

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

July 2017 - June 2021

Dissecting staphylococcal interactions in the human skin microbiome

UNILEVER UK CENTRAL RESOURCES LTD (UK)

October 2016 - September 2020

improving RIDL through temporal and spatial control of gene expression in mosquitoes( Joe Turner)

OXITEC LIMITED (UK)

October 2014 - September 2018

Increasing Industry Engagement and Open Innovation in Health and Life Sciences - Proximity to Discovery Award

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

March 2016 - August 2017

Detection and characterization of environmental strains of Mycobacterium ulcerans from the South West region of Cameroon

MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION (UK)

July 2017 - September 2018

Promoting Single Cell Geonomics to explore the ecology and evolution of hidden micro euKaryotes SINGEK

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

January 2016 - May 2020

2014 allocation - Wellcome ISSF non clinical fellowships

WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

May 2015 - October 2018

Impact of maternally derived antibodies and infant microbiota on the immunogenicity of rotavirus vaccines in African, Indian and European infants.

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS (UK)

July 2015 - December 2018

improving RIDL through temporal and spatial control of gene expression in mosquitoes( Sam Whiteford)

OXITEC LIMITED (UK)

October 2014 - September 2018

SymMech Unravelling the mechanisms behind bacterial symbiosis in insects

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

January 2017 - December 2018

Characterising the bacterial flora associated with otitis externa in atopic dogs – a pilot study.

PET PLAN CHARITABLE TRUST (UK)

February 2017 - September 2018

Drosophila Model to Investigate the Tripartite Relationship Between Symbiont, Trypanosomes and Tsetse Flies

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

January 2013 - December 2015

Establishing a single cell analysis facility for the UK scientific research community

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

January 2015 - January 2016

The manipulation of olive fly gut microbia for improved pest control

OXITEC LIMITED (UK)

October 2012 - September 2016

OXITEC: Gene discovery in the diamondback moth for novel pest control

INNOVATE UK (UK)

August 2011 - July 2014

Genomes and synthetic biology for development of novel pest control technologies

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

May 2014 - May 2016

Novel tools for genetic control of pest insects

INNOVATE UK (UK)

March 2014 - August 2015

Liverpool GeneMill

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

September 2014 - September 2015

Fluorescence Light Sheet Microscopy for Live 3D and 4D imaging

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

January 2014 - June 2014

UNILEVER: Development of instrumental and bioinformatic pipelines to accelerate commercial applications of metagenomics approaches

INNOVATE UK (UK)

September 2011 - November 2014

Metagenomic ANanltical Utilities for Equines (MANUrE): Understanding equine gut bacteria in health and disease

ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS TRUST (RCVS) - (UK)

October 2011 - September 2012

Understanding intestinal microbiota in equine grass sickness: an integrated metagenomic and metabonomic approach.

MOREDUN FOUNDATION (UK)

January 2012 - December 2014

YEAR 1 Wellcome Trust ISSF Non-Clinical Fellowships

WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

October 2011 - May 2018

The impact of travel on antimicrobial resistance in the human gut microbiome – pilot work

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)

April 2011 - July 2012

Preparing for a clinical trial of interventions to maintain normal vaginal microbiota for preventing adverse reproductive health outcomes in Africa.

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

February 2015 - September 2016

Establishing Single Molecule Real Time Sequencing for the North of the UK

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

January 2014 - December 2016