School of Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Genetics

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1. Bdellovibrio Research project. Bdellovibrio are tiny predatory bacteria which prey on other Gram negative bacteria, infect them grow inside them and kill them. Dr. Sockett is co-supervising (with Dr Maggie Smith) an NERC-funded PhD student Carey Lambert who is working to set up genetic methodologies for this bacterium, to characterise parts of the Bdellovibrio genome and to determine which physiological properties of the Bdellovibrio contribute to their predatory capabilities. One day they hope that Bdellovibrio could be used therapeutically against antibiotic resistant infections. Picture of PhD student Carey Lambert working on Bdellovibrio at the bench.

 

Bdellovibrio Invasion Cycle

 

References Tomashow, M.F. et al. (1992) Bdellovibrio host dependence: the search for signal molecules and genes that regulate the intraperiplasmic growth cycle. J. Bacteriol. 174, 5767-5771.

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2. Microbiology & Mathematical Modelling of Pseudomonas Wound Infections Dr. Sockett is working on a collaborative project with Dr John Ward, Ms Julie Croft and Dr Adrian Koerber, this is funded by BBSRC and Wellcome Trust grants that are held jointly with Dr John Ward and Professor John King http://spencer.nott.ac.uk/Research/jrk.html in Theoretic Mechanics, and Professor Paul Williams in the Institute of Infections & Immunity http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/iii/williams.htm. We are studying, in ex vivo laboratory conditions, the contributions of quorum sensing, growth rate, motility and biofilm formation to the establishment of infection processes by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These bacteria are frequent complications of burn wounds in patients and can be hard to eradicate. We hope that modelling the infection process mathematically may lead towards new strategies for when & how to give treatment. Julie Croft, Paul Williams and Liz Sockett are providing microbiological data this is being modelled by John Ward, Adrian Koerber and John King. Picture of Julie Croft & Dr John Ward presenting a poster on their work at American Society for Microbiology Meeting in Los Angeles June 2000.

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3. Motility, Temperature and Quorum Sensing in Yersinia species In a new BBSRC funded joint project with Dr Steve Atkinson http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/iii/atkinson.htm and Professor Paul Williams we are investigating the consequences of quorum sensing in Yersinia bacteria. We will be testing how the quorum sensing (QS) system is affected by the temperature at which the bacteria grow (host 37° C or non-host 22/28° C) and how QS regulates flagella motility in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia entercolitica. Dr. Steve Atkinson

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