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PhageBank Leadership Team

The PhageBank and its associated database are led by Andrew Millard, Darren Smith and Martha Clokie. This initiative brings together expertise in bacteriophage biology, microbial genomics, sequencing technologies, bioinformatics and the development of curated research infrastructure.

These resources have been established to support high-quality phage research, the long-term preservation and curation of isolates and associated metadata, and the application of genomic data across both academic research and applied sectors.

PhageBank Leadership

Dr Andrew Millard

Co-Director, Becky Mayer Centre for Phage Research | PhageBank Lead

Dr Andrew Millard is Co-Director of the Becky Mayer Centre for Phage Research at the University of Leicester and leads the development and operation of PhageBank. He provides overall academic and strategic leadership for the biobank and oversees the team responsible for its day-to-day management, development and delivery.

Andy has over 25 years of experience studying bacteriophages and microbial genomics. His research focuses on phage genomics, bioinformatics and the development of rapid sequencing approaches to support bacteriophage research, including applications in phage therapy and antimicrobial resistance.

He has developed and contributed to several widely used bioinformatics resources and tools, including the INPHARED phage database, taxMyPhage, PhageLeads, and large-scale comparative genomics pipelines for bacteriophage classification and analysis.

His work combines laboratory and computational approaches to better understand phage diversity, evolution and therapeutic potential, with this expertise underpinning the genomic and bioinformatic infrastructure of PhageBank.

Professor Darren Smith

Professor of Bacteriophage Biology, Northumbria University

Director, NU-OMICS DNA Sequencing Research Facility

Professor Darren Smith is Professor of Bacteriophage Biology at Northumbria University and Director of the NU-OMICS DNA Sequencing Research Facility.

His research focuses on bacteriophage biology, microbial genomics and the use of multi-omic and bioinformatic approaches to investigate phage–host interactions and microbial community dynamics.

He has extensive expertise in genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics and sequencing technologies, combining laboratory and computational approaches to investigate the role of phages in bacterial evolution, clinical microbiology and environmental systems.

His work spans phage genomics, microbial ecology and applied sequencing, supporting both academic and industrial research through the NU-OMICS facility and contributing sequencing and genomic expertise to the development of PhageBank.

Professor Martha Clokie

Co-Director of the Becky Mayer Centre for Phage Research

Her research investigates the identification and development of bacteriophages that kill human and animal pathogens in an effort to develop new antimicrobials. She encompasses all aspects of phage therapy development, from unravelling fundamental biology to product development and commercialisation.

Much of her research employs genomic, structural, bioinformatic and AI approaches to identify key traits associated with phage efficacy in clearing infections. She is currently developing phages for major gut, respiratory and urinary-tract pathogens.

Her work is regularly featured on the BBC, including In Our Time, Curious Cases, The Life Scientific, The Infinite Monkey Cage and the Today programme.

PhageBank Team

Supporting the Biobank

PhageBank is supported by a dedicated team responsible for the day-to-day management, development and operation of the biobank.

Operational Support

Slawomir Michniewski, Faizal Patel and Anna Bates oversee the day-to-day running of PhageBank, coordinating the management of the collection and supporting its continued development as a resource for the wider phage research community.

Technical Support

Kayne Wright, Kane Porter, Navodya Roemer and Isla Lloyd-Evans support the day-to-day operation of the biobank, including the processing, maintenance and curation of phage and bacterial isolates and their associated records.