Daniela Barilla`PI
Professor of Procaryotic Genetics

Daniela obtained a MSc in Biology and a PhD in Genetics from the University of Pavia, Italy. She was a visiting scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, for one year during the doctoral programme. The PhD work focused on the regulation of genes involved in flagellum biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis. Daniela then moved to Oxford, where she worked as a postdoc first in the Department of Biochemistry, investigating sigma and anti-sigma factors, and later in the William Dunn School of Pathology, studying the interaction of RNA polymerase II  Carboxyl-Terminal-Domain with cleavage and polyadenylation factors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The interest in proteins interacting with nucleic acids led Daniela to explore genome segregation in Escherichia coli in the Department of Biomolecular Sciences, UMIST, Manchester. At the end of 2004, she started her independent investigator career thanks to a Medical Research Council New Investigator Award. Since 2006 Daniela has worked in the Department of Biology, University of York, where she felt that, having worked with bacteria and eukaryotes, it was time to dive in the fascinating domain of archaea. Her team investigates different facets of the fundamental process of genome segregation in bacteria and archaea using multi-disciplinary approaches.

Dr Iman Alnaqshabandy PhD Student, now Alumna

I completed a BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in 2007. Afterwards, I worked as a demonstrator at the same university for two years. In 2012 I completed my first postgraduate programme, a Master degree in Molecular Microbiology at the University of Zakho in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. I acquired work experience as an assistant lecturer at the Scientific Research Centre – University of Duhok. During my Master, I was interested in doing more research in the same field but abroad in one of the world’s renowned universities. In 2015, I moved to the UK to carry out a PhD at the University of York, Department of Biology, where I joined one the fascinating Barilla` Lab.

​My project focused on plasmid segregation in an enteropathogenic E. coli strain. During the course of my PhD study, I have been fortunate to learn new techniques as well as exploring in depth the interaction occurring at the molecular level between the ParA-ParB segregation proteins and the DNA. 

John Armstrong PhD Student

I did my undergraduate degree at the University of York, completing the 4-year Integrated Masters programme in Biology in 2017. I decided that I wished to continue my education by studying for a PhD, and was fortunate to be able to remain in York to do so in Daniela's lab. 

My project focuses on a low-copy number plasmid from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus NOB8H2 to investigate DNA segregation systems in Archaea. Archaea are a ubiquitous group of organisms that until only four decades ago were classified as bacteria, and which often inhabit extreme environments, making them interesting organisms to study due to their adaptions to these conditions. Little is known about how DNA is accurately distributed to future cellular generations in archaea. I utilise a variety of in vitro assays to study how DNA-protein interactions may mechanistically contribute to successful plasmid segregation. I have also sequenced the genome of the Sulfolobus  NOB8H2 strain, and I am currently evaluating these data. 
Outside of the lab, I enjoy hill-walking and camping, primarily in the Lake District, and I also play guitar and sing in an acoustic duo. 

Dr Nick Read
​Senior Research Technician

​I did my undergraduate degree in Microbiology at the University of Dundee. I then went on to do a MSc at the University of Aberdeen and a PhD at the University of Leeds. My PhD focused on the mechanisms and structures responsible for gliding motility in Cyanobacteria. I worked at Syntopix Group plc for 4 years, as a microbiologist, and then moved to York to work in Maggie Smith’s laboratory, on a project investigating the processes underlying antibiotic hypersensitivity in Streptomyces coelicolor. In 2018 I got the opportunity to work in Daniela’s laboratory. I am currently working on a project that aims to characterise the mechanisms and processes underlying genome segregation in the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. 

Joseph McGrory
​PhD Student

I graduated with an Msci in Biochemistry at Newcastle University in 2020. During my time there I worked on a range of projects. Firstly, investigating the mutagenesis of Caf1 from Yersinia pestis in Professor Jeremy Lakey’s lab. Secondly, elucidating the dephosphorylation mechanism of prkC from Listeria monocytogenes in Professor Rick Lewis’s lab. Doing these projects heightened my interest in protein dynamics in different contexts. This led to my master’s project on investigating N-glycan breakdown by the gut microbiota in Dr Dave Bolam’s group, specifically the action of various enzymes utilised by the bacteria. This allowed me to try my hand at X-ray crystallography and continued my passion for researching the many facets of protein biochemistry.
​In 2020 I joined the Barillà group investigating another dynamic protein system, namely ParF and ParG from the TP228 plasmid partition cassette using high resolution microscopy.
Outside the lab I am usually in the gym, reading or playing games with mates.

Dominika Warecka
​PhD student

​I graduated with a first-class degree in BSc Biomedical Science from Brunel University London in 2020. During my undergraduate study, I completed a year industrial placement at Abcam PLC, where I worked in a variety of teams and fell in love with lab work. 
My undergraduate dissertation research was conducted in the Rudolph Lab at Brunel University London where I first explored DNA replication termination in E. coli. My research in this fascinating field is continuing during my PhD in Biology at the University of York – where I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the Michelle Hawkins group, with Daniela serving as my wonderful co-supervisor.  My current research explores E. coli helicases and their ability to unwind past the Tus-ter termination block with, and without, the help of additional proteins.  
Outside of work I like going on walking adventures and exploring new places. I also have a very adorable hamster named Fred. 

Former Lab Members

ANNE KALLIOMAA-SANFORD

DR FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ-CASTANEDA

DR BRETT McLEOD

DR MADHURI BARGE

DR IRENE NG

DR ANNA KULINSKA

DR GINA GAMBLE

DR CECILIA PENNICA

JUDITH HAWKHEAD