The division’s infection-centred researchers contribute to the fight against infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. Discovery of novel anti-infective agents, including synthetic drugs and predatory bacteria, is a key focus. Our studies cover bacteria, viruses and parasites and their virulence mechanisms.
Professor Liz Sockett and her research team are unravelling the mechanism by which predatory Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus invade and destroy pathogenic bacteria, while other members of the division (Associate Professor Bill Wickstead and Assistant Professor Cat Gadelha) study trypanosomes – eukaryotic human and animal parasites.
Our OneVirology team (Professors Jonathan Ball and Will Irving, Assistant Professor Alexander Tarr) investigate how important human and animal pathogenic viruses including Influenza, Hepatitis, Ebola, and Zika subvert the cellular machinery and evade the hosts’ defences. They lead the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Research UK biobank and are working with academic collaborators and industry across Europe to develop treatments and vaccines targeting HCV and other human and animal diseases such as bluetongue viruses that affect livestock in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Novel vaccines for bacterial diseases such as meningitis are the focus for Drs David Turner, Neil Oldfield, Stephen Atkinson and Chris Penfold.
How we are working with local schools to test a meningitis vaccine.
How we are investigating predatory bacteria as a potential therapeutic agent.
School of Life Sciences researchers lead the project to launch a Centre for Global Virus Research at University.
School of Life SciencesUniversity of NottinghamMedical School Queen's Medical CentreNottingham NG7 2UH