1. Understanding the link between microbial metabolism and virulence. Particular topics, I study include: The pneumococcal mechanisms to acquire host sugars, Regulation of sugar metabolism in Streptococcus pneumoniae. 2. Study of the pathways involved in microbial oxidative stress resistance Characterisation of enzymes that have a role in detoxification of reactive oxygen species, Understanding the regulation of oxidative stress resistance in bacteria.

Paix?o L, Oliveira J, Veríssimo A, Vinga S, Louren?o EC, Ventura MR, Kjos M, Veening JW, Fernandes VE, Andrew PW, Yesilkaya H, Neves AR. Host Glycan Sugar-Specific Pathways in Streptococcus pneumonia: Galactose as a Key Sugar in colonisation and infection. PLoS One. 2015 Mar 31;10(3):e0121042. Gaspar P, Al-Bayati FA, Andrew PW, Neves AR, Yesilkaya H. Lactate dehydrogenase is the key enzyme for pneumococcal pyruvate metabolism and pneumococcal survival in blood. Infect Immun. 2014 Dec;82(12):5099-109. Sandrini S, Alghofaili F, Freestone P, Yesilkaya H . Host stress hormone norepinephrine stimulates pneumococcal growth, biofilm formation and virulence gene expression. BMC Microbiol. 2014 Jul 4;14:180. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-14-180. PubMed PMID: 24996423; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4105557. Haste L, Hulland K, Bolton S, Yesilkaya H , McKechnie K, Andrew PW. Development and characterization of a long-term murine model of Streptococcus pneumonia infection of the lower airways. Infect Immun. 2014 Aug;82(8):3289-98. Yesilkaya H , Andisi VF, Andrew PW, Bijlsma JJ. Streptococcus pneumoniae and reactive oxygen species: an unusual approach to living with radicals. Trends Microbiol. 2013 Apr;21(4):187-95. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2013.01.004. Epub 2013 Feb 13. Review. PubMed PMID: 23415028.