Andrew Gates joined the School of Biological Sciences as a lecturer in 2011. He is a member of the Molecular Microbiology theme and the Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry (CMSB). Andrew holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Molecular Biology from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of East Anglia. Prior to his appointment within the School of Biological Sciences, he worked with Prof David Richardson (UEA) and Prof Stuart Ferguson (Oxford) as a senior post-doctoral research associate, which initiated his interest in the genetics and biochemistry of assimilatory nitrate reduction, and nitrogen and iron respiratory systems in bacteria. • 2011 to Present - University of East Anglia. Lecturer in Bacterial Bioenergetics. • 2008 to 2011 - University of East Anglia. Senior Research Associate. • 2003 to 2007 - University of East Anglia. PhD Chemistry. • 2000 to 2003 - University of Newcastle upon Tyne. BSc (Hons) Molecular Biology, Class I.

Bacterial respiratory metabolism is highly adaptable and responsive to a changing environment. This versatility relies on the ability of the cell to employ a multitude of metalloproteins to harness energy from a variety of metabolic pathways. The global biogeochemical nitrogen cycle is essential to life and many processes are carried out by microbes, either to produce energy, or to capture bioavailable nitrogen for growth. My research group is part of the Molecular Microbiology theme and mainly focuses on investigating the role of proteins associated with the perception, trafficking, and transformation of nitrate, and nitrite, in denitrifying organisms.

We employ an interdisciplinary outlook and combine classical molecular genetics with biochemical and biophysical methods to study novel molecular enzymology and microbial physiology that underpin the nitrogen and iron cycles. As part of the Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry (CMSB), we also use a range of techniques such as Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and Protein Film Electrochemistry (PFE) to elucidate the redox properties and catalytic mechanism of metal-containing redox enzymes.

Recently, with Professor David Richardson and Dr Gary Rowley, we have extended our research interests to the study of, and development of mitigation strategies for, nitrous oxide production by nitrate-utilising microbes as part of the Nitrous Oxide Research Alliance (NORA). In addition, we have developed a strong international network of collaborators to study the regulation and biochemistry of nitrate-utilisation in diverse denitrifying bacteria and archaea.

Cabrera, J. J., Salas, A., Torres, M. J., Bedmar, E. J., Richardson, D. J., Gates, A. J., Delgado, M. J.(2016)An integrated biochemical system for nitrate assimilation and nitric oxide detoxification in Bradyrhizobium japonicumin Biochemical Journal473.pp. 297-309 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Torres, M., Simon, J., Rowley, G., Bedmar, E., Richardson, D., Gates, A., Delgado, M.(2016)Nitrous Oxide Metabolism in Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria: Physiology and Regulatory Mechanismsin Advances in Microbial Physiology68.pp. 353-432 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Bowater, R. P., Gates, A. J.(2015)Nucleotides: Structure and Propertiesin eLS Full Text(Scientific review)Butt, J., Gates, A., Marritt, S., Richardson, D.(2015)Enzyme Film ElectrochemistryWiley-Blackwellpp. 105-120ISBN 978-0-470-57845-2(Chapter (peer-reviewed))Day, H. A., Wright, E. P., MacDonald, C. J., Gates, A. J., Waller, Z. A. E.(2015)Reversible DNA i-motif to hairpin switching induced by copper(II) cationsin Chemical Communications51.pp. 14099-14102 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Edwards, M. J., Baiden, N., Johs, A., Tomanicek, S. J., Liang, L., Shi, L., Fredrickson, J. K., Zachara, J. M., Gates, A. J., Butt, J. N., Richardson, D. J., Clarke, T. A.(2014)The X-ray crystal structure of Shewanella oneidensis OmcA reveals new insight at the microbe-mineral interfacein FEBS Letters588.pp. 1886-1890 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Woolfenden, H., Gates, A., Bocking, C., Blyth, M., Richardson, D., Moulton, V.(2013)Modeling the effect of copper availability on bacterial denitrificationin MicrobiologyOpen2.pp. 756-765 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Gates, A. J., Marritt, S. J., Bradley, J. M., Shi, L., McMillan, D. G. G., Jeuken, L. J. C., Richardson, D. J., Butt, J. N.(2013)Electrode assemblies composed of redox cascades from microbial respiratory electron transfer chainsin Biochemical Society Transactions41.pp. 1249-1253 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Luque-Almagro, V. M., Lyall, V. J., Ferguson, S. J., Roldán, M. D., Richardson, D. J., Gates, A. J.(2013)Nitrogen Oxyanion-dependent Dissociation of a Two-component Complex That Regulates Bacterial Nitrate Assimilationin The Journal of Biological Chemistry288.pp. 29692-702 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Sullivan, M. J., Gates, A. J., Appia-Ayme, C., Rowley, G., Richardson, D. J.(2013)Copper control of bacterial nitrous oxide emission and its impact on vitamin B12-dependent metabolismin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)110.pp. 19926-31 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Felgate, H., Giannopoulos, G., Sullivan, M., Gates, A., Clarke, T., Baggs, E., Rowley, G., Richardson, D.(2012)The impact of copper, nitrate and carbon status on the emission of nitrous oxide by two species of bacteria with biochemically distinct denitrification pathwaysin Environmental Microbiology14.pp. 1788-1800 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Richardson, D., Butt, J., Fredrickson, J., Zachara, J., Shi, L., Edwards, M., White, G., Baiden, N., Gates, A., Marritt, S., Clarke, T.(2012)The ‘porin-cytochrome’ model for microbe-to-mineral electron transferin Molecular Microbiology85.pp. 201-212 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Richardson, D., Edwards, M., White, G., Baiden, N., Hartshorne, R., Fredrickson, J., Shi, L., Zachara, J., Gates, A., Butt, J., Clarke, T.(2012)Exploring the biochemistry at the extracellular redox frontier of bacterial mineral Fe(III) respirationin Biochemical Society Transactions40.pp. 493-500 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Clarke, T., Edwards, M., Gates, A., Hall, A., White, G., Bradley, J., Reardon, C., Shi, L., Beliaev, A., Marshall, M., Wang, Z., Watmough, N., Fredrickson, J., Zachara, J., Butt, J., Richardson, D.(2011)Structure of a bacterial cell surface decaheme electron conduitin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences108.pp. 9384-9389 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Gates, A., Luque‑Almagro, V., Goddard, A., Ferguson, S., Roldán, M., Richardson, D.(2011)A composite biochemical system for bacterial nitrate and nitrite assimilation as exemplified by Paracoccus denitrificansin Biochemical Journal435.pp. 743-753 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Cabrera, J., Sánchez, C., Gates, A., Bedmar, E., Mesa, S., Richardson, D., Delgado, M.(2011)The nitric oxide response in plant-associated endosymbiotic bacteriain Biochemical Society Transactions39.pp. 1880-1885 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Gates, A., Butler, C., Richardson, D., Butt, J.(2011)Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate and selenate by NapABin Biochemical Society Transactions39.pp. 236-242 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Gates, A., Kemp, G., To, C., Mann, J., Marritt, S., Mayes, A., Richardson, D., Butt, J.(2011)The relationship between redox enzyme activity and electrochemical potential—cellular and mechanistic implications from protein film electrochemistryin Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics13.pp. 7720-7731 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Luque‑Almagro, V., Gates, A., Moreno‑Vivián, C., Ferguson, S., Richardson, D., Roldán, M.(2011)Bacterial nitrate assimilation: gene distribution and regulationin Biochemical Society Transactions39.pp. 1838-1843 Full Text UEA Repository(Article) Sánchez, C., Cabrera, J., Gates, A., Bedmar, E., Richardson, D., Delgado, M.(2011)Nitric oxide detoxification in the rhizobia–legume symbiosisin Biochemical Society Transactions39.pp. 184-188 Full Text UEA Repository(Article)