(The lab circa Nov 2019 – missing Atreyee)
(The lab circa June 2022)
CURRENT MEMBERS
Karrera Djoko – [CV]
Karrera completed a BS in Chemistry at PennState University (USA) in 2004 and went on to obtain a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Melbourne and Bio21 Institute (Australia) in 2009. After a long (8.5 years!) postdoctoral period at the University of Queensland and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre (Australia), including a brief stint as a visiting fellow at Emory University (USA) in 2015, Karrera moved to Durham University (UK) in 2017 to establish her own research group.
Jack Bolton (2019-)
Jack is a PhD student, funded by the BBSRC Newcastle-Liverpool-Durham Doctoral Training Partneship. He is co-supervised by Dr Kevin Waldron (Newcastle University). Jack studies the role of Cu-dependent enzymes in denitrification and microaerobic respiration by pathogenic Neisseria. Jack completed his 4-year undergraduate degree in Biology at Durham University. He also worked in the Djoko lab in his 4th year to examine the potential use of Cu-containing ionophores as antimicrobial resistance breakers.
Samantha Firth (2018-)
Sam is a PhD student, funded by the BBSRC Newcastle-Liverpool-Durham Doctoral Training Partnership. She is co-supervised by Dr Kevin Waldron (Newcastle University). Sam studies trafficking of nutrient Cu in the periplasm of pathogenic Neisseria. Prior to joining the lab, Sam completed an MRes degree at Newcastle University, where she examined the Cu-binding properties of a bacterial Cu storage protein.
Atreyee Mishra (2019-)
Atreyee is a PhD student, funded by Durham University Global Challenges Centre for Doctoral Training. She is jointly supervised by Dr. James Walton (Durham Chemistry). Atreyee designs and synthesises copper complexes, and studies their potential as antimicrobial resistance breakers.
You!
Join us! Talk to Karrera about possible MBiol, MSci, and MRes projects at Durham University. Students interested in using chemical and biochemical approaches to solve puzzles in microbiology and infectious diseases are particularly encouraged to contact us. Opportunities for PhD studentships will be advertised as they become available.
PAST MEMBERS
Jin Hong (2022)
Jin joined the lab as a Biology undergraduate and a Level 3 Research Project student in the lab. For 5 weeks, she studied periplasmic Cu trafficking in pathogenic Neisseria. Jin enjoyed her experience so much that she returned as a Masters of Science (by Research) student. For 12 months, she examined metal binding by human salivary metal-binding peptides and by metal-binding uptake proteins from Streptococcus.
Charlotte O’Hern (2022)
Lotte was a Natural Sciences Level 4 Research Project student in the lab. She was co-supervised by Prof. Steven Cobb (Durham Chemistry). Lotte examined Cu binding by a periplasmic cuproprotein from pathogenic Neisseria. In the process, she synthesised F-His, which she then incorporated into metal-binding peptides, as a tool to examine metal binding to His-containing molecules.
Louisa Stewart (2021)
Louisa was a PDRA, funded by the a Wellcome Trust Seed Award. She examined the role of human salivary, metal-binding, antimicrobial peptides in nutritional immunity and in host-microbe interactions.
Alex Sutherland, Sacha Lee, Selina Chen (2021)
Alex, Sacha, and Selina were all Level 3 Research Project students in the lab. Alex and Sacha studied potential synergistic effects between metal ions and antibiotics, while Selina used bioinformatics to examine the distribution of Cu-handling genes in Neisseria species.
Isabel Holmes (2021)
Issy was a Natural Sciences Level 4 Research Project student in the lab. She was co-supervised by Prof. Steven Cobb (Durham Chemistry). Issy examined Cu and Zn binding by human salivary metal-binding peptides. Upon graduation, she secured employment at Cytocell Ltd as a Research Assistant, followed by a PhD studentship at The Francis Crick Institute.
Daniel Owen (2019)
Daniel was a Level 2 undergraduate Biomedical Science student at Durham. He spent 6.5 weeks in the Djoko lab to examine periplasmic Cu trafficking in pathogenic Neisseria. Daniel was funded by a Microbiology Society Harry Smith Vacation Studentship. Upon completion of his summer project, Daniel went on to complete the final year of his degree at Durham.
Rebecca Chiu (2017)
Rebecca was a Biology undergraduate and a Level 3 Research Project student in the lab. She was co-supervised by Dr Peter Chivers and Dr David Weinkove. For 5 weeks she investigated sources of endogenous formaldehyde production in Escherichia coli. Rebecca went on to complete a Master’s in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, USA.
Djoko Lab 