Current projects we are working on
We work on clinical and environmental samples, as well as type (genome sequence) strains and collaborate closely with groups in the Chemistry Department to design and test novel low molecular weight blockers of specific biochemical and signaling pathways.

Current projects include regulation of type III secretion in biofilms (1, 3, 6); structure-function analysis of the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) (4,5); function and regulation of genes associated with the "core" biofilm transcriptome in P. aeruginosa; the role of ppGpp in controlling virulence factor production (2, 8); the structure, function and regulation of a novel biofilm-specific metzincin protease.

More recently, we have also developed an interest in using next-generation DNA sequencing platforms to analyse the "global" genomic changes associated with chronic bacterial infections (7, 10).

Selected Publications List
  1. Type III secretion system expression in oxygen-limited Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures is stimulated by isocitrate lyase activity. Jade CS Chung, Olena Rzhepishevska, Madeleine Ramstedt, , Martin Welch. Open Biology 3(1):120131. doi: 10.1098/rsob.120131 (2013).
  2. Virulence in Pectobacterium atrosepticum is regulated by a coincidence circuit involving quorum sensing and the stress alarmone, (p)ppGpp. Molecular Microbiology (2013) In Press. Steven D. Bowden, Alison Eyres, Jade C.S. Chung, Rita E. Monson, Arthur Thompson, George P.C. Salmond, David R. Spring and Martin Welch.
  3. Mikkelsen H, Bond N, Skindersoe ME, Givskov M, Lilley KS and Welch M. "Biofilms and Type III secretion are not mutually exclusive in Pseudomonas aeruginosa". 155: 687-698. Microbiology (2008).
  4. James Hodgkinson, Steven D. Bowden, Warren R. J. D. Galloway, David R. Spring and Martin Welch. Structure-activity analysis of the Pseudomonas quinolone signal molecule. (2010). J. Bacteriol. 192 :3833-3837.
  5. Ligand binding kinetics of the quorum sensing regulator PqsR. Biochemistry (In Press 2013). Martin Welch, James Hodgkinson, Jeremy Gross, David Spring, Thomas Sams.
  6. Mikkelsen H, Duck Z, Lilley, KS. and Welch, M. "The Inter-relationship between colonies, biofilms and planktonic cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa". J. Bacteriol. 189:2411-2416 (2007).
  7. Genomic variation among contemporary Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from chronically-infected cystic fibrosis patients. Jade C. S. Chung, Jennifer Becq, Louise Fraser, Ole Schulz-Trieglaff, Nicholas J. Bond, Juliet Foweraker, Kenneth D. Bruce, Geoffrey P. Smith and Martin Welch. (2012) J. Bacteriol. 194:4857-4866.
  8. Wang J-H, Gardiol. N., Burr, T., Salmond GPC, and Welch M "RelA-dependent (p)ppGpp production controls exoenzyme synthesis in Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica." J. Bacteriol. (2007) 189: 7643-7652.
  9. Surface swarming motility by Pectobacterium atrosepticum is a latent phenotype that requires O antigen and is regulated by quorum sensing. Microbiology (2013) In Press. Steven D. Bowden, Nicola Hale, Jade C.S. Chung, James T. Hodgkinson, David R. Spring and Martin Welch.
  10. Universal soldier : Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic generalist. Frontiers in Biology (In Press 2013). Jeremy Gross, Ian J. Passmore, Jade CS Chung, Olena Rzhepishevska Madeleine Ramstedt, Martin Welch.
Recent Publications List
  1. Peter Davenport, Julian L. Griffin, Martin Welch. Quorum sensing is accompanied by global metabolic changes in the opportunistic human pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J. Bacteriol. In Press (2015).
  2. Thomas Sams, Ysobel Baker, James Hodgkinson, Jeremy Gross, David Spring and Martin Welch. The Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal (PQS). The Israel Journal of Chemistry. In Press (2015).
  3. Ian J Passmore, Kahoko Nishikawa, Kathryn S Lilley, Steven D Bowden, Jade CS Chung and Martin Welch. Mep72: A metzincin protease that is preferentially secreted by biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J. Bacteriol. In Press (2014).
  4. Zarah Walsh , Emma-Rose Janecek , James T Hodgkinson , Julia Sedlmair , Alexandros Koutsioubas , David R Spring , Martin Welch , Carol J. Hirschmugl , Chris Toprakcioglu , Jonathan R. Nitschke , Mark Jones , Oren Scherman. Multi-functional supramolecular polymer networks as next generation consolidants for archaeological wood conservation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci (USA). In Press 2014.
  5. Anetta Claussen, Tim Holm Jakobsen , Thomas Bjarnsholt , Michael Givskov, Martin Welch, Jesper Ferkinghoff-Borg and Thomas Sams. Growth modulated Quorum Sensing. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. (2013) In Press.
  6. Jeremy Gross & Martin Welch. Why is Pseudomonas aeruginosa a common cause of infection in individuals with cystic fibrosis? Editorial in Future Microbiology (2013).
  7. Yunpeng Bai, Santoshkumar N. Patil, Steven D. Bowden, Simon Poulter, Jie Pan, George P.C. Salmond, Martin Welch, Wilhelm T.S. Huck, and Chris Abell. Intra-species quorum sensing in microdroplets triggered by diffusion of signaling molecules across droplet interfaces. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. (doi:10.3390/ijms140510570 (2013)).
  8. Combating multi-drug resistant bacteria: current strategies for the discovery of novel antibacterials. Kieron M. G. O'Connell, James T. Hodgkinson, Hannah F. Sore, Martin Welch, George P.C. Salmond and David R. Spring. Angewandte Chemie (2013) In Press.