Professor Graham Stafford
BSc (Hons), PhD
School of Clinical Dentistry
Personal Chair in Microbiology
Academic lead for Molecular Biology and Microbiology facilities
Director of Postgraduate Research, School of Clinical Dentistry
+44 114 215 9413
Full contact details
School of Clinical Dentistry
19 Claremont Crescent
Sheffield
S10 2TA
- Profile
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I obtained a first-class BSc (with honours) in Microbiology and Biochemistry from the University of Sheffield, and a PhD investigating the molecular mechanisms of methane oxidation in environmental bacteria from the University of Warwick. I joined the Dental School in Sheffield in the summer of 2007, as a lecturer in Microbiology.
In 2002 I joined the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge investigating various aspects of flagellar biogenesis in enteric bacteria. This allowed me to develop an interest in protein secretion and the molecular pathogenesis of disease-causing bacteria.
My main interests lie in the molecular level understanding of microbes, and microbial disease processes and exploitation of this knowledge for improvement of health or commercial translation. The main areas include research on periodontal pathogens, host-pathogen interactions, Industrial Biotechnology and Microbial glycobiology. I teach Medical and Oral Microbiology in the Dental School and across other departments at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels and supervise research projects at all levels.
I am proud to lead an interdisciplinary and international group and encourage anyone interested in fellowships or PhDs to contact me directly via email.
I am also affiliated with the Florey Institute of Infection and act on their steering committee.
- Qualifications
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BSc (Hons) Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of Sheffield
PhD, University of Warwick
- Research interests
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My research group takes a multidisciplinary approach to investigating biological problems, ranging from basic biology to prototype translational projects. Our research centres around the study of bacteria and bacteriophage, understanding microbial disease processes and exploiting the knowledge we generate for translational purposes wherever possible.
Antimicrobial strategies against AMR: bacteriophage studies
Since 2016, we embarked on a programme of bacteriophage isolation targetting a range of MDR pathogens with a focus on those causing AMR infections in diabetic patients.
Read more about bacteriophage studies
Oral microbiology: host-pathogen interactions
The interactions of oral bacteria with the tissues and infiltrating immune cells of the oral cavity are key to our understanding of key oral diseases including periodontal disease.
Read more about oral microbiology
Oral microbial glycobiology
Much of the recent laboratory work has focused on the role of the important host-derived sugar molecule sialic acid. Sialic acid is a 9-carbon sugar that is present as the terminal glycosyl motif on human glycoproteins, lipids and gangliosides.
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Dissecting the Enterococcal Polysaccharide Antigen (EPA) structure to explore innate immune evasion and phage specificity. Carbohydrate Polymers, 347, 122686-122686.
- A diverse set of Enterococcus-infecting phage provides insight into phage host-range determinants. Virus Research, 347, 199426-199426.
- Enterococcal Bacteriophage: A survey of the Tail Associated Lysin Landscape.. Virus Res, 199073.
- Identification of a Czc-like operon of the periodontal pathobiont P. gingivalis involved in metal ion efflux. Anaerobe, 102696-102696.
- Draft genome sequence of
Listeria aquatica
strain SG_BD1, isolated from a cow dung sample in Bangladesh. Microbiology Resource Announcements.
Chapters
- Polymicrobial Biofilm Models: The Case of Periodontal Disease as an Example, Springer Series on Biofilms (pp. 195-230). Springer International Publishing
Preprints
- The Enterococcal Polysaccharide Antigen: from structure to biosynthesis and function, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
- Dissecting the Enterococcal Polysaccharide Antigen (EPA) structure to explore innate immune evasion and phage specificity. Carbohydrate Polymers, 347, 122686-122686.
- Research group
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The research group is a collection of PhD, Postdoc and Masters/ project students from around the globe.
- Teaching activities
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- DEN 103 The Human Body
- DEN 104 The Oral Cavity in Health and Disease
- DEN 204 Basic Oral and Dental Care
- DEN 303/4 Integrated Human Diseases
- ORP 609 Laboratory Research Methods
- ORP 6021 Research project (Oral Pathology MSc)
- BSc in BioDental Sciences
- MSc in Antimicrobial Resistance
- MSc in Dental materials (research projects)
- DClinDent in periodontology (research projects)
- Professional activities and memberships
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- 1998 - present Member of the SGM (Society for General Microbiology)
- 2009 - present Member of ASM (American Society for Microbiology
- 2012 - present Member of International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
- 2014 Lead Sheffield 2014 iGEM team to Gold medal in international competition
- 2015 - present Member of Biochemical Society
- 2017 - present Pool reviewer for BBSRC Panels
- 2017 - present Editorial Board Molecular and Oral Microbiology Journal
- 2020 - Chair of Oral Microbiology and Immunology Group (OMIG)
Expert reviewer for:
- Journals- Microbiology, PNAS, Infection and Immunity, Journal of Bacteriology, Molecular Microbiology, Applied and Environmental microbiology, FEMS letters, Biochemical Journal, Anaerobe. Journal of Periodontology, Biomedical Research International, Molecular Oral Microbiology
- Grant bodies- MRC, BBSRC, Leverhulme, Austrian science foundation
External examining:
BSc in Biochemistry and Biological Sciences- University of Aberystwyth
BDS University of Dundee
MSc in Oral Sciences- University of Glasgow
- Opportunities
Postdoc funding
Enquiries are also invited from talented postdoctoral researchers interested in schemes such as the Marie Curie Incoming fellowships, Human Frontiers Scientific Programme or Newton Fellowships are welcome at all times.
Example PhD projects
Enquiries from talented and committed prospective PhD students are welcome in all areas of our research portfolio. In all cases for further information contact Dr Graham Stafford for details. We welcome enquiries from funded overseas applicants.