Sarah Coulthurst

Professor Sarah Coulthurst is the Chair of Microbial Interactions and a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow at the University of Dundee's School of Life Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding how Gram-negative bacterial pathogens cause disease, with a focus on protein secretion systems (especially the Type VI secretion system), inter-bacterial competition, and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. She leads a molecular microbiology group using genetics, proteomics, and non-mammalian virulence models.

Education: PhD in Molecular Microbiology from the University of Cambridge (2005), MSci in Natural Sciences (2000), and BA in Natural Sciences (1999), all from the University of Cambridge.

Research Focus: Her work investigates the molecular mechanisms of the Type VI secretion system (T6SS), bacterial competition strategies, and antimicrobial peptide production. Key projects include studying Serratia marcescens's T6SS-mediated attacks and the role of lifestyle switches in clinical pathogen adaptation.

Recent Work: Recent publications highlight discoveries in T6SS effector proteins, pore-forming mechanisms, and genomic regulation of bacterial competition. She also contributes to understanding antimicrobial resistance and Serratia's role in polymicrobial communities.

Awards: Includes Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2024), Wellcome Senior Research Fellowship (2020), and multiple prizes for contributions to microbiology and teaching excellence.

Teaching & Supervision: Module manager for Advanced Molecular Microbiology and supervisor for PhD projects on T6SS mechanisms and bacterial adaptation. She also engages in public outreach and educational initiatives.

Lab & Collaborations: Collaborates with institutions like the University of Newcastle and Heriot-Watt University. Her lab integrates cutting-edge omics approaches with traditional microbiology to study pathogen interactions.