Conrad Mullineaux

Conrad Mullineaux is a Professor of Microbiology and Bacteriology Theme Lead at Queen Mary University of London's School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences. His research focuses on the cell and molecular biology of cyanobacteria, including membrane biogenesis, photosynthetic apparatus development, motility, and intercellular communication. He leads studies using fluorescence microscopy to explore cyanobacterial cell dynamics and serves as an editor for the Journal of Bacteriology.

Research interests include understanding photosynthetic mechanisms, thylakoid membrane organization, and bacterial behavior. Key projects involve optimizing photosynthetic light-harvesting under extraterrestrial conditions and studying mRNA localization in cyanobacteria. Mullineaux has secured grants from the Leverhulme Trust, BBSRC, and EU Commission, totaling over £1 million. His team includes postdoctoral researcher Dr. Moontaha Mahbub and PhD students Xiaowei Dong, Samir Chitnavis, and Nathan Wright.

Major contributions include work on cyanobacterial septal junctions, floc formation, and micro-optics for light sensing. He collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on projects like improving photosynthetic efficiency and developing biotechnological applications from cyanobacterial systems. His research spans fundamental biology and astrobiology, addressing both Earth-based and extraterrestrial biological questions.