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Staff Profile

Dr Rachel Darnell

Research Associate

Background

I am a Research Associate in the laboratory of Dr Henrik Strahl. My current work focuses on understanding the role of IM30 proteins in the cell membrane stress response in the bacterial species Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis using a range of molecular tools. My previous work has included:


Understanding mechanisms of antimicrobial tolerance in the bacterial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococci are intrinsically tolerant to a number of antimicrobials including vancomycin and the recently discovered antimicrobial teixobactin. We have previously identified the two-component regulatory system CroRS as essential for antimicrobial tolerance in Enterococcus faecalis. What we are now interested in understanding is what genes CroRS regulates to confer this tolerance and the molecular mechanisms of this tolerance. In addition, we are developing a pipeline to carry out genome-wide association analyses of enterococcal genomes to identify novel factors of antimicrobial tolerance. 

 

Targeting antimicrobial tolerance in the bacterial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis

Antimicrobial tolerance is known to precede the development of antimicrobial resistance. In addition, antimicrobial tolerance increases the risk of treatment failure, particularly in the immunocompromised. Our aim is to identify inhibitors of antimicrobial tolerance that will work synergistically with current antimicrobials to reduce the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. 


Education:


  • PhD in molecular microbiology 'Regulation of antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus faecalis', University of Otago, New Zealand (2014 - 2017)
  • BSc (Hons) in genetics, University of Otago, New Zealand (2007 - 2010)


Research

Publications



Teaching

Previous teaching:

  • Lecturer - third year molecular microbiology course (University of Otago, New Zealand)


Supervision:


Current students:

PhD

Olivia Paxie (co-supervisor), University of Otago, New Zealand (2022 - present)


Past students:

Caitlin Cleary, BSc (Hons) Microbiology, 2023

Matigan Smith, MSc Microbiology, 2022 - 2023

Francesca Todd Rose, PhD Microbiology, 2019 - 2022

Georgia Campbell, MSc Microbiology, 2021 - 2022 

Phoebe Shaw, BSc (Hons) Microbiology, 2022

Sam Gastrell, BSc (Hons) Microbiology, 2022

Olivia Paxie, BSc (Hons) Microbiology, 2021

Georgia Campbell, BSc (Hons) Microbiology, 2020

Hannah Hodgkinson, BSc(Hons) Genetics, 2020

Isobella Campbell, B BiomedSci (Hons), 2018

Francesca Todd Rose, B BiomedSci (Hons), 2018