We are a lab interested interactions within the microbiome. We have 2 major themes: Evolutionary interactions between bacteria and the mobile genetic elements that infect them. Elements such as plasmids and phages play key roles in these communities; acting not only as agents of horizontal gene transfer by carrying with them bacterial genes when they move between hosts, but also as parasites as they exploit their bacterial hosts for their own replication. We are interested in how co-evolution shapes these interactions and how they, in turn, impact the wider community. Rhizobia-legume symbiosis and its role in sustainable agriculture. Rhizobia are bacteria that form beneficial infections in (mostly) legume plant roots, where they fix atmospheric nitrogen in exchange for room and board. This relationship means that legumes can be grown without nitrogen fertilizer (a major source of green house gases) and make lovely protein rich food that we need to be eating more and more of as we reduce meat in our diets. We are interested in how rhizobia are used in agriculture and how they might be improved. I also love making graphics for publications and beyond so I’m starting a little collection here.

news!

Welcome Mary and Grace! Their projects are tackling more applied questions of how we use inoculants to grow legumes. Understanding the implications of introducing novel bacteria, and how we might subvert the need to do that at all! Should be exciting! 10.10.19 Its all kicking off! Thanks to the URI Center for Sustainable foods we have funding for an exciting new PhD studentship working with Dr. Anna Krzywoszynska on using temperate phages to improve rhizobial inoculants 
22.03.19

The lab grows again. I'm so excited to have nailed down an exciting PhD studentship and and even more exciting student. Grace Wardell will be starting in the autumn working with me, Tim Daniell (Sheffield), Euan James, Pete Iannetta (James Hutton Institute), James Hall (Liverpool) and PlantWorksUK. She'll be looking at the effects of introducing a novel bacteria into microbial communities as the UK embraces Soya production.

02.03.19

 

 

about the lab

projects

opportunities

graphics

  Evolution within microbial communities Harrison Lab

ellie.harrison@sheffield.ac.uk

 

 

Arthur Willis Environment Center

Department of Animal and Plant Sciences

University of Sheffield

1 Maxfield Avenue

Sheffield

SL10 1AE

We are a lab interested interactions within the microbiome. We have 2 major themes: Evolutionary interactions between bacteria and the mobile genetic elements that infect them. Elements such as plasmids and phages play key roles in these communities; acting not only as agents of horizontal gene transfer by carrying with them bacterial genes when they move between hosts, but also as parasites as they exploit their bacterial hosts for their own replication. We are interested in how co-evolution shapes these interactions and how they, in turn, impact the wider community. Rhizobia-legume symbiosis and its role in sustainable agriculture. Rhizobia are bacteria that form beneficial infections in (mostly) legume plant roots, where they fix atmospheric nitrogen in exchange for room and board. This relationship means that legumes can be grown without nitrogen fertilizer (a major source of green house gases) and make lovely protein rich food that we need to be eating more and more of as we reduce meat in our diets. We are interested in how rhizobia are used in agriculture and how they might be improved. I also love making graphics for publications and beyond so I’m starting a little collection here.
 Evolution within microbial communities
Welcome Mary and Grace! Their projects are tackling more applied questions of how we use inoculants to grow legumes. Understanding the implications of introducing novel bacteria, and how we might subvert the need to do that at all! Should be exciting! 10.10.19 Its all kicking off! Thanks to the URI Center for Sustainable foods we have funding for an exciting new PhD studentship working with Dr. Anna Krzywoszynska on using temperate phages to improve rhizobial inoculants 
22.03.19
Harrison Lab
We are a lab interested interactions within the microbiome. We have 2 major themes: Evolutionary interactions between bacteria and the mobile genetic elements that infect them. Elements such as plasmids and phages play key roles in these communities; acting not only as agents of horizontal gene transfer by carrying with them bacterial genes when they move between hosts, but also as parasites as they exploit their bacterial hosts for their own replication. We are interested in how co-evolution shapes these interactions and how they, in turn, impact the wider community. Rhizobia-legume symbiosis and its role in sustainable agriculture. Rhizobia are bacteria that form beneficial infections in (mostly) legume plant roots, where they fix atmospheric nitrogen in exchange for room and board. This relationship means that legumes can be grown without nitrogen fertilizer (a major source of green house gases) and make lovely protein rich food that we need to be eating more and more of as we reduce meat in our diets. We are interested in how rhizobia are used in agriculture and how they might be improved. I also love making graphics for publications and beyond so I’m starting a little collection here.
Welcome Mary and Grace! Their projects are tackling more applied questions of how we use inoculants to grow legumes. Understanding the implications of introducing novel bacteria, and how we might subvert the need to do that at all! Should be exciting! 10.10.19 Its all kicking off! Thanks to the URI Center for Sustainable foods we have funding for an exciting new PhD studentship working with Dr. Anna Krzywoszynska on using temperate phages to improve rhizobial inoculants 
22.03.19
Harrison Lab
 Evolution within microbial communities
We are a lab interested interactions within the microbiome. We have 2 major themes: Evolutionary interactions between bacteria and the mobile genetic elements that infect them. Elements such as plasmids and phages play key roles in these communities; acting not only as agents of horizontal gene transfer by carrying with them bacterial genes when they move between hosts, but also as parasites as they exploit their bacterial hosts for their own replication. We are interested in how co-evolution shapes these interactions and how they, in turn, impact the wider community. Rhizobia-legume symbiosis and its role in sustainable agriculture. Rhizobia are bacteria that form beneficial infections in (mostly) legume plant roots, where they fix atmospheric nitrogen in exchange for room and board. This relationship means that legumes can be grown without nitrogen fertilizer (a major source of green house gases) and make lovely protein rich food that we need to be eating more and more of as we reduce meat in our diets. We are interested in how rhizobia are used in agriculture and how they might be improved. I also love making graphics for publications and beyond so I’m starting a little collection here.
Welcome Mary and Grace! Their projects are tackling more applied questions of how we use inoculants to grow legumes. Understanding the implications of introducing novel bacteria, and how we might subvert the need to do that at all! Should be exciting! 10.10.19 Its all kicking off! Thanks to the URI Center for Sustainable foods we have funding for an exciting new PhD studentship working with Dr. Anna Krzywoszynska on using temperate phages to improve rhizobial inoculants 
22.03.19
Harrison Lab
We are a lab interested interactions within the microbiome. We have 2 major themes: Evolutionary interactions between bacteria and the mobile genetic elements that infect them. Elements such as plasmids and phages play key roles in these communities; acting not only as agents of horizontal gene transfer by carrying with them bacterial genes when they move between hosts, but also as parasites as they exploit their bacterial hosts for their own replication. We are interested in how co-evolution shapes these interactions and how they, in turn, impact the wider community. Rhizobia-legume symbiosis and its role in sustainable agriculture. Rhizobia are bacteria that form beneficial infections in (mostly) legume plant roots, where they fix atmospheric nitrogen in exchange for room and board. This relationship means that legumes can be grown without nitrogen fertilizer (a major source of green house gases) and make lovely protein rich food that we need to be eating more and more of as we reduce meat in our diets. We are interested in how rhizobia are used in agriculture and how they might be improved. I also love making graphics for publications and beyond so I’m starting a little collection here.
Harrison Lab
Its all kicking off! Thanks to the URI Center for Sustainable foods we have funding for an exciting new PhD studentship working with Dr. Anna Krzywoszynska on using temperate phages to improve rhizobial inoculants 
22.03.19
Welcome Mary and Grace! Their projects are tackling more applied questions of how we use inoculants to grow legumes. Understanding the implications of introducing novel bacteria, and how we might subvert the need to do that at all! Should be exciting! 10.10.19
We are a lab interested interactions within the microbiome. We have 2 major themes: Evolutionary interactions between bacteria and the mobile genetic elements that infect them. Elements such as plasmids and phages play key roles in these communities; acting not only as agents of horizontal gene transfer by carrying with them bacterial genes when they move between hosts, but also as parasites as they exploit their bacterial hosts for their own replication. We are interested in how co-evolution shapes these interactions and how they, in turn, impact the wider community. Rhizobia-legume symbiosis and its role in sustainable agriculture. Rhizobia are bacteria that form beneficial infections in (mostly) legume plant roots, where they fix atmospheric nitrogen in exchange for room and board. This relationship means that legumes can be grown without nitrogen fertilizer (a major source of green house gases) and make lovely protein rich food that we need to be eating more and more of as we reduce meat in our diets. We are interested in how rhizobia are used in agriculture and how they might be improved. I also love making graphics for publications and beyond so I’m starting a little collection here.
Harrison Lab
Its all kicking off! Thanks to the URI Center for Sustainable foods we have funding for an exciting new PhD studentship working with Dr. Anna Krzywoszynska on using temperate phages to improve rhizobial inoculants 
22.03.19
Welcome Mary and Grace! Their projects are tackling more applied questions of how we use inoculants to grow legumes. Understanding the implications of introducing novel bacteria, and how we might subvert the need to do that at all! Should be exciting! 10.10.19
We are a lab interested interactions within the microbiome. We have 2 major themes: Evolutionary interactions between bacteria and the mobile genetic elements that infect them. Elements such as plasmids and phages play key roles in these communities; acting not only as agents of horizontal gene transfer by carrying with them bacterial genes when they move between hosts, but also as parasites as they exploit their bacterial hosts for their own replication. We are interested in how co-evolution shapes these interactions and how they, in turn, impact the wider community. Rhizobia-legume symbiosis and its role in sustainable agriculture. Rhizobia are bacteria that form beneficial infections in (mostly) legume plant roots, where they fix atmospheric nitrogen in exchange for room and board. This relationship means that legumes can be grown without nitrogen fertilizer (a major source of green house gases) and make lovely protein rich food that we need to be eating more and more of as we reduce meat in our diets. We are interested in how rhizobia are used in agriculture and how they might be improved. I also love making graphics for publications and beyond so I’m starting a little collection here.
Welcome Mary and Grace! Their projects are tackling more applied questions of how we use inoculants to grow legumes. Understanding the implications of introducing novel bacteria, and how we might subvert the need to do that at all! Should be exciting! 10.10.19 Its all kicking off! Thanks to the URI Center for Sustainable foods we have funding for an exciting new PhD studentship working with Dr. Anna Krzywoszynska on using temperate phages to improve rhizobial inoculants 
22.03.19
Harrison Lab