Lab Manager Hello, my name is Mike I gained my BSc in Genetics in 2009 and PhD in 2014 from the University of Nottingham, before joining the Horsfall Group in 2013. I have since become the lab manager. My research involves improving bacteria as a chassis for increased production of high value metal nanoparticles and determining their underlying biology for this process.As the lab manager I'm also involved in the day-to-day running of the lab and the people in it. This is includes items regarding safety, purchasing, maintenance, outreach, and sustainability. My hobbies include, reading, computer games, and I have a keen interest in history. Public AbstractI’m looking at the pathways in Desulfovibrio that are involved in synthesis of nanoparticles, small particles of metal that are very catalytic with lots of uses. This involves elucidating what proteins are involved by doing proteomic studies, which involve treating bacteria with metals and to see what they do in response. From this, I can work out which proteins may be responsible for the production of nanoparticles. By studying this, I can learn ways in which bacteria can be used to recover metals from waste material that would otherwise be lost Scientific AbstractAs metal availability is becoming a big problem, new technologies are sought to recapture metals from waste streams. My projects focus on using either Desulfovibrio or Morganella to combat this. Both these bacteria are able to capture metals ions from the environment and convert them into high value nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are highly desirable in industrial applications as catalysts and can be made of high-value metals such as platinum or palladium. The pathways which allow these bacteria to carry this out is what I'm researching, to both understand the biology underlying this ability, and to improve the capability of these organisms so we can alter the resultant nanoparticles that are formed. This article was published on 2025-11-05
