Kaitlin Schaal

Bio: I did my undergraduate studies at Sweet Briar College in the US (BSc in Biology with minors in Chemistry and English & Creative Writing), and I got my MSc and PhD in Evolutionary Biology from ETH Zurich in Switzerland.

Project: My project looks at the evolution of interactions and HGT in bacterial communities in changing environments.

Gregory McCallum

Bio: I studied Biomedical Science at the University of Birmingham, where I stayed to complete a PhD in microbiology. My PhD research explored the bacterial hosts of antimicrobial resistance genes in the human gut microbiota using a metagenomics technique called Hi-C. I developed a novel bioinformatics workflow to link antimicrobial resistance genes and plasmids to their bacterial hosts using Hi-C data, in order to find which bacteria are carrying and transferring antimicrobial resistance genes in the human gut. I found that commensal bacteria of the human gut microbiota, particularly Gram-positive species, are an important reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes. I also run @ContamClub on Twitter!

Project: My current research focuses on horizontal gene transfer of plasmids in the hospital sink drain microbiome. This understudied reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes is a prime location for transfer of plasmids, and by using a range of real-world experiments and laboratory models, we aim to explore the patterns and drivers of gene exchange within the hospital sink drain microbiome. The project particularly focuses on species of Pseudomonas bacteria as these are opportunistic pathogens known to spread in hospitals via plumbing. Investigating the ecology of hospital sink drains should offer insights into the factors influencing the spread of antimicrobial resistance in this habitat, and may indicate how this could be limited.

Prajwal Vishwanath Bharadwaj

Bio: I completed my Master's in Biology from IISER Bhopal, working on my Thesis with Dr. Frederic Bertels at the MPI for Evolutionary Biology studying the dynamics of transposable elements in bacterial genomes. I later worked for a year as a research fellow with Dr. Samay Pande at IISc Bangalore looking at evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria under the influence of predation.

Project: I will be working on studying the susceptibility of bacteria towards MGEs, what genetic and molecular factors stabilise plasmids in the host, the ability to differentially acquire plasmids, what evolutionary forces stabilise these interactions. My project will focus on the interactions between the host genome and genetic architecture of plasmids that allow for their persistence.

Shefali Vaidyanath

Bio: I'm a Microbiologist with a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Microbiology from Abasaheb Garware College in Pune, India and a Master's in Applied Microbiology from VIT University, Vellore, India. I also interned at nference, Bangalore, where I dealt with data from proteomics and single cell transcriptomics studies. I have always been interested in research and decided to pursue Masters of Research in Advanced Biological Sciences at the University of Liverpool.

Project: My project focuses on understanding fitness costs of plasmids and how compensatory mutations affect fitness costs across multiple strains of Pseudomonas. Understanding these mechanisms help unravel the complexities of microbial evolution. This knowledge can be used to address bigger issues like antimicrobial resistance and development of the field of bioremediation.

Shefali completed her MRes in Autumn 2025 and continues to work in the lab as a technician.

Shreya Vichare

Bio: With a background in Microbiology (BSc) and Medical Biotechnology (MSc), my research has consistently centered around microbes. A strong interest in evolutionary biology led me to a research fellowship in the Adaptation Lab at NCBS, Bangalore, India. I later pursued a PhD at Kiel University, Germany, where I focused on the dynamics of plasmid evolution in bacteria. Throughout my research journey, I’ve explored diverse microbial systems ranging from the physiology of Streptomyces, codon usage bias in Methylobacteria, to the functional and evolutionary significance of a megaplasmid in Pantoea.

Project: For my Postdoc I will be exploring the interactions between mobile genetic elements and bacterial genome defense systems. My work will aim to understand how different configurations of genome defenses influence horizontal gene transfer and in turn how mobility of those defence systems affect their evolution in the ESKAPE pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Dan Robins

Bio: I completed my Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Liverpool in Tropical Disease Biology, developing a keen interest in microbiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). I then progressed to complete my Master’s of Research at the University of Edinburgh, working on investigating the regulation of biofilm morphology to aid colonisation in Klebsiella variicola.

Project: Bacteria protect themselves from phage infection through encoding genome defence systems, but these can impede the uptake of beneficial plasmids. My project focuses on investigating the trade-offs in genome defence, looking into how Pseudomonas regulates between genome defence systems, phage susceptibility, and plasmid uptake, applying my results to hospital sink microbiomes to identify a possible route for preventing AMR-plasmid acquisition. 

Vicki Orr

Bio: I started my academic journey studying a BSc(Hons) degree in microbiology and zoology, followed by an MRes before becoming a R&D scientist in an IVD company. Throughout these years, I partook in a variety of projects, from developing diagnostic systems for zoonotic pathogens, exploring the mechanisms of the bumblebee immune system and production of antibiotic resistance detection products. I then completed my PhD in microbial ecology, focused on how interactions between plasmids and transposons affect trait spread, particularly resistance genes, using both a wet lab and modelling approach. Since my PhD, I have worked on a short-term postdoc project, assembling and exploring genomes of clinical outbreak-associated plasmids before returning to ELM lab for my current role.

Project: My current postdoc project explores how plasmid-chromosome crosstalk (PCC) influences the spread of genes within complex microbial communities, in collaboration with colleagues at University of Manchester and John Innes Centre. Using bioinformatic analyses, we will explore the worldwide distribution and conservation of regulators of PCC, allowing us to determine the scale of PCC regulation and its relationship to the wider environment.

Vicki completed her PhD in 2025 and moved to a short postdoc position in the Institute for Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, before returning for a postdoc later in 2025.

@Vicki_TR_Orr // @vickiorr.bsky.social

Matthew Kelbrick

Bio: I am a Microbiologist who completed undergraduate studies in Genetics and pursued a Master of Research at Edge Hill University. Throughout my undergrad and masters, my research focused on isolating, characterizing, and exploring the biotechnological applications of extremophilic microorganisms.

Project: My PhD work at the University of Liverpool involves exploring the ecology and evolution of microorganisms exposed to environmental stressors, such as antibiotics and pesticides. During my Postdoctoral work within the same institute, my focus shifted to examining the spread of antimicrobial resistance within hospital sink systems.

Matthew completed his PhD in 2024 and moved to a position as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Liverpool

@MatthewKelbrick // @kelbrick.bsky.social

Leanne Santos

Project: Leanne’s project investigated plasmid-borne homologues of the methionine tRNA ligase gene, metG, in collaboration with Kate Baker at the University of Cambridge.

Leanne completed a MSc in Infection and Immunity in 2024.