Dr. Paul Langford

Biography

Paul Langford's research group focuses on respiratory and meningitis-causing pathogens in humans, such as Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as animal pathogens like Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and Haemophilus parasuis. His work aims to improve vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics through a greater understanding of the basis of bacterial pathogenicity. A major aspect of his research is on the pig pathogen APP, developed in collaboration with Professor Andrew Rycroft from the Royal Veterinary College London. Langford has established high-throughput genome-wide mutagenesis protocols and screens, based on Transposon Directed Insertion site Sequencing (TraDIS), to identify APP genes essential for growth in vitro and in vivo, with the aim of developing novel antimicrobial vaccine strategies. His methods are applicable to other pathogenic members of Pasteurellaceae, such as Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, H. influenzae, Mannheimia haemolytica, and P. multocida. Collaborating with Dr. Anastasia Callaghan from the University of Portsmouth and Professor Denise Bazzolli from the University of Viçosa, Brazil, he evaluates the inhibition of small regulatory RNAs as a viable control strategy against APP. Additionally, his work includes collaborations with the UK Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Centre, identifying plasmid-borne genes that mediate resistance and sequencing plasmids involved in antibiotic resistance. He is also investigating vaccine candidates to prevent disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B infections, using monoclonal antibodies derived from patients who have recovered from meningococcal disease to determine the proteins recognized on the surface of the bacterium.

Research Interests