Dr Justine Rudkin
- Lecturer in Bacteriology (Bacteriology)
email:
Justine.Rudkin@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns:
She/her/hers
Sir Graeme Davies Building, 126 University Place, Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, G12 8TA
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3044-0459Biography
Education:
BSc Tropical Disease Biology, University of Liverpool, 2008
PhD Molecular Microbiology, University of Bath, 2012
PGCert Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, UCC, 2018
Career History:
Lecturer in Bacteriology, University of Glasgow, 2024-present
Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford, 2018-2023
IRC Research Fellow, University College Cork, 2016-2018
Postdoctoral Researcher, APC Microbiome Institute Ireland, 2016
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Galway, 2012-2015
Publications:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3044-0459
Professional Activities:
Editor, Access Microbiology, an Open Research Platform
Committee Member, Impact & Influence Committee, Microbiology Society UK
Research interests
A Bacterium of Two Halves; The Commensal and Pathogenic Lifestyle of Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus is a commensal microbe colonising the nose of some healthy individuals, but it is also an important and potentially lethal pathogen. Within the nose S. aureus colonises as part of the microbiome and my research group is interested in interactions between S. aureus and the other microbes in the nasal niche. We are interested in how microbe-microbe interactions influence colonisation at the host-microbe interface, and how interactions between S. aureus and other skin and respiratory pathogens impacts on virulence and the onset of infection. Are there any other species that help S. aureus to colonise, or indeed any that block it from becoming a resident? What mechanisms underpin these interactions, and can we use this information to modulate the emergence of infections?
My group utilizes a combination of co-culture assays, functional genomics and phenotyping, alongside community analysis (DNA and RNASeq) approaches to investigate how this bacterium adapts to these two different lifestyles, and how conditions within these different niche drive bacterial evolution and pathogenicity.
We are open to collaboration with other teams working on the nasal niche who have an interest in microbe-microbe or host-pathogen interactions, as well as people with an interest in other skin or respiratory infections (bacterial, viral, fungal, phage).
Publications
Prior publications
Article
Hilton B, Wilson DJ, O'Connell AM, Ironmonger D, Rudkin JK, Allen N, Oliver I, Wyllie DH (2023) Laboratory diagnosed microbial infection in English UK Biobank participants in comparison to the general population. Justine Rudkin. (doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-20635-4)
COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (2022) A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19. Justine Rudkin. (doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04826-7)
Athanasios Kousathanas et al. (2022) Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19. Justine Rudkin. (doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04576-6)
Alain Townsend et al. (2021) A haemagglutination test for rapid detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. Justine Rudkin. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22045-y)
Monique I. Andersson et al. (2020) SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected in blood products from patients with COVID-19 is not associated with infectious virus [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] Wellcome Open Research. ISSN 2398-502X (doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16002.2)
National SARS-CoV-2 Serology Assay Evaluation Group (2020) Performance characteristics of five immunoassays for SARS-CoV-2: a head-to-head benchmark comparison. Justine Rudkin. (doi: 10.1016/s1473-3099(20)30634-4)
Severe Covid-19 GWAS Group et al. (2020) Genomewide Association Study of Severe Covid-19 with Respiratory Failure. Justine Rudkin. (doi: 10.1056/nejmoa2020283)
Emily R. Adams et al. (2020) Antibody testing for COVID-19: A report from the National COVID Scientific Advisory Panel [version 1; peer review: 2 approved] Wellcome Open Research. ISSN 2398-502X (doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15927.1)
Armstrong J, Rudkin JK, Allen N, Crook DW, Wilson DJ, Wyllie DH, O'Connell AM (2020) Dynamic linkage of COVID-19 test results between Public Health England's Second Generation Surveillance System and UK Biobank. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000397)
Bridget Hilton, Daniel Wilson, Anne-Marie O’Connell, Dean Ironmonger, Justine K Rudkin, Naomi Allen, Isabel Oliver, David Wyllie (2020) Incidence of Microbial Infections in English UK Biobank Participants: Comparison with the General Population Crossref. (doi: 10.1101/2020.03.18.20038281)
Las Heras V et al. (2019) Short-term consumption of a high-fat diet increases host susceptibility to Listeria monocytogenes infection. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1186/s40168-019-0621-x)
Rudkin JK, McLoughlin RM, Preston A, Massey RC (2017) Bacterial toxins: Offensive, defensive, or something else altogether? Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006452)
(2017) Redeploying β-Lactam Antibiotics as a Novel Antivirulence Strategy for the Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections Justine Rudkin.
(2015) An essential role for coagulase in Staphylococcus aureus biofilm development reveals new therapeutic possibilities for device-related infections. Justine Rudkin.
(2015) Methicillin resistance and the biofilm phenotype in Staphylococcus aureus. Justine Rudkin.
(2014) Predicting the virulence of MRSA from its genome sequence. Justine Rudkin.
(2014) Oxacillin alters the toxin expression profile of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Justine Rudkin.
(2012) From genotype to phenotype: can systems biology be used to predict Staphylococcus aureus virulence? Justine Rudkin.
(2012) Methicillin resistance alters the biofilm phenotype and attenuates virulence in Staphylococcus aureus device-associated infections. Justine Rudkin.
(2012) Methicillin resistance reduces the virulence of healthcare-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by interfering with the agr quorum sensing system. Justine Rudkin.
(2010) Offsetting virulence and antibiotic resistance costs by MRSA. Justine Rudkin.
Conference Proceedings
(2018) Environmental Selection of Avirulence in Food-Borne Pathogen Listeria monocytogenes Justine Rudkin.
(2015) Turning strength into weakness; Using antibiotic resistance to attenuate highly virulent CA-MRSA infections Justine Rudkin.
(2015) Turning strength into weakness; Using antibiotic resistance to attenuate highly virulent CA-MRSA infections. Justine Rudkin.
(2013) Oxacillin as an anti-virulence strategy against CA-MRSA; a novel use for an old antibiotic. Justine Rudkin.
(2012) Oxacillin reduces the toxicity and virulence of CA-MRSA; A potential new use for a redundant antibiotic? Justine Rudkin.
(2012) Hospital superbug MRSA; Why is it so prolific in healthcare settings and not yet in the wider community. Justine Rudkin.
(2012) Why HA-MRSA is restricted to the hospital environment. Justine Rudkin.
(2011) Antibiotic resistance reduces the virulence of HA-MRSA via quorum sensing inhibition. Justine Rudkin.
(2010) Can you have it all? The trade-off of toxin production for antibiotic resistance in MRSA. Justine Rudkin.
Conference item
(2017) Evading Decontamination Strategies; Genetic basis of the persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in food processing plants and the knock-on effects on virulence. Justine Rudkin.
(2014) A novel use for an old antibiotic; Oxacillin as an attenuator of toxicity in highly virulent CA-MRSA strains. Justine Rudkin.
(2012) Oxacillin reduces the toxicity and virulence of CA-MRSA; A potential new use for a redundant antibiotic? Justine Rudkin.
(2011) Antibiotic resistance reduces the virulence of HA-MRSA via quorum sensing inhibition. Justine Rudkin.
Other
(2015) Resistance is futile; MRSA sacrifices virulence for resistance. Justine Rudkin.
(2011) Antibiotic resistance reduces the virulence of HA-MRSA. An explanation for their environmental restriction. Justine Rudkin.
(2010) Is MRSA really a ‘superbug’? The cost of antibiotic resistance in S. aureus. Justine Rudkin.
Supervision
Open to Undergraduate Students who wish apply for the Microbiology Society Vacation Studentship to spend a summer gaining research experience
