Professor Séamus Holden

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick

Scientific Background

Research Interests

My lab uses advanced microscopy to figure out how bacteria grow and divide. We study how proteins act as tiny nanoscale machines to build complex biological structures, with a particular focus on how bacteria remodel their cell envelope, which is one of the most important targets for antibiotics. To achieve this we use single molecule microscopy to follow the activity of individual proteins at nanoscale resolution inside live bacteria.

Scientific Inspiration

Uri Alon (https://www.weizmann.ac.il/mcb/UriAlon/) is a fearless interdisciplinary scientist who works across physics and biology, making significant contributions across multiple fields. Uri communicates science passionately with humour and songs - his science songs are well worth looking up on YouTube. His book, Introduction to Systems Biology, was the first to really convince me that reductionist physical principles can be genuinely useful in biology, and played a big part in inspiring my approach to research.

Research Groups

Holden Lab

Microbiology and Infectious Disease

Quantitative, Systems and Engineering Biology

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: Supportive, enthusiastic, guiding.

Provision of Training

Student’s hands-on training will be supervised predominantly by my experienced post docs/PhD students. I will have regular structured meetings with students - weekly for the first few months, then bi-weekly. We will also have plenty of informal interactions for discussion as dictated by student and project needs.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I have high expectations of students, expecting them to be highly self-motivated and to be carrying out world class research by the end of their PhD. However, this is within the context of a lab culture that prioritises mental health and wellbeing and strives for reasonable work-life balance. For example, weekend working is the exception rather than the norm and I expect students to take regular vacations.

Regular student-supervisor meetings are an essential component of student training and project progress. We will meet bi-weekly and review progress and project plans. Project planning and assessment in my lab is always student led, with my role to mentor, review and advise rather than to micro-manage.

Communication

We have weekly lab meetings with a rotating schedule of research presentations and journal clubs by team members. We also have a lab Slack group which we use to coordinate lab admin, manage projects and discuss/ troubleshoot research. Although I may sometimes message my team during odd hours due to parenting responsibilities, this is on the clear understanding that responses are only required during office hours.

I have a good track record in supporting team members with pastoral issues and will make available dedicated time to deal with such issues as they arise.

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me:

In a group meeting

At least once per week

In year 1 of PhD study

At least once per fortnight

In year 2 of PhD study

At least once per fortnight

In year 2 of PhD study

At least once per fortnight

These meetings will be a mixture of face to face, via video chat or telephone, and I am usually contactable for an instant response 3 or 4 days a week.

Working Patterns

Certain tasks in my lab need to occur at set times, and students need to be able to commit to a rota/timetable shared with other members of the team.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 2 weeks' notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Primary supervisor for:

Using super-resolution microscopy to investigate the mechanistic principles of bacterial cell wall remodelling

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).

Using super-resolution microscopy to investigate the mechanistic principles of bacterial cell wall remodelling

Secondary Supervisor(s): Professor David Roper, Professor Phillip Stansfield, Dr Melissa Webby

University of Registration: University of Warwick

BBSRC Research Themes: Understanding the Rules of Life (Microbiology)

Project Outline

Bacteria are encased by a peptidoglycan cell wall which is essential for their survival. During cell growth and division, nanoscale cell wall synthesis proteins must accurately build and remodel a structure more than 100x their size. The principles of this process remain a major unsolved puzzle bridging microbiology, biochemistry and biophysics. In addition to its fundamental importance, the bacterial cell wall remains one of the best targets for antibiotic drug development.

In the Holden lab at Warwick University, we use super-resolution microscopy and single molecule tracking to study the mechanistic principles of bacterial cell wall remodelling in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli (see [1-3]). We mostly focus on two related protein machines: the elongasome, responsible for elongating the bacterial cell wall by adding new material to it, and the divisome, responsible for dividing the cell by building a mid-cell crosswall (septum). We investigate how these cell wall synthesis complexes precisely construct the bacterial cell wall.

The PhD project will be developed with the student according to their interests, fitting broadly within the research directions described above. There is substantial opportunity for collaborative research during the PhD.

This project would suit students from a range of disciplines including biochemistry, biomedical sciences or physics. The principal requirements for recruitment are outstanding potential, passion for fundamental science and a desire to work across disciplinary boundaries.

We urge students interested in the project to get in touch at seamus.holden@warwick.ac.uk.

[1] Whitley et al., Nature Microbiology (2024) 1-11.

[2] Middlemiss et al., Nature Communications 15 (2024) 5411.

[3] Vanhille-Campos et al., Nature Physics (2024) 1-9.

Co-supervisor on a project with Dr Melissa Webby.