Dr Richard Puxty

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick

Scientific Background

Research Interests

My lab is focussed on understanding how microbes evolve. Specifically, we are interested in how interactions with viruses shape evolution of the host. We study this mostly using laboratory model systems, and are currently working on marine picocyanobacteria, marine green algae, and various human bacterial pathogens. Currently, the lab is focussed on several key questions:

What is the function of the vast array of hypothetical genes in bacteriophages?
Why do bacteriophages infecting cyanobacteria encode photosysnthesis genes?
What is the function of bacteriophage encoded tRNA genes?
How does AMR intersect with bacteriophage infections?

Research Groups

Environment & Ecology

Microbiology & Infectious Disease

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: Collaborative, enabling, outcome-oriented.

Provision of Training

I like to take a strong lead in face-to-face laboratory training in the first year of PhD. Subsequently, I will encourage to seek any further training relevant to the project and career goals independently.

Progression Monitoring and Management

We will meet weekly during the first PhD year. Subsequently, you will be responsible for developing targets and goals for your project, but my door is always open.

Communication

I am known to email my team/PhD students at all hours of the day and night, however I will not expect you to do the same.

The team has a WhatsApp group chat with which we regularly communicate during the week and weekends. Whilst I expect you to keep up with my/team communications I will expect you to manage your work/life balance.

communications I will expect you to manage your work/life balance. I am happy to discuss any issues that are impacting your ability to fulfil your potential or my/our expectations.

Meetings

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me at least once per week. These meetings will be a mixture of face-to-face and via video chat or telephone. I am usually contactable for an instant response on every working day.

Work Patterns

Work in my lab requires being present on site (be it in a laboratory or at a field site) during the core hours of 10am - 3pm (or a subset if working part time).

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 1 week's notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5,000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Primary supervisor for:

Viral voyages - harnessing viral functional metagenomics in search of novel anti-biofilm genes

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Viral voyages - harnessing viral functional metagenomics in search of novel anti-biofilm genes

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Freya Harrison, Dr Branko Rihtman

University of Registration: University of Warwick

BBSRC Research Themes:

Understanding the Rules of Life (Microbiology)

Project Outline

Bacteriophages (viruses that kill bacteria) represent an exciting and valuable research area, because they offer a promising alternative to antibiotics. Most predicted genes (70-95%) in bacteriophage genomes are of unknown function and are dissimilar to any currently known genes, presenting a vast, unexplored territory with novel metabolic, therapeutic, and biotechnological applications.

In this project, the student will utilise large-scale functional metagenomic screen, using a high-throughput robotic platform, to identify novel viral gene with antibiofilm activity. The project has three work Aims:

1) viral genetic material from several clinical, industrial and environmental sources will be used to create viral metagenomic libraries;

2) those libraries will be screened in a high-throughput manner to identify novel viral genes with anti-biofilm activities.

3) viral gene candidates will be thoroughly characterised via molecular, biochemical and bioinformatic methods, with the view of future applicative value in treating biofilm-related complications in respiratory disease model.

One of the most promising areas in which bacteriophage research has already provided life-saving discoveries, is research of biofilm degradation capabilities of bacteriophages and bacteriophage-derived products). Biofilms represent a unique hurdle in battling antimicrobial resistant bacterial pathogens, as they create a physical and chemical barrier between the bacteria and the surrounding environment, protecting them from its harmful effects. One of the best studied examples of such protection is the role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in persistence of bacterial infections in Cystic Fibrosis patients.

In this project, we will harness functional metagenomics, to discover novel viral genes with anti-biofilm activity and recruit them in our battle against emerging resistant pathogens in the cystic fibrosis-associated, Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm model.

Co-supervisor on projects with Professor Christophe Corre and Professor Claudia Blindauer.