Hazel Davey's Research

After my first degree in Microbiology and Zoology I studied for a PhD in microbial physiology. My research centered on the application of flow cytometry to further the understanding of the physiology of microorganisms at the level of single cells. Through this research I became interested in the heterogeneity of both laboratory cultures and natural microbial ecosystems.

After completion of my PhD thesis in 1994 I worked as a postdoctoral researcher for 11 years. My research has involved the detection of specific microorganisms against a background of environmental (biological and non-biological) particles as part of the European Research Office (ERO) of the US army's initiative for the detection of biowarfare agents. This gave me the opportunity to improve my computer and quantitative skills through the application of chemometric techniques to the analysis of multivariate flow cytometric data. I also studied the viability and physiology of microorganisms in laboratory culture and participated centrally in the research that demonstrated the potential of flow cytometric cell sorting to identifying recoverable cells from a starved population.

Subsequent research projects focused on the use of metabolomics and environmental genomics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in an attempt to futrher our understanding of physiology in this model eukaryote. The projects involved the study of the effects of Eurofan knockout mutations in single genes on the metabolome and on the competitive fitness of the cell. These approaches can assist in determining the functions of genes.

In October 2005 I was appointed to the position of RCUK Academic Fellow in Bioterrorism. This is a position that builds on my early postdoctoral work on the detection and identification of biowarfare agents. In addition to the practical aspects of detection of threats I am also interested in pursuing research at the interface between biology and the social sciences.