Evolution and epidemiology of common bacterial pathogens

Back to Evolutionary Epidemiology group

Understanding the population genetics of bacterial species, identifying the mechanisms and factors which have created the visible patterns of inter-relatedness between bacteria, is critical to making sense of the way drug resistance, virulen ce or vaccines work. Together with Bill Hanage and Brian Spratt (who also maintain bacterial sequencing labs), we develop mathematical models to explain the patterns of genetic bacterial diversity.

We have developed new models which explain the observed diversity of bacterial genotypes within samples of carried bacteria. We have more recently been interested in how patterns of horizontal gene flow between related groups of bacteria relate to population structure and the formation of new bacterial species. We are shifting our focus from MLST to whole genome analysis.

With Marc Lipsitch are exploring the evolutionary epidemiology of antibiotic resistance inStreptococcus pneumoniae.

Some recent publications:

• Fraser C; Hanage WP; Spratt BG. Recombination and the nature of bacterial speciation.Science (2007). Publisher weblink DOI.
• Hanage WP; Fraser C; Tang J; Connor TR; Corander J. Hyper-recombination, diversity, and antibiotic resistance in pneumococcus. Science (2009). DOI.
• Fraser C; Alm EJ; Polz MF; Spratt BG; Hanage WP. The bacterial species challenge: making sense of genetic and ecological diversity. Science (2009). DOI.