Personal statement

Please visit our group website: https://sipbs-compbiol.github.io/

Our group specialises in computational biology and bioinformatics, particularly for microbial genomics, but also in humans and plants. We have interests in taxonomy and classification of microbes, and the relationships between genome evolution and the different capabilities of organisms. We aim to understand links between genome and phenotype, such as the ability to produce - or resist - antibiotics, to produce enzymes and other products of biotechological value, the responses of human and plant cells to disease and infection, and the ways in which microbial pathogens interact with and control their hosts.

We study these areas using a range of techniques including phylogenetics and phylogenomics, comparative genomics and pangenomics, and mathematical and structural modelling.

You can follow the group (@SCompBiol), or me personally (@widdowquinn) on Twitter.

Prizes and awards

2020 Metabolomics Publication Award: Recipient; 11/3/2020

More prizes and awards

Publications

Exploiting breakdown in nonhost effector-target interactions to boost host disease resistance: McLellan Hazel, Harvey Sarah E, Steinbrenner Jens, Armstrong Miles R, He Qin, Clewes Rachel, Pritchard Leighton, Wang Wei, Wang Shumei, Nussbaumer Thomas, Dohai Bushra, Luo Qingquan, Kumari Priyanka, Duan Hui, Roberts Ana, Boevink Petra C, Neumann Christina, Champouret Nicolas, Hein Ingo, Falter-Braun Pascal, Beynon Jim, Denby Katherine, Birch Paul R J; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Vol 119 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2114064119
LINgroups as a principled approach to compare and integrate multiple bacterial taxonomies: Mazloom Reza, Pritchard Leighton, Brown C Titus, Vinatzer Boris A, Heath Lenwood S; Proceedings of the 13th ACM International Conference on Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Health Informatics, BCB 2022 The 13th ACM Conference on Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Health Informatics Proceedings of the 13th ACM International Conference on Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Health Informatics, BCB 2022, pp. 1-7 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1145/3535508.3545546
ActinoBase : tools and protocols for researchers working on Streptomyces and other filamentous actinobacteria: Feeney Morgan Anne, Newitt Jake Terry, Addington Emily, Algora-Gallardo Lis, Allan Craig, Balis Lucas, Birke Anna S, Castaño-Espriu Laia, Charkoudian Louise K, Devine Rebecca, Gayrard Damien, Hamilton Jacob, Hennrich Oliver, Hoskisson Paul A, Keith-Baker Molly, Klein Joshua G, Kruasuwan Worarat, Mark David R, Mast Yvonne, McHugh Rebecca E, McLean Thomas C, Mohit Elmira, Munnoch John T, Murray Jordan, Noble Katie, Otani Hiroshi, Parra Jonathan, Pereira Camila F, Perry Louisa, Pintor-Escobar Linamaria, Pritchard Leighton, Prudence Samuel M M, Russell Alicia H, Schniete Jana K, Seipke Ryan F, Sélem-Mojica Nelly, Undabarrena Agustina, Vind Kristiina, van Wezel Gilles P, Wilkinson Barrie, Worsley Sarah F, Duncan Katherine R, Fernández-Martínez Lorena T, Hutchings Matthew I; Microbial Genomics Vol 8 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000824
genomeRxiv : a microbial whole-genome database and diagnostic marker design resource for classification, identification, and data sharing: Pritchard Leighton, Sharma Parul, Mazloom Reza, Pierce Tessa, Irber Luiz, Harrington Bailey, Heath Lenwood, Brown C Titus, Vinatzer Boris; Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2021 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1099/acmi.ac2021.po0165
Could a focus on the "why" of taxonomy help taxonomy better respond to the needs of science and society?: Pritchard Leighton, Brown C Titus, Harrington Bailey, Heath Lenwood S, Pierce-Ward N Tessa, Vinatzer Boris A; Frontiers in Microbiology Vol 13 (2022); https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.887310
Improved and extended multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for Streptomyces reveals complex taxonomic structure: Kiepas Angelika, Hoskisson Paul A, Pritchard Leighton; Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2022, pp. A148 (2022); https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19615869.v1