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My research focuses on understanding the bacterial cell envelope as the interface between a bacterium and its environment, with a specific focus on the nature, biosynthesis and roles of membrane-anchored macromolecules, notably bacterial lipoproteins and lipoglycans. Several projects are focussed on understanding the role of the cell envelope in the biology of the important veterinary pathogen Rhodococcus (Prescottella) equi and related bacteria.

Understanding cell envelope diversity is also of importance for microbial taxonomy and studies of bacterial evolution, and I am particularly interested in the evolution of outer membranes. My work in taxonomy has progressed from an earlier chemotaxonomic approach to primarily using comparative genomics and in this regard I am active in developing the discipline of microbial systematics. I am currently in my second term (2020-2023) as Chair of the International Committee for Systematics of Prokaryotes (https://www.the-icsp.org/). Seperately, I am actively involved in the development of the nomenclatural code for uncultured microorganisms (the 'SeqCode' https://www.isme-microbes.org/seqcode-initiative).

  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • Roadmap for naming uncultivated Archaea and Bacteria, Murray, A., Freudenstein, J., Gribaldo, S., Hatzenpichler, R., Hugenholtz, P., Kämpfer, P., Konstantinidis, K., Lane, C., Papke, R., Parks, D., Rossello-Mora, R., Stott, M., Sutcliffe, I., Thrash, J., Venter, S., Whitman, W., Acinas, S., Amann, R., Anantharaman, K., Armengaud, J., Baker, B., Barco, R., Bode, H., Boyd, E., Brady, C., Carini, P., Chain, P., Colman, D., DeAngelis, K., de los Rios, M., Estrada-de los Santos, P., Dunlap, C., Eisen, J., Emerson, D., Ettema, T., Eveillard, D., Girguis, P., Hentschel, U., Hollibaugh, J., Hug, L., Inskeep, W., Ivanova, E., Klenk, H., Li, W., Lloyd, K., Löffler, F., Makhalanyane, T., Moser, D., Nunoura, T., Palmer, M., Parro, V., Pedrós-Alió, C., Probst, A., Smits, T., Steen, A., Steenkamp, E., Spang, A., Stewart, F., Tiedje, J., Vandamme, P., Wagner, M., Wang, F., Hedlund, B., Reysenbach, A. 1 Aug 2020, In: Nature Microbiology
  • Addressing the sublime scale of the microbial world: reconciling an appreciation of microbial diversity with the need to describe species, Sutcliffe, I., Rosselló-Móra, R., Trujillo, M. 1 Sep 2021, In: New Microbes and New Infections
  • Out with the old and in with the new: time to rethink twentieth century chemotaxonomic practices in bacterial taxonomy, Vandamme, P., Sutcliffe, I. 30 Nov 2021, In: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
  • Mechanism of Phosphatidylglycerol Activation Catalyzed by Prolipoprotein Diacylglyceryl Transferase, Singh, W., Bilal, M., McClory, J., Dourado, D., Quinn, D., Moody, T., Sutcliffe, I., Huang, M. 22 Aug 2019, In: Journal of Physical Chemistry B
  • Refined Systematics of the Genus Rhodococcus Based on Whole Genome Analyses, Sangal, V., Goodfellow, M., Jones, A., Seviour, R., Sutcliffe, I. 2019, Biology of Rhodococcus
  • Proposal of Carbonactinosporaceae fam. nov. within the class Actinomycetia. Reclassification of Streptomyces thermoautotrophicus as Carbonactinospora thermoautotrophica gen. nov., comb. nov, Volpiano, C., Sant'Anna, F., da Mota, F., Sangal, V., Sutcliffe, I., Munusamy, M., Saravanan, V., See-Too, W., Passaglia, L., Rosado, A. 1 Jul 2021, In: Systematic and Applied Microbiology

  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • Editorial work: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Journal of Microbiology (Journal) 2019
  • Editorial work: Frontiers in Microbiology (Journal) 2018
  • Membership of committee: Bergey's International Society for Microbial Systematics (External organisation) 2017
  • Membership of committee: International Committee for Systematics of Prokaryotes (External organisation) 2017
  • Oral presentation: Whole genome analyses support the taxonomic separation of “Rhodococcus equi” from other rhodococci 2014
  • Editorial work: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Journal of Microbiology (Journal) 2009

  • Craig Mantanona An interrogation of cholinergic function in aspects of cognition and behaviour in rats Start Date: 18/09/2017 End Date: 25/03/2022
  • Kerry Hill The Development of Chromogenic Culture Media for the Detection of Healthcare-Associated Infections Start Date: 13/07/2007 End Date: 12/06/2014
  • Mian Munir Investigations of lipoprotein biosynthesis in bacteria and the structural-functional relationship of prolipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase Start Date: 09/01/2012

Biochemistry PhD September 01 1985

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