Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome (2021)
Journal Article
Harrison, X., McDevitt, A., Dunn, J., Grifftihs, S., Benvenuto, C., Birtles, R., …Antwis, R. (2021). Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288(1957), 20210552. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0552

Interactions between hosts and their resident microbial communities are a fundamental component of fitness for both agents. Though recent research has highlighted the importance of interactions between animals and their bacterial communities, compara... Read More about Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome.

Investigation into the genetic diversity in toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in the European badger Meles meles (2018)
Journal Article
Whiteoak, A., Ideozu, J., Alkathiry, H., Tomlinson, A., Delahay, R., Cowen, S., …Hide, G. (2018). Investigation into the genetic diversity in toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in the European badger Meles meles. Research in Veterinary Science, 119, 228-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2018.06.020

The Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes are a conserved family of genes central to the innate immune response to pathogen infection. They encode receptor proteins, recognise pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and trigger initial immune respons... Read More about Investigation into the genetic diversity in toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in the European badger Meles meles.

Physiological, but not fitness, effects of two interacting haemoparasitic infections in a wild rodent (2018)
Journal Article
Taylor, C., Wanelik, K., Friberg, I., Lowe, A., Hall, A., Ralli, C., …Bradley, J. (2018). Physiological, but not fitness, effects of two interacting haemoparasitic infections in a wild rodent. International Journal for Parasitology, 48(6), 463-471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.11.006

In contrast to the conditions in most laboratory studies, wild animals are routinely challenged by multiple infections at once, and these infections can interact in complex ways. This means that the impact of a parasite on its host’s physiology and f... Read More about Physiological, but not fitness, effects of two interacting haemoparasitic infections in a wild rodent.

A candidate tolerance gene identified in a natural population of field voles (Microtus agrestis) (2017)
Journal Article
Wanelik, K., Begon, M., Birtles, R., Bradley, J., Friberg, I., Jackson, J., …Paterson, S. (2017). A candidate tolerance gene identified in a natural population of field voles (Microtus agrestis). Molecular Ecology, 27(4), 1044-1052. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.14476

The animal immune response has hitherto been viewed primarily in the context of resistance only. However, individuals, can also employ a tolerance strategy to maintain good health in the face of on-going infection. To shed light on the genetic and ph... Read More about A candidate tolerance gene identified in a natural population of field voles (Microtus agrestis).

From the animal house to the field : are there consistent individual differences in immunological profile in wild populations of field voles (Microtus agrestis)? (2017)
Journal Article
Arriero, E., Wanelik, K., Birtles, R., Bradley, J., Jackson, J., Paterson, S., & Begon, M. (2017). From the animal house to the field : are there consistent individual differences in immunological profile in wild populations of field voles (Microtus agrestis)?. PLoS ONE, 12(8), e0183450. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183450

Inbred mouse strains, living in simple laboratory environments far removed from nature, have been shown to vary consistently in their immune response. However, wildlife populations are typically outbreeding and face a multiplicity of challenges, para... Read More about From the animal house to the field : are there consistent individual differences in immunological profile in wild populations of field voles (Microtus agrestis)?.

Use of mass-participation outdoor events to assess human exposure to tickborne pathogens (2017)
Journal Article
Hall, J., Alpers, K., Bown, K., Martin, S., & Birtles, R. (2017). Use of mass-participation outdoor events to assess human exposure to tickborne pathogens. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 23(3), 463-467. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2303.161397

Mapping the public health threat of tickborne pathogens requires quantification of not only the density of infected host-seeking ticks but also the rate of human exposure to these ticks. To efficiently sample a high number of persons in a short time,... Read More about Use of mass-participation outdoor events to assess human exposure to tickborne pathogens.

Detection of Hepatozoon felis in Ticks Collected from Free-Ranging Amur Tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), Russian Far East, 2002–12 (2016)
Journal Article
Thomas, L., Seryodkin, I., Goodrich, J., Miquelle, D., Birtles, R., & Lewis, J. (2016). Detection of Hepatozoon felis in Ticks Collected from Free-Ranging Amur Tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), Russian Far East, 2002–12. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 52, 674-676. https://doi.org/10.7589/2015-10-277

We collected 69 ticks from nine, free-ranging Amur tigers ( Panthera tigris altaica) between 2002 and 2011 and investigated them for tick-borne pathogens. DNA was extracted using alkaline digestion and PCR was performed to detect apicomplexan organis... Read More about Detection of Hepatozoon felis in Ticks Collected from Free-Ranging Amur Tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), Russian Far East, 2002–12.

Rodentolepis straminea in an urban population of Apodemus sylvaticus in the UK (2015)
Journal Article
Apodemus sylvaticus in the UK. Journal of Helminthology, 90(4), 476-482. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X15000632

The presence of the cyclophyllidean cestode Rodentolepis straminea (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae), was confirmed by molecular DNA analysis from a wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) population inhabiting urban woodland in Salford, Greater Manchester (UK)... Read More about Rodentolepis straminea in an urban population of Apodemus sylvaticus in the UK.

An invasive mammal (the gray squirrel, sciurus carolinensis) commonly hosts diverse and atypical genotypes of the zoonotic pathogen borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato (2015)
Journal Article
Millins, C., Magierecka, A., Gilbert, L., Edoff, A., Brereton, A., Kilbride, E., …Biek, R. (2015). An invasive mammal (the gray squirrel, sciurus carolinensis) commonly hosts diverse and atypical genotypes of the zoonotic pathogen borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 81(13), 4236-4245. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00109-15

Invasive vertebrate species can act as hosts for endemic pathogens and may alter pathogen community composition and dynamics. For the zoonotic pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the agent of Lyme borreliosis, recent work shows invasive rodent... Read More about An invasive mammal (the gray squirrel, sciurus carolinensis) commonly hosts diverse and atypical genotypes of the zoonotic pathogen borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato.

Multi-Locus sequence analysis reveals profound enetic diversity among isolates of the human athogen bartonella bacilliformis (2011)
Journal Article
Picardeau, M., Chaloner, G., Palmira Ventosilla, & Birtles, R. (2011). Multi-Locus sequence analysis reveals profound enetic diversity among isolates of the human athogen bartonella bacilliformis. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 5(7), e1248. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0001248

Bartonella bacilliformis is the aetiological agent of human bartonellosis, a potentially life threatening infection of significant public health concern in the Andean region of South America. Human bartonellosis has long been recognised in the regio... Read More about Multi-Locus sequence analysis reveals profound enetic diversity among isolates of the human athogen bartonella bacilliformis.