Laura Piddock
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Laura Piddock | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of Birmingham |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Birmingham |
| Thesis | The Penicillin Binding Proteins of four species of Bacteroides (1985) |
| Website | www.revive.gardp.org |
Laura Piddock is a microbiologist, specialising in antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in bacteria. She is Professor Emerita at the University of Birmingham, UK and also Scientific Director within the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership.[1]
Laura J. V. Piddock gained a BSc degree in Biological Sciences (Biochemistry and Microbiology) in 1981 and was awarded a PhD degree by the University of Birmingham in 1985 for work on penicillin binding proteins with Richard Wise at Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham.[2]
Career
She has been employed at University of Birmingham since 2001. Her research concentrates on the origin of antibiotic resistance in bacteria but also includes a broad interest in all aspects of the continued use of antibiotics in medicine.[3] She is particularly interested in the control of expression of bacterial efflux pumps and their role in bacterial biology, especially as pathogens. Her research includes identifying inhibitors of efflux pumps. The genes for aspects of antibiotic resistance are often found on mobile genetic elements (plasmids) and her research is therefore also into how transfer of plasmids between bacteria can be inhibited.[2]
Her research group has worked on the broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotics, providing better information on how this class of antibiotics can be used more effectively in medicine for humans and animals. In particular, this has addressed the way that their use in veterinary practice can generate antibiotic resistant bacteria that enter the food chain of humans.[2][4]
