Emma Denham

Emma Denham is a Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at the University of Bath's Department of Biology and Biochemistry, part of the Centre for Climate Adaptation & Environment Research (CAER). She transitioned to Bath in 2018 from the University of Warwick, where she served as an Assistant Professor. Her research focuses on non-coding RNAs in Bacillus subtilis, exploring their roles in post-transcriptional regulation, biofilm formation, antimicrobial resistance, and metabolic pathways. She investigates how small RNAs (sRNAs) and antisense RNAs modulate bacterial behavior under environmental stress.

Education & Career:

• BSc Biology, University of Leicester
• PhD in Microbiology, Pirbright Institute (formerly Institute for Animal Health)
• Postdoctoral Research, Jan Maarten van Dijl's lab (EU consortia on systems/synthetic biology)

Research Interests: Emma's lab studies regulatory RNAs' impact on B. subtilis behavior, including biofilm formation, competence, and antibiotic resistance. Notable projects include identifying novel sRNA mechanisms distinct from Gram-negative systems and exploring RNA sponges that regulate the RoxS riboregulator. Collaborative efforts include applying bacterial systems to develop zero-carbon concrete via Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grants (2023).

Recent Work Trends: Recent articles highlight mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antiseptics, transcriptome annotation via Rend-seq, and RNA-sponge-mediated regulation. These studies bridge basic microbiology with applied challenges like biocide resistance and sustainable materials.

Grants & Collaborations:

• EPSRC IAA Project: Bacteria-based zero carbon concrete (2023)
• EU consortia during postdoctoral work

Labs & Teams: Leads a microbiology lab at Bath, focusing on interdisciplinary projects combining genomics, systems biology, and synthetic approaches to understand bacterial adaptation and regulatory networks.