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School of Biosciences
 

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Cath Rees

Professor of Microbiology, Faculty of Science

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Biography

My focus of research is the application of molecular biology to fundamental research on micro-organisms of importance to the food industry. Specific research focuses on the food borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes and the cattle pathogens Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (Johne's disease in cattle) and Mycobacterium bovis (bovine TB). In addition my research group specializes in the use of bacteriophage to develop rapid methods of detection of bacterial pathogens.

Expertise Summary

General area of expertise:

  • Bacterial genetics and molecular biology
  • Applied microbiology and the food industry
  • Analysis of gene expression and use of reporter genes
  • Bacteriophage

Genetics and physiology of Gram-positive food borne pathogens:

  • Adaptation, survival and transmission of bacteria in the food environment with a specific focus on Listeria and Mycobacterium.
  • Development of novel food preservatives

Biotechnology applications for Bacteriophage:

  • Use for rapid detection of bacterial pathogens with a specific focus on Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (Johne's disease of cattle) and Mycobacterium bovis (bovine TB)
  • Application of bacteriophage for diagnosis of human infections (Human TB and Crohn's disease)
  • Genetic engineering of bacteriophage for detection of pathogens

Teaching Summary

I teach across a wide range of modules covering bacterial physiology, genetics, molecular microbiology, pathogenicity and biotechnology. My main teaching contributions are in the following modules:

BIOS 1027 (Module Convenor) The Physiology of Microbes

BIOS2008 (Lecturer) Analysis of Bacterial Gene Expression

BIOS2009 (Co-convenor and lecturer) Virology

BIOS3018 (Co-convenor and lecturer) Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology

Research Summary

Listeria monocytogenes is a major cause for concern for the food industry as it causes outbreaks of food borne disease with the highest death rate. In the UK numbers of cases continue to increase and… read more

Recent Publications

  • CATHERINE E.D. REES, BENJAMIN MC SWIFT and PRANABASHIS HALDAR, 2024. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 141(April 2024), 106991
  • KIM JW, BOWMAN K, NAZARETH J., LEE J, WOLTMANN GP, VERMA R, SHARIFPOUR M, SHIELD C, REES C, KAMIL A, SWIFT B and HALDAR P, 2024. Lancet Microbe. 2(2), e119-e130
  • KUBALA A, PEREHINEC TM, EVANS C, PIROVANO A, SWIFT BMC and REES CED, 2021. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 8, 665697
  • NWAIWU O, WONG L, LAD M, FOSTER T, MACNAUGHTAN W and REES C, 2021. Biomolecules. 11(2), 331

Current Research

Listeria monocytogenes is a major cause for concern for the food industry as it causes outbreaks of food borne disease with the highest death rate. In the UK numbers of cases continue to increase and factors causing this are unclear. It has the ability to grow under many of the conditions normally used to suppress the growth of bacterial pathogens (such as high salt and low temperature) and therefore manufactures are required to demonstrates an absence from high risk foods. In addition to being associated with many food ingredients (meat, fish, dairy and vegetables), it can become endemic in the food processing environment, resulting in cross-contamination of product. Focus of research looks at aspects of adaptive gene expression and cell physiology that lead to its survival in the food environment.

Bacteriophage are viruses that infect bacterial cells. These viruses have a host tropism meaning that they only infect a limited number of bacterial cell types. We have exploited this specific host interaction to develop assays to detect slow growing members of the genus Mycobacterium. These organisms take a minimum of 20 days to detect by rapid culture methods; the slowest growing organism takes up to 40 days whereas phage-based assays take just 48 h. This novel assay has been applied to a variety of samples; foods such as milk and cheese and clinical specimens such as sputum and blood. Research is being carried out to understand the impact of these new assays on the understanding of disease transmission in cattle and in improving control programes.

Past Research

Collaboration with staff in UoN Physics Dept to investigate the effect of reduced gravity on bacterial cells and the use of strong magnetic fields to separate biological material.

Future Research

Detection of bovine TB in veterinary clinical samples

  • CATHERINE E.D. REES, BENJAMIN MC SWIFT and PRANABASHIS HALDAR, 2024. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 141(April 2024), 106991
  • KIM JW, BOWMAN K, NAZARETH J., LEE J, WOLTMANN GP, VERMA R, SHARIFPOUR M, SHIELD C, REES C, KAMIL A, SWIFT B and HALDAR P, 2024. Lancet Microbe. 2(2), e119-e130
  • KUBALA A, PEREHINEC TM, EVANS C, PIROVANO A, SWIFT BMC and REES CED, 2021. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 8, 665697
  • NWAIWU O, WONG L, LAD M, FOSTER T, MACNAUGHTAN W and REES C, 2021. Biomolecules. 11(2), 331
  • SWIFT BMC, MEADE N, BARRON ES, BENNETT M, PEREHENIC TD, HUGHES V, STEVENSON K and REES CED, 2020. Microbial Biotechnololgy. 13(3), 738-746
  • VERMA R, SWIFT BMC, HANDLEY-HARTILL W, LEE JK, WOLTMANN G and REES CED, 2020. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 70(5), 933-936.
  • MOLENAAR FM, BURR PD, SWIFT BMC, REES CED and MASTERS N, 2020. Joural of Zoo Wildlife Medicine. 51(2), 426-432
  • BLANCHARD AM, BILLENNESS R, WARREN J, GLANVILL A, RODEN W, DRINKALL E, MABONI G, ROBINSON RS, REES CED, PFARRER C and T脰TEMEYER S, 2020. Heliyon. 6(7), e04476
  • SWIFT BMC and REES CED, 2019. Livestock. 24(4),
  • GERRARD ZE, SWIFT BMC, BOTSARIS G, DAVIDSON RS, HUTCHINGS MR, HUXLEY JN and REES CED, 2018. Food Microbiology. 74, 57-63
  • NWAIWU, OGUERI, MOURA, ALEXANDRA, THOUVENOT, PIERRE, REES, CATHERINE, LECLERCQ, ALEXANDRE and LECUIT, MARC, 2017. Listeria monocytogenes, Isolated from Fresh Leaf Vegetables in Owerri City, Nigeria. Genome Announcements. 5(22),
  • SAMUEL FURSE, MARTIN JAKUBEC, FRODE RISE, HUW E. WILLIAMS, CATHERINE E.D. REES and OYVIND HALSKAU, 2017. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 7, 8012
  • BOTSARIS, GEORGE, SWIFT, BENJAMIN M. C., SLANA, IVA, LIAPI, MARIA, CHRISTODOULOU, MARITSA, HATZITOFI, MARIA, CHRISTODOULOU, VASILIKI and REES, CATHERINE E. D., 2016. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY. 216, 91-94
  • SWIFT, BENJAMIN M. C., HUXLEY, JONATHAN N., PLAIN, KARREN M., BEGG, DOUGLAS J., DE SILVA, KUMUDIKA, PURDIE, AURIOL C., WHITTINGTON, RICHARD J. and REES, CATHERINE E. D., 2016. BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH. 12, 115-115
  • SWIFT, B.M.C, CONVERY, T. and REES, C.E.D., 2016. Virulence. 7(7), 779-788
  • MADIHA EL AWAMIE and CATHERINE REES, 2016. Identification of the Antimicrobial Effect of Liquorice Extracts on Gram-Positive Bacteria: Determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration and Mechanism of Action Using a luxABCDE Reporter Strain In: International Journal of Medical, Health, Biomedical, Bioengineering and Pharmaceutical Engineering. 10. 338-346
  • WARREN J, OWEN AR, GLANVILL A, FRANCIS A, MABONI G, NOVA RJ, WAPENAAR W, REES C and T脰TEMEYER S, 2015. Veterinary microbiology. 179(1-2), 76-81
  • BOTSARIS G, SWIFT BM, SLANA I, LIAPI M, CHRISTODOULOU M, HATZITOFI M, CHRISTODOULOU V and REES CE, 2015. International journal of food microbiology. 216, 91-4
  • SWIFT BMC, GERRARD ZE, HUXLEY JN and REES CED, 2014. PloS one. 9(9), e106690
  • BOTSARIS, G., LIAPI, M., KAKOGIANNIS, C., DODD, C.E.R. and REES, C.E.D., 2013. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 164(1), 76-80
  • SWIFT BMC, DENTON EJ, MAHENDRAN SA, HUXLEY JN and REES CED, 2013. Journal of microbiological methods. 94(3), 175-179
  • SWIFT BM and REES CE, 2013. The Veterinary record. 173(21), 522-3
  • REES, CED and BOTSARIS, G, 2012. The Use of Phage for Detection, Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing and Enumeration. In: P-J CARDONA, ed., Understanding Tuberculosis - Global Experiences and Innovative Approaches to the Diagnosis Intech.. 293-306
  • DIJKSTRA, C.E., LARKIN, O.J., ANTHONY, P., DAVEY, M.R., EAVES, L., REES, C.E.D. and HILL, R.J.A., 2011. Interface: Journal of the Royal Society. 8(56), 334-344
  • LIAPI, M., LEONTIDES, L., KOSTOULAS, P., BOTSARIS, G., IACOVOU, Y., REES, C., GEORGIOU, K., SMITH, G.C. and NASEBY, D.C., 2011. Small Ruminant Research. 95(2-3), 174-178
  • MONK AB, REES CD, BARROW P, HAGENS S and HARPER DR, 2010. Letters In Applied Microbiology. 51(4), 363-9
  • BOTSARIS, G., SLANA, I., LIAPI, M., DODD, C., ECONOMIDES, C., REES, C. and PAVLIK, I., 2010. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 141 Supplement, S87-S90
  • REES, CED and GRANT, I.R., 2009. In: L. DONGYOU, ed., Molecular Detection of Foodborne Pathogens CRC Press.. 229-244
  • REES, CED and MCLAUGHLIN, J., 2009. Listeriaceae. In: Bergy's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology: Topley & Wilson's Microbiology and Microbial Infections (Volume 3: Bacterial Infections). Topley & Wilson.
  • STANLEY, E.C., MOLE, R.J., SMITH, R.J., GLENN, S.M., BARER, M.R, MCGOWAN, M. and REES, C.E.D, 2007. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 73(6), 1851鈥�1857
  • WHITAKER, S, HERRING, PJ, CAMPBELL, AK, HILL, PJ and REES, CED, 2007. Characterization Of A Fish Symbiont Of Photobacterium Phosphoreum With Altered Spectral Properties
  • GADDIPATI, SR, PEREHINEC, TM, QAZI, SNA, REES, CED and HILL, PJ, 2007. Bivalent Fluorescent Reporters For Gene Expression Studies In Gram-Positive Bacteria
  • DE SIQUEIRA, R.S., DODD, C.E. and REES, C.E., 2006. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 111(3), 259-262
  • REES, C.E. and DODD, C.E, 2006. Advances in Applied Microbiology. 59, 159-186
  • ATTERBURY, R. J., DILLON, E., SWIFT, C., CONNERTON, P. L., FROST, J. A., DODD, C. E. R., REES, C. E. D. and CONNERTON, I. F., 2005. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. VOL 71(NUMB 8), 4885-4887
  • REES, C.E., 2005. The use of Phage as Diagnostic Systems. In: The Bacteriophages 2nd. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 699-706
  • REES,C.E.D and LOESSNER,M.J, 2005. Phage for the Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria. In: , ed., Bacteriophages: Biology and Applications CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla. 267-284
  • CONNERTON, P. L., CARRILLO, C. M. L., SWIFT, C., DILLON, E., SCOTT, A., REES, C. E. D., DODD, C. E. R., FROST, J. and CONNERTON, I. F., 2004. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. VOL 70(PART 7), 3877-3883
  • ATTERBURY, R.J., CONNERTON, P.L., DODD, C.E.R., REES, C.E.D. and CONNERTON, I.F., 2003. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 69(8), 4511-4518
  • ATTERBURY, R. J., CONNERTON, P. L., DODD, C. E. R., REES, C. E. D. and CONNERTON, I. F., 2003. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. VOL 69(PART 10), 6302-6306
  • DE SIQUEIRA, R. S., DODD, C. E. R. and REES, C. E. D., 2003. Phage amplification assay as rapid method for Salmonella detection Brazilian Journal of Microbiology. VOL 34(SUPP/1), 118-120
  • QAZI, S.N.A., COUNIL, E., MORRISSEY, J., REES, C.E.D., COCKAYNE, A., WINZER, K., CHAN, W.C., WILLIAMS, P. and HILL, P.J., 2001. Infection and Immunity. 69(11), 7074-7082
  • QAZI, S. N. A., REES, C. E. D., MELLITS, K. H. and HILL, P. J., 2001. Development of gfp Vectors for Expression in Listeria monocytogenes and Other Low G+C Gram Positive Bacteria MICROBIAL ECOLOGY -NEW YORK-. VOL 41(PART 4), 301-309
  • VATANYOOPAISARN, S., NAZLI, A., DODD, C. E., REES, C. E. and WAITES, W. M., 2000. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. VOL 66(PART 2), 860-863
  • SHARMA, N. K., REES, C. E. and DODD, C. E., 2000. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. VOL 66(PART 4), 1347-1353
  • SHEIKH-ZEINODDIN, M., PEREHINEC, T. M., HILL, S. E. and REES, C. E., 2000. International Journal of Food Microbiology. VOL 61(NUMBER 1), 41-49

School of Biosciences

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LE12 5RD, UK

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