Dr Mark Shepherd joined the School of Biosciences in 2011. He studied Biochemistry at the University of Sheffield and stayed in the Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology to undertake a PhD with Professor Neil Hunter FRS (1999-2003), where he developed his interest in the enzymology and spectroscopy of chlorophyll and haem biosynthesis.
After completing his PhD studies, he conducted postdoctoral research with Professor Harry Dailey at the University of Georgia, where his research focused on the terminal enzymes of haem biosynthesis. This was followed by a move back to the University of Sheffield in 2005 to take up a postdoctoral position with Professor Robert Poole, where he developed interests in E. coli. respiration, globin proteins, and the response of bacteria to nitric oxide. A subsequent position at the University of Queensland with Prof. Mark Schembri focussed on nitric oxide stress in Uropathogenic E. coli.
In 2011 he moved to the University of Kent, where he is now a Reader in Microbial Biochemistry
Combatting drug-resistant bacterial pathogens
The emergence of drug resistance in pathogenic strains is an increasing problem on a global scale. Our primary interests are to better understand bacterial respiration and to develop strategies to stop growth and survival of bacterial pathogens through the development of new drugs to target respiratory activity. This involves a multi-pronged approach combining collaborative medicinal chemistry techniques, computational drug docking, microbial growth/survival, omics techniques, enzyme kinetics, and infection work.
Understanding the impact of nitric oxide (NO) upon bacterial infections
Nitric oxide (NO) is a remarkable regulatory molecule and a powerful tool used by mammalian cells to combat microbial infection. Bacteria encounter nitric oxide from host NO synthases during infection. The toxic effects of NO to bacterial cells are diverse, and invading bacteria respond in a variety of ways that confer tolerance to NO exposure and enable persistence in the host. Furthermore, the presence of NO can have a profound effect upon the sensitivity of bacteria to antibiotics. The overarching goal is to advance the understanding of NO tolerance mechanisms in drug-resistant bacterial strains, and to better understand the impact of NO upon antibiotic efficacy.
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