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Molecular Microbiologist
James Cook Research Fellow
Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi

BSc (Hons) University of Canterbury, NZ, Research Assistant, Australian National University, Australia, PhD, Cambridge University, UK, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Cambridge University, UK

Email peter.fineran@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 7735

Google Scholar Profile
Pubmed Profile
ResearchGate

twitter.com/PeterFineran

Appointed: 2008

Teaching roles

  • GENE 221 Molecular and Microbial Genetics (Convenor)
  • GENE 221 Molecular and Microbial Genetics
  • GENE 360 Extension Topics and Research Skills
  • MICR 335 Molecular Microbiology
  • MICR 360 Research Perspectives (Convenor)
  • MICR 461 Molecular Microbiology

Current research

Our research goal is to understand the interactions between mobile genetic elements, such as bacteriophages and plasmids, and their bacterial hosts. Our main interest is in phage resistance mechanisms.

The phage-bacterium 'arms race'

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that viruses are the most abundant biological entities on the planet. They outnumber bacteria by approximately 10 to 1 and there are an estimated >1030 tailed bacteriophages globally! The result is an obvious selective pressure for bacteria to acquire resistance to phage attack and for phages to acquire counter defence mechanisms. Indeed, many mechanisms of phage resistance are known, ranging from bacterial cell surface alterations, through restriction and modification, to abortive infection. Our research focuses on:

  1. Abortive infection and toxin-antitoxin 'innate immune systems'
  2. CRISPR-Cas 'adaptive immune systems'
  3. Phages as antimicrobial agents

Research funding

  • Marsden Fund, Royal Society of NZ (RSNZ)
  • Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
  • Bioprotection Aotearoa (CoRE)
  • Zespri International Ltd.
  • Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung, Germany
  • Health Research Council (HRC)
  • European Research Commission (ERC), EU
  • Marsden Fund, Royal Society of NZ (RSNZ)
  • Bio-Protection Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE)
  • Rutherford Discovery Fellowship (RSNZ)
  • Tertiary Education Commission (TEC)

Phage-host interactions (Phi) laboratory current group members

Staff

  • Peter Fineran: Principal Investigator
  • Dr Rob Fagerlund - Research Fellow
  • Dr Leah Smith - Postdoctoral Fellow
  • Dr Simon Jackson - Senior Research Fellow
  • Dr Suzie Warring - Postdoctoral Fellow
  • Dr Nils Birkholz - Postdoctoral Fellow
  • Ella Redmond – Assistant Research Fellow
  • Joel Haste – Research Assistant (Jackson)

Students

  • Shaharn Cameron - PhD Student
  • Hazel Sisson - PhD Student
  • Kate Harding - PhD Student
  • Natalie Kyte - PhD Student
  • Jeremy Dubrulle – PhD Student
  • George Warren – PhD Student
  • Megan McLeod - PhD Student (Jackson)

Lab alumni

Post-doctoral researchers

David Mayo-Muñoz, 2023-2024 (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
Leighton Payne, 2023-2024 (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
Sean Meaden, 2020-2022 (Group Leader, University of York, UK)
Lucia Malone, 2020-2021 (Post-doc, TU Delft, NL)
Hannah Hampton, 2018-2021 (Research Scientist, Cawthron Institute, NZ)
Raymond Staals, 2014-2016 (Group Leader, Wageningen University, NL)
Ron Dy, 2013-2014 (currently Group Leader, University of the Phillipines)
Rebekah Frampton, 2011-2012 (Scientist, Plant and Food Research, NZ)
Tamzin Gristwood, 2008-2009 (Scientific Writer, Oxford PharmaGenesis, UK)
Matt McNeil, 2012-2013 (Senior Research Fellow, University of Otago)
Rita Przybilski, 2010-2012 (Research and Enterprise, University of Otago)

Research assistants

James Chang, 2012 (currently University of Otago)
James Clulow, 2010 (currently Nestle, Switzerland)
Marina Iglesias Cans, 2009-2010 (currently Monaghan Biosciences, Ireland)
Andrew McCaw, 2008-2009 (currently Monash University, Australia)
Corinda Taylor, 2012-2018 (currently LifeMatters, NZ)
Tom Wiggins, 2019 (currently Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA)
Max Wilkinson, 2014-2015 (currently Cambridge University, UK)
Manuela Centanni 2019-2023

PhD students

Matthew McNeil, 2009-2012 (currently University of Otago)
Corinna Richter, 2010-2013 (currently Lund University, Sweden)
Ron Dy, 2010-2013 (currently Group Leader, University of the Phillipines)
Adrian Patterson, 2014-2017 (currently BPac, NZ)
Hannah Hampton, 2014-2018 (currently Cawthron Institute, NZ)
Bridget Watson, 2015-2018 (currently University of Exeter, UK)
Mariya Yevstigneyeva, 2016-2019 (currently CytoSMART, Netherlands)
Lucia Malone, 2016-2020 (currently TU Delft, NL)
Leah Smith, 2016-2020 (currently University of Otago)
Aroa Rey Campa, 2016-2020 (currently Leitat, Spain)
Nils Birkholz, 2017-2021 (currently University of Otago)
Tess McBride, 2019-2022 (currently Western Sydney University)
Howard Maxwell, 2018-2023 (currently Scientific Officer for Māori Health Advancement University of Otago)
David Mayo-Muñoz, 2019-2022 (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
Leighton Payne, 2020-2023 (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
Kotaro Kamata, 2021-2024 (currently Stanford University, USA)
Marina Mahler, 2021-2024 (currently Biozentrum University of Basel, Switzerland)

MSc students

Reuben Vercoe, 2010-2012 (currently University of Otago)
Thomas Paterson, 2010-2013 (currently Forage Agronomist, PGG Wrightson, NZ)
James Chang, 2012-2013 (currently University of Otago)
Koen Semeijn, 2013 (currently University of Sheffield, UK)
Anne Vogel, 2014 (currently Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway)
Sebastian Kieper, 2014-2015 (currently Technical University of Delft, NL)
Nils Birkholz, 2016 (currently University of Otago)
Brian Tong, 2016-2018 (currently AsureQuality, NZ)
Carolin Warnecke, 2017 (currently Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Switzerland)
Tim Ferguson, 2018 (currently AgResearch, NZ)
Zacharie Parquet, 2019 (currently University of Wageningen, NL)
Bridget Fellows, 2019-2021 (currently University of Otago)
Stephanie Trickey, 2020-2021 (currently Walter and Eliza Hall institute of Medical Research, Australia)
Sarah de Roode, 2003 (currently Wageningen University, NL)

BSc and BBioMedSci (Hons) students

James Clulow, 2009 (currently Nestle, Switzerland)
Iris Chan, 2011 (currently Nursing)
James Chang, 2011 (currently University of Otago)
Hannah Hampton, 2013 (currently University of Otago)
Rebecca McKenzie, 2013 (currently Technical University of Delft, NL)
Bridget Watson, 2014 (currently University of Exeter, UK)
Max Wilkinson, 2014 (currently Cambridge University, UK)
Howard Maxwell, 2017 (currently University of Otago)
Nick Donaldson, 2018 (currently Tufts School of Medicine, Boston, USA)
Tess McBride, 2018 (currently University of Otago)
Leighton Payne, 2019 (currently University of Otago)
Maureen Yin, 2019 (currently Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)
Kotaro Kamata, 2020 (currently University of Otago)
Hazel Sisson, 2020 (currently University of Otago)
Thomas Ware, 2020 (currently University of Otago)
Natalie Kyte, 2020 (currently University of Otago)
Kate Harding, 2021 (currently University of Otago)
Shaharn Cameron, 2021 (currently University of Otago)
Fern Booker, 2021
Tom Hughes, 2021 (currently University of Otago)
Lela Hassan, 2022
Ella Silk, 2022 (currently University of Otago)
Josh Byford-Pothan, 2022
Megan McLeod, 2022 (Jackson, currently University of Otago)
Joel Haste, 2022 (Jackson, currently University of Otago)
Grace Suhono, 2022 (Gumy)
Natasha Drummy, 2023

PGDipSci students

Annie Huang, 2009 (currently AsureQuality, NZ)
Brian Tong, 2015 (currently AsureQuality, NZ)
Tim Ferguson, 2016 (currently AgResearch, NZ)

Summer students

James Clulow, 2008-2009 (currently Nestle, Switzerland)
Thomas Paterson, 2009-2010 (currently Forage Agronomist, PGG Wrightson, NZ)
Tahlia Whiting, 2010-2011 (currently Lincoln High School Science teacher)
James Chang, 2011-2012 (currently University of Otago)
Bridget Watson, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 (currently University of Otago)
Max Wilkinson, 2013-2014 (currently Cambridge University, UK)
Elizabeth Prentice, 2013-2014 (currently University of Otago)
Blair Ney, 2014-2015 (currently University of Canberra, Australia)
Danni Chen, 2014-2015 (currently University of Otago)
Alison Morey, 2015-2016 (currently Monash University, Australia)
Howard Maxwell, 2016-2017 (currently University of Otago)
Nick Donaldson, 2017-2018 (currently Tufts School of Medicine, Boston, USA)
Maureen Yin, 2018-2019 (currently Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)
Tess McBride, 2018-2019 (currently University of Otago)
Leighton Payne, 2019-2020 (currently University of Otago)
Thomas Ware, 2019-2020 (currently University of Otago)
Natalie Kyte, 2019-2020 (currently University of Otago)
Nicholas Keestra, 2020-2021 (currently University of Otago)
Aileen Harwood, 2020-2021 (currently University of Otago)
Kate Harding, 2020-2021 (currently University of Otago)
Fern Booker, 2020-2021 (currently University of Otago)
Shaharn Cameron, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 (currently University of Otago)
Ella Silk, 2021-2022 (currently University of Otago)
Daniel Vallabhjee, 2021-2022
Megan McLeod, 2021-2022 (currently University of Otago)
Natasha Drummy, 2022-2023

Visitors

Desiree Cossyleon, 2010 (currently Indiana University, USA)
Angela Holguin Moreno, 2012 (currently University of Toronto, Canada)
Elena Lopez Acedo, 2014 (Extremadura, Spain)
Jacob Marogi, 2018 (Gettysberg, USA)
Gisela Parmeciano Di Noto, 2018 (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Luciano Rigano, 2018 (Universidad de Mendoza, Argentina; currently MPI NZ)

Publications

Wang, X., Jowsey, W. J., Cheung, C.-Y., Smart, C. J., Klaus, H. R., Seeto, N. E. J., Waller, N. J. E., … Fineran, P. C., Cook, G. M., Jackson, S. A., & McNeil, M. B. (2024). Whole genome CRISPRi screening identifies druggable vulnerabilities in an isoniazid resistant strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nature Communications, 15, 9791. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54072-w Journal - Research Article

Warring, S. L., Sisson, H. M., Fineran, P. C., & Rabiey, M. (2024). Strategies for the biocontrol Pseudomonas infections pre-fruit harvest. Microbial Biotechnology, 17, e70017. doi: 10.1111/1751-7915.70017 Journal - Research Article

Kamata, K., Birkholz, N., Ceelen, M., Fagerlund, R. D., Jackson, S. A., & Fineran, P. C. (2024). Repurposing an endogenous CRISPR-Cas system to generate and study subtle mutations in bacteriophages. CRISPR Journal. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1089/crispr.2024.0047 Journal - Research Article

Birkholz, N., & Fineran, P. C. (2024). Anti-CRISPRs deconstruct bacterial defense [Spotlight]. Molecular Cell, 84, 3172-3174. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.08.008 Journal - Research Other

Sisson, H. M., Fagerlund, R. D., Jackson, S. A., Briers, Y., Warring, S. L., & Fineran, P. C. (2024). Antibacterial synergy between a phage endolysin and citric acid against the gram-negative kiwifruit pathogen pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae. Viruses of Microbes (VoM) Scientific Conference. Retrieved from https://www.vom2024.org/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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