Research

We are interested in microbial evolution, with a current focus on antibiotic resistance, gene exchange and predictability of evolution. Some of the topics we are working on in this space include developing predictions for the spread of resistance mutations to the antibiotic rifampicin, the evolutionary impact of natural transformation on adaptation, and the dynamics of integron shuffling. Our research combines experiments in the lab, mathematical modelling and bioinformatics.

We have also worked on a range of other topics, including host-parasite coevolution, reproductive parasites such as Wolbachia, as well as the evolution of parthenogenesis and sex chromosomes.