Welcome to The Holt Lab!
We’re based at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. Our research currently spans four key themes …
Microbiomes.
We're interested in all things microbial diversity, particularly how and why microbes live in particular hosts or environments. These communities of microbes (i.e., microbiomes) can be integral to host and/or ecosystem functioning and we want to better understand how microbes fit into the web of processes that govern various environments.
Protists.
Protists (single-celled microbes that occupy most of eukaryotic diversity) are an important part of these microbiomes and we're taking a multi-disciplinary approach to characterise protist diversity, ecology, and evolution. We use a combination of metabarcoding, single-cell sequencing, microscopy, and culturing, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of these weird and wonderful cells!
Invertebrates.
Host microbiome research is dominated by vertebrates (particularly mammals). However, invertebrates far outnumber mammals in terms of diversity and prevalence, and are often key players in the environment. Our goal is to increase invertebrate representation in microbiome datasets in the hope that we can better understand how we can utilise these animals in support of One Health (i.e., the interactions between animal, human, and environmental health).
Food Security.
Finally, we are committed to applying our knowledge of host-microbe interactions to support sustainable food production. Disease is one of the major limitations of growth in the aquaculture industry. Better understanding the microbes that can help or hurt cultured/fished species will allow us to reduce loss and ensure food security for future generations worldwide.
