Home| Non-Clinical Lecturer in Bacteriology |
Contact details:
| Tel: | +44 20 7882 2328 |
| Fax: | +44 20 7882 2181 |
| Email: | r.d.waite@qmul.ac.uk |
| Address: | Centre for Immunology and Infectious Disease, |
Biography
I obtained my PhD from the University of Warwick in 2001, under the supervision of Professor Chris Dowson. My research investigated biofilm formation in Streptococcus pneumoniae and identified a novel molecular mechanism of capsule phase variation. My postdoctoral research has been carried out here in the Institute of Cell and Molecular Science with Professor Mike Curtis, and has focused on the role of novel proteases in Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenesis. In 2005 I was awarded a Barts and the London Research Administration Board (RAB) non-clinical fellowship to continue this research and investigate the biology of P. aeruginosa Cystic Fibrosis (CF) lung infections. I started my post as a Non-Clinical Lecturer in Bacteriology in September 2007.
Research Activity
My research interests focus on molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis, and in particular those of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The persistence of this genetically complex bacterium as a major cause of human disease is linked to its intrinsic resistance to most frontline antibiotics. In addition it is able to switch between a free-living (planktonic) and biofilm lifestyle, a versatility that enables it to thrive in many different environments and contributes to its success as a human pathogen. I have carried out a transcriptomic analysis of these different growth states and this has revealed novel gene expression profiles. This information, together with bioinformatic analyses, has been used to identify novel proteases. The roles of these proteases in pathogenicity and their suitability as targets for novel therapeutic agents are one area of my research. I am also interested in P. aeruginosa pyocins (bacteriocins) and understanding how this pathogen survives and interacts with other organisms in complex ecological environments such as those within the lungs of Cystic Fibrosis patients.
Key Publications
• Waite,R.D; J.K.Struthers and C.G.Dowson. Molecular Microbiology. 2001 Dec; 42(5):1223-32. Spontaneous sequence duplication within an open reading frame of the pneumococcal type 3 capsule locus causes high frequency phase variation.
• Waite, R.D; D.Penfold; J.K.Struthers and C.G.Dowson. Microbiology. 2003 Feb;149(Pt 2):497-504. Spontaneous sequence duplications within capsule genes cap8E and tts control phase variation in Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 8 and 37.
• Waite,R.D; A.Papakonstantinopoulou; E.Littler and M.A.Curtis. Journal of Bacteriology. 2005 Sept; 187(18):6571-6. Transcriptome analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth: comparison of gene expression in planktonic cultures and developing and mature biofilms.
• Waite,R.D; A.Paccanaro; A.Papakonstantinopoulou; J.M.Hurst; M.Saqi; E.Littler and M.A.Curtis. BMC Genomics. 2006 Jun 26;7:162. Clustering of Pseudomonas aeruginosa transcriptomes from planktonic cultures, developing and mature biofilms reveals distinct expression profiles.
• Waite,R.D and M.A.Curtis. Journal of Bacteriology. 2009 Feb; 191(4):1349-1354 Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 pyocin production affects population dynamics within mixed culture biofilms.
