My research focuses on applying genomic techniques to answer questions in plant and soil biology, ecology, evolution, conservation and population genomics. I apply cutting-edge sequencing technologies and approaches to design experiments and analyse genomic data from a wide range of sample types and projects, including de novo genomics and transcriptomics, epigenetics, metabarcoding and working with environmental DNA.
My current research projects include identifying key beneficial bacterial taxa and functional genes in soil that benefit plant health (BBSRC ‘disease suppressive microbes’ project) and determining dietary components in wild sheep populations (NERC ‘Ecology Within’ project). I am also working with researchers in Uganda on a GCRF project to apply rapid, in-field genomics for the monitoring and management of insect-vectored viral crop diseases.
I manage the long-read sequencing facility in the P3 pillar of the Institute for Sustainable Food and deliver bioinformatics training as part of the NERC Environment Omics Facility.