Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 3 479 9254
- nicholas.heng@otago.ac.nz
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Department
- Department of Oral Sciences
- Qualifications
- BSc(Hons) PhD
- Research summary
- Microbial genetics, next-generation DNA sequencing technology and bioinformatics
- Teaching
- First-Year Coordinator (Bachelor of Oral Health)
- Paper coordinator DEOH101, DEOH102, DTEC103 and DENT581
- BDS(Honours) Programme Coordinator
- Memberships
- Member of the University of Otago Institutional Biological Safety Committee (IBSC)
- Primary professional society is the New Zealand Microbiological Society
Research
Nick's research expertise is in the field of molecular microbiology specialising in the following areas:
- The use of next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technology (and associated bioinformatic strategies) for microbial genomics (whole-genome sequencing)
- The use of NGS to investigate changes in oral microbial populations in relation to health and disease, and
- Biochemical and genetic characterisation of antimicrobial proteins (bacteriocins) produced by oral bacteria, mainly members of the genus Streptococcus
Nick's current research activities include whole-genome sequencing, oral metagenomics (characterisation of the oral microbiota in health and disease), and bioinformatic analyses, all in relation to oral biology.