J Latimer

I first studied at Lancaster University, which was a fantastic broad grounding in biological sciences. After a year of travelling moved to Manchester to take the MSc in Medical and Molecular Microbiology. The master’s inspired me to begin medical microbiology research and, luckily enough, I later lectured on the same course. I then worked in London for a while, but missed the North. I moved to the department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in Sheffield, and studied for a PhD in biofilm physiology under Professor Robert Poole. I developed a chemostat model to grow biofilms for transcriptomic profiling and discovered that Escherichia coli forms biofilms more efficiently in the absence of oxygen. After the PhD, I worked in Malawi with Ripple Africa, teaching biology, training teachers and helping out at the local rural hospital. This was a fantastic experience and I retain strong ties with the community in which I lived. I returned to Manchester in 2009 and joined NeuTec Pharma, where I discovered a target for an antibody therapy candidate against Clostridium difficile. However, the call of academia was strong, and I came back to the University of Manchester in May 2010, originally conducting research in oral microbiology and antimicrobials with Andrew McBain in Manchester Pharmacy School. I supervised a small team developing models to investigate anti-biofilm and anti-bacterial effects of oral healthcare formulations - research that had a direct impact on the development of healthcare products. I also pursued a side-project characterising the adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus to triclosan. This has so far yielded two well-received papers which highlighted the remarkable ability of bacteria to adapt to their surroundings. In order to pursue my interests in host-microbe interactions, I chose a second postdoctoral position in 2015 with Dr Cath O’Neill investigating the roles of the skin microbiome in barrier disruption and inflammation. I developed a reproducible ex-vivo skin model to explore the complex interactions of our skin with our resident bacteria. I moved to the University of Salford in 2016, where I plan to combine my interests in bacteria, biofilms, host-microbe interactions and antimicrobials. I want to enthuse a new generation of microbiologists in all things bacteria and instil a healthy respect for the promises and dangers of antimicrobial use!