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