Barbara Binney

Citation

Thesis Title
The Microbial Ecology of Camplyobacter jejuni in New Zealand Within a Spatial-Temporal Framework

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Worldwide, Campylobacter jejuni is an important cause of zoonotic disease being found in multiple hosts with different strains found in livestock and wild-birds. The molecular ecology and evolution of Campylobacter jejuni in New Zealand was investigated as historical host demographic movements, as well as phenotypic, genomic and metabolic variation between isolates, particularly those associated with three closely related wild-birds; the pukeko, the takahe and the Australian purple swamphen. The demographic history of livestock importation into New Zealand was quantified showing early European settlers brought large numbers of livestock, then the numbers declined. Ms Binney’s analysis of a large genomic dataset identified a putative new species of Campylobacter in the Australian purple swamphen. She also showed the close relationship between some related wild-bird isolates in both the pan-genome and the core genome. Finally, her research found differences in the metabolic pathways associated with host, but phenotypic differences were associated with genotype.

Supervisors
Distinguished Professor Nigel French
Dr Philip Carter
Dr Barbara Holland
Associate Professor Jonathan Marshall
Professor Patrick Biggs