Medicine, University of Southampton

Professor Clarke was appointed to the Chair of Molecular Microbiology/Virology in 1998. He graduated in Microbiology from the University of Leeds in 1979 and completed his PhD in Molecular Virology at the University of Warwick in 1982 working on genomic variation in rotaviruses. He worked in the food industry before appointment to a ‘new blood lectureship’ at the University of Southampton. Subsequently he has held various positions at Southampton including Director of Division and is currently head of the Molecular Microbiology group.

Professor Clarke leads a large group that is interested in host-pathogen interactions with special emphasis on intracellular pathogens and diseases for which there are currently no effective vaccines. He has particular interests in Chlamydia and norovirus research. The Chlamydia research group is focused on genomics, basic chlamydial molecular biology, chlamydial epidemiology and the development of point of care testing. In collaboration with Dr. Paul Lambden, Professor Clarke has particular interests in human noroviruses with a long term aim of developing a cell culture system. The Southampton virus was the first norovirus to be characterised at the molecular level (published in Science). His research group is based within the Faculty of Medicine and comprises both clinical and non-clinical scientists with postgraduate students. Potential students, post doctoral scientists or clinician scientists who are intesrted I joining his group are encouraged to contact Professor Clarke.

Qualifications

BSc, Microbiology University of Leeds (1979)
PhD, University of Warwick (1982)

Appointments held

1999- present Head of Molecular Microbiology Group

2004– 09 Director, sub-Division of Tissue, Infection and Repair

2001– 04 Director, Molecular Microbiology and Infection

1998- 01 Director, Division of Cell and Molecular Medicine

Chlamydial Research Group

The ability to diagnose accurately and rapidly treat Chlamydia infections is necessary to reduce the burden of this disease. We are involved in a major programme to define the nature and extent of diversity in C.trachomatis with the overall research goal of understanding the role of C.trachomatis in complications of infection such as infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease. This work is multidisciplinary and involves many international partners and has meant tracking emerging infections such as the Swedish new variant. Our genomics programme is supported by the Wellcome Trust and is performed in partnership with the Sanger Centre. We also have funding from the HPA for investigating the epidemiology of C.trachomatis in the UK and work in close partnership with the Southampton HPA laboratory. The Chlamydia research group is also a joint partner with the Department of Chemistry in a work programme funded by the Technology Strategy Board, together with industrial partners to develop a point of care test for C.trachomatis. Long term basic cell and molecular biology research is also funded by the Wellcome Trust to develop chlamydial genetics and we have research partners in both Israel Dr. Simona Kahane -(Ben Gurion University) and USA (Prof. Bentley Fane - BIO5 University of Arizona).

Norovirus Research Group

Norovirus research in Southampton has been established for over 20 years and is supported by a Wellcome Trust programme grant to Professor Clarke and Dr. Paul Lambden. Work is focused on the ‘Southampton virus’ one of the prototype human noroviruses and characterization of this virus represented the culmination of many years work to pinpoint the causative viral agent of epidemic non bacterial gastroenteritis. This advance allowed the characterisation of other noroviruses leading to the identification of the most prevalent norovirus in the world, the so called GII.4 viruses. The prototype of these viruses ‘Lordsdale virus’ came from a patient at the Southampton General Hospital. The long term research goal of the team is to develop a cell culture system for the noroviruses using Southampton and Lordsdale virus. We are also engaged in a programme to understand the basic biology of noroviruses using the murine virus as a model system, this work is performed in collaboration with Professor Vernon Ward (University of Otago) and makes use of the first reverse genetics system for noroviruses developed jointly between Otago and Southampton. In collaboration with Professor Jon Cooper (UCL) we are determining the structure of human norovirus proteins with the aim of developing novel antiviral agents. We also have a long term collaboration with Dr. Peter Otto at the Friederich-Loeffler Institue in Jena to investigate the pathogenesis of norovirus infection. Noroviruses are a major source of environmental contamination and we are funded by the food standards agency to develop highly sensitive diagnostics for noroviruses.

Academic unit:  Clinical and Experimental Sciences