The Probiogenomics Laboratory integrates genomics, bioinformatics, metagenomics and experimental validation to investigate bifidobacteria, the gut microbiota and their interactions with the host.
From the molecular mechanisms of individual microbes to community dynamics and interactions with the host.
We investigate bifidobacteria as key symbionts of the human gut, with particular attention to early life. Comparative, functional and evolutionary genomics, together with bioreactor-based models and experimental systems involving host-cell interactions, we investigate host adaptation, glycan utilisation, colonisation, persistence, cross-feeding and molecular communication with the host.
We investigate how the infant gut microbiome is assembled through maternal transmission, mode of delivery, feeding, antibiotics and other early exposures. We study the acquisition and establishment dynamics of bifidobacteria and other key microbes, their metabolic functions and the long-term consequences for immune and gastrointestinal development.
We use metagenomics and multi-omics to identify microbial and functional signatures associated with ageing, nutrition and intestinal or systemic conditions. Our aim is to distinguish robust biomarkers from population-specific variation and clarify how microbiome changes relate to host physiology.
Comparative phylogenomics and large-scale metagenomic analyses reveal how microbial taxa diversify across human populations, life stages, animal hosts and ecological niches. We investigate strain transmission, ecological specialisation and the evolutionary forces shaping the mammalian microbiome.
We characterise bacteriophage diversity, evolution, host recognition and defence mechanisms in gut and food-associated microbial ecosystems. Genomics, viromics and experimental approaches are combined to map phage–host networks and understand their impact on microbial community stability.
We develop databases, pipelines and analytical frameworks for genome reconstruction, pangenomics, phylogenomics, metagenomics and viromics. These resources support reproducible integration of genomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic and ecological data, transforming complex datasets into testable biological hypotheses.
Full Professor of Microbiology
Genomics and functional genomics of probiotic and gut commensal bacteria, metagenomics, host–microbe interactions and bacteriophage biology.
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Professor of Microbiology
Molecular biology of probiotics, host–microbe interactions and functional genomics.
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Professor of Microbiology
Bioinformatics, comparative genomics, metagenomics and software development.
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Professor of Microbiology
Sequencing, genome assembly, comparative genomics and strain genetic stability.
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Professor of Microbiology
Metagenomics, microbial biodiversity, microbiota ecology and multi-omics.
Open profile →Nature Communications
Open publication ↗Msystems
Open publication ↗Scientific Reports
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