Staff profile

Viruses are the most abundant and diverse biological entities, found in all known ecosystems, and yet their genetic material remains largely uncharacterised. Metagenomic database acquisition has been made possible with next generation sequencing. Entire genomes from several species within a sample collected from a specific environment can be sequenced, and metagenomic mining can be used to discover novel targets for various uses. In this project, viral protein(s) will be identified and characterised, with the aim of identifying novel targets for use in biotechnology, particularly antimicrobial agents. Bacteriophages (phages, viruses that infect bacteria) are promising sources of new antibiotics due to their naturally evolved antibacterial activity. My project will initially focus on bacteriophage encoded endolysins, these antimicrobial agents have potential uses in the food, agriculture and clinical industries.