Dr Michelle Buckner PhD

Michelle Buckner

Institute of Microbiology and Infection
Associate Professor in Antimicrobial Resistance

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 415 8758
Email
m.buckner@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@mmcbuckner
View my research portal
Address
Institute of Microbiology and Infection
Biosciences Building
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Buckner is a Associate Professor in the Institute of Microbiology and Infection. Her team's research focuses on understanding plasmid-mediated antimicrobial resistance in clinically-relevant Gram-negative bacteria. Research in Dr Buckner’s group focuses primarily on:

  • Understanding how plasmids impact the host bacteria.
  • Understanding plasmid dynamics among populations.
  • Devising strategies to reduce the impact of plasmid-mediated resistance.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Microbiology and Infection (University of British Columbia, 2013)
  • BSc (Hons) in Biology (University of Calgary, 2008)

Biography

Dr Buckner completed her BSc(Hons) in Biology from the University of Calgary, Canada. She completed her PhD in Professor Brett Finlay’s laboratory at the University of British Columbia, Canada, where she studied the interaction of the bacterial pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium with the host. She explored the role of the SPI2 encoded type three secretion system in virulence in mouse models of typhoid fever, macrophages, and epithelial cells. She also studied the interaction between bacterial infection and host metabolism, specifically the role of prostaglandin hormones on bacterial pathogenesis.

Michelle came to the University of Birmingham in 2013 as a post-doctoral researcher with Professor Laura JV Piddock, where she studied multiple aspects of antimicrobial resistance including the AcrAD/TolC multi-drug efflux pump, quinolone resistance, and antibiotic impact upon host cells. She was awarded a fellowship from the AXA Research Fund, and an Accelerator Fellowship (UoB ISSF), enabling her to begin her research on antimicrobial plasmids. She has continued this research, and started her independent research group in 2019.

Teaching

Dr Buckner is the Institute of Microbiology and Infection Head of Education. She actively teaches about bacteriology and antimicrobial resistance through lectures, small group teaching and practical sessions on courses including:

Postgraduate supervision

Understanding and combatting antimicrobial resistance plasmids

Research

Dr Buckner’s research focuses on understanding plasmid-mediated antimicrobial resistance in clinically-relevant Gram-negative bacteria. Research in Dr Buckner’s group focuses primarily on:

  • Understanding how plasmids impact the host bacteria.
  • Understanding plasmid dynamics among populations.
  • Devising strategies to reduce the impact of plasmid-mediated resistance.

Publications

  1. Buckner MM, Ciusa ML, Piddock LJ. Anti-Plasmid and Plasmid Curing Approaches- a Viable Strategy to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance? 2018. FEMS Microbiology Reviews,  Volume 42, Issue 6, 1 November 2018, Pages 781–804, doi: 10.1093/femsre/fuy031
  2. Buckner MM, Saw HT, Osagie RN, McNally A, Ricci V, Wand ME, Woodford N, Ivens A, Webber MA, Piddock LJ. Clinically relevant plasmid-host interactions indicate transcriptional not genomic modifications ameliorate fitness costs of KPC carrying plasmids. 2018. mBio vol. 9 no. 2 e02303-17 doi: 10.1128/mBio.02303-17
  3. Webber MA, Buckner MM, Redgrave LS, Ifill G, Michanall LA, Webb C, Iddles R, Maxwell A, Piddock LJ. Quinolone-resistant gyrase mutants demonstrate decreased susceptibility to triclosan due to de-repression of general stress response pathways. 2017. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Oct 1;72(10):2755-2763. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkx201
  4. Buckner MM, Blair JM, La Ragione RM, Newcombe J, Dwyer DJ, Ivens A, Piddock LJ. Beyond antimicrobial resistance: evidence for a distinct role of the AcrD efflux pump in Salmonella Biology. 2016. mBio. vol. 7 no. 6 e01916-16 doi: 10.1128/mBio.01916-16
  5. Buckner MM. Divide and conquer: Salmonella move into both daughter cells during mitosis. 2016. Virulence. 7(6): 616–619 doi: 10.1080/21505594.2016.1190063.   
  6. Anuforom O, Wallace G, Buckner MM, Piddock LJ. Ciprofloxacin and ceftriazone alter cytokine responses, but not Toll-like receptors to Salmonella infection in vitro. 2016. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 71(7):1826-33 doi: 10.1093/jac/dkw092
  7. Buckner MM, Antunes LC, Gill N, Russell SL, Shames SR, Finlay BB. 15-deoxy-D12,14-prostaglandin J2 mediates macrophage interactions with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. 2013. PLoS ONE. 8(7): e69759. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069759
  8. Ferreira RB, Buckner MM, Finlay BB. Genome plasticity in Salmonella enterica and its relevance to host-pathogen interactions. Genome Plasticity and Infectious Diseases. © 2012 ASM Press, Washington, DC ISBN: 81-708-4 Editors: J. Hacker, J. Kaper , R. Kurth, and U. Dobrindt.
  9. Buckner MM, Croxen MA, Arena ET, Finlay BB. A comprehensive study of the contribution of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SPI2 effectors to bacterial colonization, survival, and replication in typhoid fever, macrophage, and epithelial cell infection models. 2011. Virulence. May-Jun;2(3):208-16. doi: 10.4161/viru.2.3.15894

10.Buckner MM, Finlay BB. Host-microbe interaction: Innate immunity cues virulence. 2011. Nature. Apr 14;472(7342):179-80. doi: 10.1038/472179a

11.Antunes LC, Arena ET, Menendez A, Han J, Ferreira RB, Buckner MM, Lolic P, Madilao LL, Bohlmann J, Borchers CH, Finlay BB. Impact of Salmonella infection on host hormone metabolism revealed by metabolomics. 2011. Infect Immun. Apr;79(4):1759-69. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01373-10

12.Antunes LC, Buckner MM, Auweter SD, Ferreira RB, Lolic P, Finlay BB. Inhibition of Salmonella host cell invasion by dimethyl sulphide. 2010. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 76(15), 5300-5304. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00851-10

13.Antunes LC, Ferreira RB, Buckner MM, Finlay BB. Quorum sensing in bacterial virulence. 2010. Microbiology. 156, 2271-2282. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.038794-0

14.Roldán GB, Chan AK, Buckner M, Magliocco AM, Doll CM. The prognostic value of hemoglobin in patients with anal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy. 2010. Dis Colon Rectum. Aug;53(8):1127-34. doi: 10.1007/DCR.0b013e3181d964c1

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