Research within the Infectious Diseases and Molecular Microbiology group is focussed on investigation of pathogenesis, prevention and diagnosis of infectious diseases. The research covers several complementary areas: virology/virus genomics, bacterial pathogenesis, molecular epidemiology, diagnostics, global health, experimental human challenge, early and late phase clinical trials. Our over-arching aim is to develop new diagnostic tools, treatments and prevention strategies for infectious diseases, with an emphasis on rapidly lethal and chronic infections.
Our virology research is focused on RNA viruses and includes both short term rapidly developing infections such influenza, common cold and norovirus as well as the longer term chronic infections caused by Hepatitis C virus and HIV. Our studies range from basic science (virus genomics and replicons) through translational work including the development of viral inhibitors to the understanding of viral transmission and disease at the population level. The work builds on strengths in respiratory medicine, gut/epithelial biology, hepatology and global health.
McCormick
Clarke IN
Clark T
Read RC
McGrath
Newell
Khakoo
Madsen
Woelk
Research is primarily centred on bacterial pathogenesis and the pre-clinical development of vaccines. Our work focuses on the major causative organisms of bacterial meningitis and sepsis, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted disease, keratitis and inflammatory skin conditions. Current studies involve development of novel in vitro primary cell culture systems and the application of several ‘omics’ platforms to the interfaces between molecular and cellular microbiology, immunology and biochemistry/biophysics, capitalising on a strong national and international collaborative network. Our overall goal is to translate our basic and applied research to tackle unmet needs of human and animal infectious diseases.
Read
Christodouilides
Elkington
Tezera
Clark T
Clarke IN
Ardern-Jones
Goss
Research focuses on the molecular epidemiology of bacterial infections. There are strong multi-disciplinary links between public health, epidemiology, microbial communities and biofilms themes. Post-genomic technologies are exploited to investigate the relationships between different microbial species at the genomic level. Emphasis lies in the study of disease potential, antibiotic resistance and the identification of therapeutic targets particularly in health care associated infections. In addition, genomic studies are used to investigate transmission dynamics, sexual networks and the evolutionary origins of bacterial species.
Clarke S
Clarke IN
Faust
Research into novel diagnostic tools is focused on the development of improved diagnostic methods for the detection of both bacterial and viral infections. Point-of-care tests are currently being developed for respiratory (TB) and sexually transmitted infections. This includes multi-centre studies within the UK as well as international collaborations (the University of Melbourne, the University of Cape Town and the Kwazulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV).
Elkington
Tezera
Tebruegge
Clarke IN
Global Health research is focussed on Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, in particular HIV transmission dynamics, and the impact of antiretroviral drugs on HIV transmission, pregnancy and infant outcomes, sexual behaviour and partnership change. With the roll-out of HIV treatment and care, HIV has become a chronic disease and questions regarding aging, co-morbidities of HIV with NCDs are being addressed. The data that underpin this work come from sub-Saharan Africa, in particular South Africa, but the results have bearing for many resource-limited settings. Fieldwork to collect the necessary data, and samples for investigations at basic science level, requires scientific and logistical expertise; the multidisciplinary research environment at Southampton is well-placed to support these activities. Several randomised clinical trials are in progress.
McGrath
Newell
Controlled infection is used in Southampton to investigate pathogenesis and prevention of infectious disease. This work is performed within the NIHR Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility with a focus on
Neisseria
, and respiratory viruses including RSV and influenza. Southampton collaborates with colleagues in Oxford to use malaria challenge to investigate new vaccines.
Read RC
Faust S
Wilkinson
Clinical research is focused on the prevention and management of severe bacterial disease and respiratory virus infection. Themes include trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of candidate vaccines against meningococcal disease and pandemic influenza strains including H7N9. Additionally there is evaluation of new diagnostic and management strategies for hospitalised adults and children with sepsis and influenza. There are strong links with Public Health England including the molecular laboratory at University Hospital Southampton and national reference laboratories.
Clark T
Wilkinson
Read
Ardern-Jones M
The role of microbial regulation of immune responses in atopic dermatitis
The interaction between cutaneous DCs and adaptive immunity
Development of novel in vitro diagnostic tests for drug hypersensitivity
Mathematical modelling of the regulation of Th polarisation
Christodoulides M
Bacterial pathogenesis
Meningococcal and Gonococcal Vaccines
Clarke I N
Chlamydia Research
Norovirus Research
Clarke S
molecular epidemiology of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and other vaccine-preventable bacterial infections
Clark T
Pandemic Influenza vaccines
Respiratory viruses in hospitalised adults
Rapid diagnostic tests and biomarkers
Eason R
Laser-Induced Forward Transfer
Nonlinear & Microstructured Optical Materials
Pulsed Laser Deposition
Elkington P
Tuberculosis
Faust S
Clinical biofilm research
Paediatric clinical trials
Paediatric and adult vaccine trials
Paediatric Recurrent Infection and Immunodeficiency
Clinical Research Management and Governance
Goss K
Microbial colonisation of preterm infants
Keevil B
Physiology and adaptive mechanisms for survival of pathogens, in vivo and in vitro e.g. Legionella, Helicobacter, E. coli O157, MRSA, C. difficile.
Biofilms in the environment, the built environment and clinical practice.
Surface contamination, including prions; fouling and corrosion.
Survival of sublethally damaged pathogens in water and human and animal wastes recycled to agricultural land, e.g. E coli O157 Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Cryptosporidium
Khakoo S
immune response to hepatitis C
Madsen J
Collectins
McCormick C
Dissecting the role of viral polyprotein precursors in replication
Generating biologically ‘safe’ Hepatitis C Virus-like particles
Norovirus replication systems
McGrath N
HIV
Infectious disease epidemiology
Sexual behaviour and relationship dynamics
Morgan H
3D lithography of shaped lipid bilayer apertures
Artificial Wet Neuronal Networks from Compartmentalised Excitable Chemical Media
Formation of Artificial Lipid Bilayers using Droplet Dielectrophoresis
Impedance spectroscopy for label-free cell analysis
Integrated flow-cytometer on chip for in situ particle counting and sampling
Label-free impedance spectroscopy and AC electrokinetics
Low Cost Nanowire Diagnostic Platform
Parallel Electrophysiological Characterization of Sodium Channels
Protein expression in microsystems
Newell M-L
HIV & HCV
Read R C
Infectious diseases
Tebruegge M
Immunodiagnosis of tuberculosis (TB)
Biomarkers of TB infection
Non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections
Tezera L B
Novel bioengineering cell culture methods. Tuberculosis
Webb J
Microbial Biofilms and their Control, Adaptive Biology of Microorganisms, Biofilm-Associated Infection, Microbial Ecology, Environmental Biotechnology
Wilkinson JS
Integrated Optics and Microstructures
Integrated optical devices including chemical and biochemical sensors
Wilkinson T
EVITA Project
COPD Studies
Nutrition, Infection and Immunology
Human Challenge Studies
Woelk C
whole genome gene expression technologies