PhD student Ben joined the lab as part of the Wellcome Trust HPGH programme in 2024, starting his PhD in October 2025. His research investigates the evolution and molecular mechanisms of the RNA-binding protein Tex in bacterial pathogens. This involves understanding how Tex regulates virulence across a variety of pathogens, including Burkholderia and Legionella.Prior to Edinburgh, he received an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Oxford. During his MBiol project, he investigated the evolution and function of horizontally acquired biosynthetic gene clusters in bdelloid rotifers. Previous projects also include studying the functional conservation of plant immune receptors, and the evolution of the ubiquitination system in Plasmodium species. Contact details Email: B.J.Holdsworth@sms.ed.ac.uk Social: Linkedin Profile Web: ORCID This article was published on Thursday 2 July 2026
