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Full NameProfessor Michael B Prentice

Pathology/Microbiology

University College Cork

Webpage:research.ucc.ie

Email Address:Email hidden; Javascript is required.

Research Fields

genetics, genomics and molecular biology
infectious disease and the immune system
bioengineering/medical devices

Postgrad Medical Specialties

Medicine
Surgery
Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Paediatrics
Pathology
Public Health

Medical Subspecialties

Cardiac Surgery
Gastroenterology
Geriatric Medicine
Infectious diseases
Neonatology
Nephrology
Respiratory Medicine

My Work

Work in my laboratory comprises two main themes. Firstly, we use DNA sequences to study the epidemiology of infections (1), and pathogen and commensal evolution, particularly involving internal bacterial metabolic structures whose widespread existence has been revealed by genome sequencing – bacterial microcompartments (2). We study the functional principles of these structures and the advantages they confer on their bacterial hosts- for example in facilitating urinary tract infection (3).

The second theme is a collaboration with Professors John Sodeau and John Wenger of the Centre for Research in Atmospheric Chemistry at UCC and Professor Barry Plant, Director, Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, Cork University Hospital to apply a “smart” particle detector (4) to measure indoor air quality and risks of airborne infection in hospitals.

References
1. O’Driscoll, C, et al. 2016. Molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium abscessus complex isolates in Ireland. J Cyst Fibros 15:179–185.
2. Frank, S, et al . 2013. Bacterial microcompartments moving into a synthetic biological world. Journal of Biotechnology 163:273–279.
3. Dadswell, K, et al. 2019. Bacterial microcompartment-mediated ethanolamine metabolism in E. coli urinary tract infection. Infect Immun May 2019 doi:10.1128/IAI.00211-19
4. Fennelly, MJ, et al. 2017. The Use of Real-Time Fluorescence Instrumentation to Monitor Ambient Primary Biological Aerosol Particles (PBAP). Atmosphere 9 (1), 1-39