Michael Brockhurst

Professor Michael Brockhurst holds the Chair in Evolutionary Biology at the University of Manchester's Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics. His research program investigates evolutionary mechanisms in microbial systems, particularly antibiotic resistance dynamics and host-pathogen coevolution.

Research focuses on plasmid-mediated gene transfer, bacteriophage interactions, and evolutionary constraints in symbiotic relationships. Significant contributions include understanding how toxin diversity in bacterial secretion systems constrains resistance evolution.

Professor Brockhurst directs projects on evolutionary trajectories of pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, supported by grants including 'Evolutionary mechanisms and dynamics' and the 'Oxford Nanopore PromethION' initiative. His team utilizes experimental evolution and genomic analysis to predict antimicrobial resistance pathways.

Recent publications demonstrate innovations in bioremediation using engineered plasmids and analyze fitness trade-offs in emerging symbioses. He serves on editorial boards including Policy@Manchester and supervises graduate research in microbial evolution.