Professor Heather Allison B.A., B.Sc., Ph.D., FHEA
Professor of Molecular Microbiology Clinical Infection, Microbiology & Immunology
- +44 (0)151 795 4571
- Work email Hallison@liverpool.ac.uk
- ACADEMIAAcademia profile
- ORCID0000-0003-0017-7992
Research
Brief description of my research career
I am interested in studying the molecular mechanisms that control various aspects of microbial interactions with their environment. I am currently running a variety of projects that are ultimately focused on using molecular biology to better understand microbial behaviour and niches, but I predominantly focus on two main research areas. The first is understanding how lambdoid bacteriophages, specifically Shiga toxin encoding bacteriophages, interact with their bacterial host cells, e.g. host adsorption targets, virally encoded integrases, and viral genes that alter the host phenotype without being involved in the viral replication process. I have also developed and utilised a number of molecular tools to examine the distribution of these bacteriophages in the natural environment. The second line of research focuses on the use of metagenomic techniques (pyrosequencing and fosmid libraries) to identify and characterise novel cellulolytic microbial taxa and the cellulases they produce from land fill and fresh water environments.
http://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=nLntTlQAAAAJ
My newest research project
Prophages of the LESB58 strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Puppet Mastershttps://www.liverpool.ac.uk/infection-veterinary-and-ecological-sciences/research/prophage-puppet-masters/
Research Grants
Prophage host interactions: pulling back the curtains on Pseudomonas puppet masters
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
November 2020 - October 2024
Anti-microbial bandage contact lenses
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
November 2017 - December 2023
New materials for photocatalytic water decontamination
ROYAL SOCIETY
December 2016 - December 2017
New approaches for the quantitative detection of human pathogenic viruses within the freshwater-marine continuum
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
March 2016 - December 2018
Molecular characterisation of the processes responsible for toxigenic conversion of E.coli by VT-bacteriophages.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
August 2004 - August 2007
Development of nanoparticulate surfaces that inhibit bacterial biofilm formation.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
April 2004 - September 2005
The Armourers and Brasiers’ Materials Science Venture Prize: Treatment of dentures to inhibit oral thrush
ARMOURERS AND BRASIERS COMPANY
January 2010 - January 2015
The genotypic and phenotypic impacts of Shiga toxin encoding bacteriophage interactions with their host cells: consequences for food borne zoonoses
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
August 2011 - November 2014
Molecular biological characterisation of the anaerobic microbial community that drives cellulose decomposition in lake systems.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
June 2004 - May 2007
Metagenomics of cellulose degrading communities
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2010 - December 2013
Verocytotoxin-encoding bacteriophages - ecology and role in disease (Bacteriophage).
DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (UK)
April 2004 - December 2009
Antimuscarinic autoantibodies in patients with Primary Sjögren's syndrome.
BRITISH SJOGREN'S SYNDROME ASSOCIATION
September 2001 - February 2003
Mohammed Mohaisen - bench fees
THE HIGHER COMMITTEE FOR EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ (HCED) (IRAQ)
August 2014 - September 2016