I led a research group for over twenty years on the enzymology of plant and microbes. Biological questions included how enzymes carry out radical chemistry through to how enzymes can be targeted by inhibitors with the potential to be developed into antibiotics. The most recent focus was on how mycobacteria, streptomycetes and pseudomonads synthesise glycogen. We discovered a third biosynthetic route to this alpha-glucan that uses GlgE as the polymerase. GlgE is a validated antibacterial target in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and we've discovered that alpha-glucan allows Pseudomonas aeruginosa to withstand desiccation stress prior to infection.

I am currently the Director of Postgraduate Research and Training at The Sainsbury Laboratory.

I lead the training of postgraduate researchers at The Sainsbury Laboratory. I coordinate and help deliver face-to-face and online activities with pre-doctoral interns through to early career researchers. New developments will include a new postgraduate taught course at The Sainsbury Laboratory and an associated massive open online course (MOOC). Watch this space.