• DNA microarrays and global gene expression patterns
• Genomic indexing of Salmonella and E.coli
• Salmonella virulence gene expression during infectionLag Phase
• Salmonella Infection of Chicken oviduct (SafeHouse)
• Influence of Commensal flora, immune response and behaviour on Salmonella infection (VTRI104)
• Environmental regulation of the invasion and intracellular virulence gene programmes of Salmonella: a ppGpp dependent switch

• Regulation of Salmonella SPI1 & SPI2
• Bacterial nitrate metabolism in colonisation of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract
• Analysis of factors affecting Salmonella contamination of meat during the slaughter process (Biotracer)

• "Non genetic variation" gene expression within bacterial populations (Finished)

• Nucleoid associated proteins: DNA topology and gene expression.
• Acambis project on enterotoxigenic E.coli (Finished)

Influence of Commensal Flora, Immune response and behaviour on Salmonella infection of Pigs and chickens(VTRI 104)

Main Researcher: Vittoria Danino

The intensive nature of the production systems, and the fact that they are the major sources of human Salmonella and Campylobacter food-poisoning, makes pigs and chickens important animals for study. VT0104 is a multidisciplinary project which will explore the role normal gut flora, social and physical environment on susceptibility to colonisation by Salmonella and Campylobacter.

Our role in the project is to use transcriptomics and information from the Salmonella sequencing projects to identify genes which influence infection of the chicken oviduct. Central to this study is the comparison of two serovars, Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium.