Kate Baker

Research Area

We study the ecology and evolution of bacterial genes in naturally evolving populations, with a particular focus on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes that can make bacteria resistant to drug treatment. Much of our research focuses on bacteria that move between humans, animals, and the environment. We study the movement of bacterial genes across these compartments with a view to understanding the fundamental processes and selection pressures that drive gene flow in bacterial populations.

We are a largely computational biology group that analyses large datasets of microbial genomes using bioinformatic methods. Using a variety of techniques, we draw out the evolutionary processes underlying the emergence of AMR as well as the ecological movement of AMR through bacterial communities. We use a combination of data generated de novo for projects, publicly available data, and genomic surveillance data from governmental public and animal health agencies.

Project Interests

I am particularly  interested in developing studies looking at the movement of bacteria and AMR (e.g. Shiga toxigenic E. coli, Salmonella). I am also interested in projects that seek to analyse large scale bacterial genome datasets to understand the ecology of genes in these populations in terms of their adaptation to anthropogenic pressures over the last century. There may also be scope to look at metagenomic datasets from environmental and  wastewater surveillance.