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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 479 8428
Email
simon.jackson@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position
Senior Research Fellow
Department
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Qualifications
PhD (Biochemistry) BSc(Hons, First Class) (Plant Biotechnology)
Research summary
Understanding the interactions between bacterial viruses (phages) and their hosts.

Research

The overall aim of my research group is to understand the interactions between bacterial viruses (phages) and their hosts. Currently, we are funded to study bacterial phage defence systems, such as CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems.

With the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial pathogens, we urgently need to find new ways to treat bacterial infections. Exploiting phages as natural antimicrobials to kill bacterial pathogens, termed phage therapy, is a promising approach to address the AMR crisis. However, the success of phage therapy is dependent on understanding the complex interaction between phages and bacteria.

To address these challenges, we use a combination of bioinformatic, comparative genomics and molecular biology approaches.

Current research focus

  • Understanding how bacteria update their CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems, termed CRISPR adaptation
  • Exploring cooperation between diverse CRISPR-Cas systems to prevent viral escape from immunity
  • Discovery and characterisation of new types of phage defense system encoded by bacteria
  • The relationships between phage defense and symbiosis in Rhizobia

Applications

  • Exploiting phages to enhance legume productivity
  • Developing new types of molecular diagnostics to detect bacterial and viral infections
  • Exploiting phage-encoded enzymes as new antimicrobials
  • Developing technologies to unlock the potential of antimicrobial biosynthesis pathways encoded in metagenome libraries

Additional details

In 2017, Simon was awarded the IlluminaTM Emerging Researcher Award, as the top New Zealand Molecular Biologist within 5 years of PhD completion.

Publications

Jackson, S. A., Birkholz, N., Malone, L. M., & Fineran, P. C. (2019). Imprecise spacer acquisition generates CRISPR-Cas immune diversity through primed adaptation. Cell Host & Microbe, 25, 250-260. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.12.014 Journal - Research Article

Malone, L. M., Warring, S. L., Jackson, S. A., Warnecke, C., Gardner, P. P., Gumy, L. F., & Fineran, P. C. (2020). A jumbo phage that forms a nucleus-like structure evades CRISPR-Cas DNA targeting but is vulnerable to type III RNA-based immunity. Nature Microbiology, 5, 48-55. doi: 10.1038/s41564-019-0612-5 Journal - Research Article

Jackson, S. A., & Fineran, P. C. (2019). Bacterial dormancy curbs phage epidemics. Nature, 570, 173-174. doi: 10.1038/d41586-019-01595-8 Journal - Research Other

Birkholz, N., Fagerlund, R. D., Smith, L. M., Jackson, S. A., & Fineran, P. C. (2019). The autoregulator Aca2 mediates anti-CRISPR repression. Nucleic Acids Research, 47(18), 9658-9665. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkz721 Journal - Research Article

Nicholson, T. J., Jackson, S. A., Croft, B. I., Staals, R. H. J., Fineran, P. C., & Brown, C. M. (2019). Bioinformatic evidence of widespread priming in type I and II CRISPR-Cas systems. RNA Biology, 16(4), 566-576. doi: 10.1080/15476286.2018.1509662 Journal - Research Article

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