My pronouns are she/her
I am interested in how genomic properties influence evolutionary processes, and how this impacts bacterial species classification, ecological interactions, and trait emergence.
Extensive gene flow between bacterial species challenges the Biological Species Concept. I am interested in the barriers that prevent it, and the implications this has on the thresholds used to delineate species boundaries. Currently, I am investigating how sequence identity influences homologous recombination between Campylobacter species. Typically, genomic Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) needs to be at least 95% identical between isolates to be classified as the same species. However Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni generate hybrids, despite having 85% ANI. Understanding gene flow between these species is a useful tool for studying the emergence and spread of new traits such as Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
Prior to this, I completed my BSc Biology with Professional Placement at the University of Bath, writing a dissertation supervised by Prof Laurence Hurst, studying how 5’-end codon usage influences initiation efficiency of translation in E. coli. I completed a placement studying Human Endogenous Retroviruses with the Izsvak lab at the Max Delbruck Centre for Molecular Medicine, Berlin and have done internships at Rothamstead Research and the John Innes Centre.
