The Department uses a holistic approach, integrating cellular physiology and cell imaging with functional genomics, molecular genetics, biochemistry and structural biology to study bacterial metabolism, gene regulation, development and plant-bacterial interactions. The molecular basis of signal transduction in response to various environmental signals and the characterisation of novel transport systems, including mechanisms for transporting folded proteins, are major themes of our work on Gram-negative bacteria. The Department's comprehensive Streptomyces programme on antibiotic production, morphological differentiation and stress responses is underpinned by the newly-acquired genome sequence of the model species S. coelicolor and cutting-edge functional genomics techniques. The Rhizobium-legume symbiosis is another main research area, ranging from bacterial quorum-sensing and plant-bacterial signalling interactions through to the developmental responses of plants to their microbial symbionts. The Department capitalises on JIC's emerging strengths in functional genomics, structural biology and advanced cytological techniques, as well as exploiting novel links between bacterial and plant processes.  The Department makes a major contribution to the wide range of microbiological research that is carried out across the Norwich Research Park, details of which can be found on the "Microbes in Norwich" web site.

Summer School 2007

Department staff were involved in organising the summer school, Lecture Course, "Microbial Genomics and Secondary Metabolites” held at the Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences (MedILS), Split, Croatia, June 23 – July 1 2007.

To read a report on the 2007 Summer School, click here

To link to the website, click here

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Professor Mervyn Bibb (email: mervyn.bibb@bbsrc.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1603 450776)

• Regulation of secondary metabolism (antibiotic production) in streptomycetes
• Streptomyces functional genomics (transcriptome and proteome analysis)
• Streptomyces lantibiotics of actinomycete origin

Professor. Mike Merrick (email: mike.merrick@bbsrc.ac.uk  Tel: +44 (0)1603-450749)

• Ammonium transport in bacteria
• Control of nitrogen metabolism in bacteria

• Differentiation in Streptomyces
• Streptomyces genetics, genomics and functional genomics transposon mutant library
• Homeostatic and stress responses in Streptomyces

• Environmental signalling and gene regulation in nitrogen-fixing bacteria
• Development of systems for the introduction/expression of nif genes in plants

• Quorum-sensing in Rhizobium
• Role of calcium in nodulation signalling in legume root hairs
• Proteins secreted by Rhizobium leguminosarum

Professor Keith Chater (email: keith.chater@bbsrc.ac.uk  Tel: +44 (0)1603-450297)

• Antibiotic biosynthesis
• Differentiation in Streptomyces
• Streptomyces genetics, genomics and functional genomics
• Storage and mobilisation of carbon in Streptomyces

• Antibiotic biosynthesis
• Streptomyces genetics, genomics and functional genomics

• Legume nodule development: infection threads and symbiosomes
• Stress biology in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis
• Model legumes