James Rayner

Profile

Project Title: Mathematical modelling, imaging, and image analysis of bacterial cell shape change in response to antibiotic stress

Summary: Antibiotic resistance is a pressing issue that demands urgent scientific action. To advance the development of novel antibiotics and effective antibacterial therapies, it is crucial to gain a better understanding of the fundamental biophysical mechanisms underlying antibiotics-induced bacterial cell death. My research utilises imaging, image analysis, and stochastic mathematical modelling techniques to investigate bacterial response to sublethal and lethal levels of antibiotics.

Supervisor:

• Dr Nikola Ojkic

"My research focuses on understanding how antibiotics lead to bacterial cell death. While we know the immediate targets and actions of antibiotics, the precise mechanisms of cell death remain unclear for many antibiotics. Notably, different antibiotics induce distinct changes in bacterial cell shapes as part of their stress responses, but the reasons for these variations are not well understood.

We believe that studying these cell shape changes provides an effective model for investigating the effects of antibiotics on bacterial cells. Our goal is to develop robust computational simulations that are validated against computationally analysed bacterial images. Through this approach, we aim to explain the underlying reasons for these cell shape changes and predict the effects of antibiotics on bacterial systems"

Research