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Heather Allison

Professor Heather Allison
B.A., B.Sc., Ph.D., FHEA

Professor of Molecular Microbiology, IVES Institute Director of Post Graduate Research
Clinical Infection, Microbiology & Immunology

Research

Brief description of my research career

I am interested in studying the molecular mechanisms that control various aspects of microbial interactions with their environment. I am currently running a variety of projects that are ultimately focused on using molecular biology to better understand microbial behaviour and niches, but I predominantly focus on two main research areas. The first is understanding how lambdoid bacteriophages, specifically Shiga toxin encoding bacteriophages, interact with their bacterial host cells, e.g. host adsorption targets, virally encoded integrases, and viral genes that alter the host phenotype without being involved in the viral replication process. I have also developed and utilised a number of molecular tools to examine the distribution of these bacteriophages in the natural environment. The second line of research focuses on the use of metagenomic techniques (pyrosequencing and fosmid libraries) to identify and characterise novel cellulolytic microbial taxa and the cellulases they produce from land fill and fresh water environments.
http://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=nLntTlQAAAAJ

My newest research project

Prophages of the LESB58 strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Puppet Mastershttps://www.liverpool.ac.uk/infection-veterinary-and-ecological-sciences/research/prophage-puppet-masters/

Research grants

Prophage host interactions: pulling back the curtains on Pseudomonas puppet masters

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

November 2020 - October 2024

Anti-microbial bandage contact lenses

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

November 2017 - December 2023

New materials for photocatalytic water decontamination

ROYAL SOCIETY

December 2016 - December 2017

New approaches for the quantitative detection of human pathogenic viruses within the freshwater-marine continuum

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL

March 2016 - December 2018

Molecular characterisation of the processes responsible for toxigenic conversion of E.coli by VT-bacteriophages.

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

August 2004 - August 2007

Development of nanoparticulate surfaces that inhibit bacterial biofilm formation.

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

April 2004 - September 2005

The Armourers and Brasiers’ Materials Science Venture Prize: Treatment of dentures to inhibit oral thrush

ARMOURERS AND BRASIERS COMPANY

January 2010 - January 2015

The genotypic and phenotypic impacts of Shiga toxin encoding bacteriophage interactions with their host cells: consequences for food borne zoonoses

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

August 2011 - November 2014

Molecular biological characterisation of the anaerobic microbial community that drives cellulose decomposition in lake systems.

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL

June 2004 - May 2007

Metagenomics of cellulose degrading communities

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL

July 2010 - December 2013

Verocytotoxin-encoding bacteriophages - ecology and role in disease (Bacteriophage).

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (UK)

April 2004 - December 2009

Antimuscarinic autoantibodies in patients with Primary Sjögren's syndrome.

BRITISH SJOGREN'S SYNDROME ASSOCIATION

September 2001 - February 2003

Mohammed Mohaisen - bench fees

THE HIGHER COMMITTEE FOR EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ (HCED) (IRAQ)

August 2014 - September 2016

    Research collaborations

    Liam Boyle

    Luke Dawson

    Rachel Williams

    Michale Garvey