Abstract

Dr Andrew Grant is an Associate Professor in Microbial Pathogenesis in the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge. Andrew obtained his BSc degree in Biochemistry and Pharmacology and a PhD in Molecular Microbiology at Southampton University and then moved to the University of Cambridge to a postdoctoral position. After a series of postdoctoral positions, studying different enteric bacterial pathogens, he moved into his current position where his group uses genomic and functional genomic approaches, combined with molecular, proteomic and imaging techniques, to determine the basis by which bacterial pathogens survive in different environments, colonise their hosts and cause disease. Andrew is also a HEI partner of Quadram Institute Bioscience supporting the Institutional Strategic Programme on Microbes in the Food Chain. Through the different research themes the aim is to translate the findings into novel intervention strategies, including small-molecule therapeutics, antibodies, antimicrobial peptides and vaccines.

Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis in the world. An acute infection can have serious long-term consequences, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, reactive arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome. Campylobacter is commonly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of animals destined for human consumption, with faecal contamination of meat, especially chicken, during processing a route of transmission to humans. In the UK, Campylobacter infections are estimated to affect 1% of the population and cost the economy ~£1 billion each year. The ability of Campylobacter to colonise and survive in many animal species and habitats makes them extremely difficult to control, and infection in humans remains difficult to prevent. There are no vaccines for animals or humans. Worldwide there has been a rapid increase in antimicrobial resistant Campylobacter strains, making them a serious and growing public health threat. There is a need to understand how Campylobacter survives in different environments, colonises chickens (and other animals) and causes disease in humans, and to use this knowledge to develop intervention strategies.

In the talk “Beak to Bedside – Understanding and controlling Campylobacter”, Andrew’s presentation will cover recent and ongoing studies by his group focused on different aspects of Campylobacter growth, survival and intervention.