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Mr Alex Mullins
Lecturer
Ysgol y Biowyddorau
- MullinsA@caerdydd.ac.uk
- Adeilad Syr Martin Evans, Rhodfa'r Amgueddfa, Caerdydd, CF10 3AX
Trosolwyg
Background
I graduated from Cardiff University with a first class BSc (Hons) in Microbiology that included one year in industry working on home and personal care product preservative systems at Unilever. After my bachelor's degree I started my postgraduate studies as a PhD student at the Microbiomes, Microbes and Informatics (MMI) group at Cardiff University. During my PhD I focussed on understanding the natural product biosynthetic capacity of Burkholderia bacteria, and their use as biopesticides in agriculture. Following my PhD studies I started a postdoctoral position at MMI.
Current research
As a postdoctoral researcher at MMI my research focusses on the use of Burkholderia bacteria as biopesticides, addressing the efficacy, safety and persistence of these bacteria in this agricultural application. More broadly, I am interested in the phylogenomics of Burkholderia and related genera, using genomics to better understand the taxonomy and diversity of these bacteria. I combine this insight into the genomic diversity of Burkholderia bacteria to characterise their capacity to produce natural products for drug discovery where we collaborate with natural product chemists to understand the functions and biosynthesis of these compounds.
Cyhoeddiad
2023
- Webster, G., Mullins, A. J., Petrova, Y. D. and Mahenthiralingam, E. 2023. Polyyne-producing Burkholderia suppress Globisporangium ultimum damping-off disease of Pisum sativum (pea). Frontiers in Microbiology 14, article number: 1240206. (10.3389/fmicb.2023.1240206)
- Smith, H. B. et al. 2023. Sphingopyxis Species Isolated from Sand Filter Biofilm at an Australian Drinking Water Treatment Works. Microbiology Resource Announcements (10.1128/mra.00249-23)
2022
- Petrova, Y. D. et al. 2022. Cloning and expression of Burkholderia polyyne biosynthetic gene clusters in 2 Paraburkholderia hosts provides a strategy for biopesticide development. Microbial Biotechnology 15(10), pp. 2547-2561. (10.1111/1751-7915.14106)
2021
- Mullins, A. J. and Mahenthiralingam, E. 2021. The hidden genomic diversity, specialised metabolite capacity, and revised taxonomy of Burkholderia sensu lato. Frontiers in Microbiology 12, article number: 726847. (10.3389/fmicb.2021.726847)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2021. Discovery of the pseudomonas polyyne protegencin by a phylogeny-guided study of polyyne biosynthetic gene cluster diversity. mBio 12(4), pp. e00715-21. (10.1128/mBio.00715-21)
- Jones, C. et al. 2021. Kill and cure: genomic phylogeny and bioactivity of Burkholderia gladioli bacteria capable of pathogenic and beneficial lifestyles. Microbial Genomics 17(1), article number: 515. (10.1099/mgen.0.000515)
2020
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2020. Reclassification of the biocontrol agents Bacillus subtilis BY-2 and Tu-100 as Bacillus velezensis and insights into the genomic and specialised metabolite diversity of the species. Microbiology 166(12), pp. 1121-1128. (10.1099/mic.0.000986)
- Webster, G., Jones, C., Mullins, A. J. and Mahenthiralingam, E. 2020. A rapid screening method for the detection of specialised metabolites from bacteria: induction and suppression of metabolites from Burkholderia species. Journal of Microbiological Methods 178, article number: 106057. (10.1016/j.mimet.2020.106057)
- Dashti, Y., Nakou, I. T., Mullins, A. J., Webster, G., Jian, X., Mahenthiralingam, E. and Challis, G. L. 2020. Discovery and biosynthesis of bolagladins: unusual lipodepsipeptides from Burkholderia gladioli clinical isolates. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 59(48), pp. 21553-21561. (10.1002/anie.202009110)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2020. Genomic assemblies of members of Burkholderia and related genera as a resource for natural product discovery. Microbiology Resource Announcements 9, article number: e00485-20. (10.1128/MRA.00485-20)
- Webster, G., Mullins, A. J., Cunningham-Oakes, E., Renganathan, A., Aswathanarayan, J. B., Mahenthiralingam, E. and Vittal, R. R. 2020. Culturable diversity of bacterial endophytes associated with medicinal plants of the Western Ghats, India. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 96(1), article number: fiaa147. (10.1093/femsec/fiaa147)
2019
- Webster, G. et al. 2019. Genome sequences of three Paraburkholderia spp. strains isolated from Wood-decay fungi reveals them as novel taxa with antimicrobial biosynthetic potential. Microbiology Resource Announcements 8(34), article number: e00778-19. (10.1128/MRA.00778-19)
- Mullins, A. 2019. Understanding the genomics and specialised metabolites of the biopesticidal bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2019. Genome mining identifies cepacin as a plant-protective metabolite of the biopesticidal bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria. Nature Microbiology 4, pp. 996-1005. (10.1038/s41564-019-0383-z)
- Webster, G., Mullins, A. J., Watkins, A. J., Cunningham-Oakes, E., Weightman, A. J., Mahenthiralingam, E. and Sass, H. 2019. Genome sequences of two choline-utilising methanogenic archaea, Methanococcoides spp., isolated from marine sediments. Microbiology Resource Announcements 8(18), article number: e00342-19. (10.1128/MRA.00342-19)
2018
- Beaton, A. et al. 2018. Community-led comparative genomic and phenotypic analysis of the aquaculture pathogen Pseudomonas baetica a390T sequenced by Ion semiconductor and Nanopore technologies. FEMS Microbiology Letters 365(9), article number: fny069. (10.1093/femsle/fny069)
Articles
- Webster, G., Mullins, A. J., Petrova, Y. D. and Mahenthiralingam, E. 2023. Polyyne-producing Burkholderia suppress Globisporangium ultimum damping-off disease of Pisum sativum (pea). Frontiers in Microbiology 14, article number: 1240206. (10.3389/fmicb.2023.1240206)
- Smith, H. B. et al. 2023. Sphingopyxis Species Isolated from Sand Filter Biofilm at an Australian Drinking Water Treatment Works. Microbiology Resource Announcements (10.1128/mra.00249-23)
- Petrova, Y. D. et al. 2022. Cloning and expression of Burkholderia polyyne biosynthetic gene clusters in 2 Paraburkholderia hosts provides a strategy for biopesticide development. Microbial Biotechnology 15(10), pp. 2547-2561. (10.1111/1751-7915.14106)
- Mullins, A. J. and Mahenthiralingam, E. 2021. The hidden genomic diversity, specialised metabolite capacity, and revised taxonomy of Burkholderia sensu lato. Frontiers in Microbiology 12, article number: 726847. (10.3389/fmicb.2021.726847)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2021. Discovery of the pseudomonas polyyne protegencin by a phylogeny-guided study of polyyne biosynthetic gene cluster diversity. mBio 12(4), pp. e00715-21. (10.1128/mBio.00715-21)
- Jones, C. et al. 2021. Kill and cure: genomic phylogeny and bioactivity of Burkholderia gladioli bacteria capable of pathogenic and beneficial lifestyles. Microbial Genomics 17(1), article number: 515. (10.1099/mgen.0.000515)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2020. Reclassification of the biocontrol agents Bacillus subtilis BY-2 and Tu-100 as Bacillus velezensis and insights into the genomic and specialised metabolite diversity of the species. Microbiology 166(12), pp. 1121-1128. (10.1099/mic.0.000986)
- Webster, G., Jones, C., Mullins, A. J. and Mahenthiralingam, E. 2020. A rapid screening method for the detection of specialised metabolites from bacteria: induction and suppression of metabolites from Burkholderia species. Journal of Microbiological Methods 178, article number: 106057. (10.1016/j.mimet.2020.106057)
- Dashti, Y., Nakou, I. T., Mullins, A. J., Webster, G., Jian, X., Mahenthiralingam, E. and Challis, G. L. 2020. Discovery and biosynthesis of bolagladins: unusual lipodepsipeptides from Burkholderia gladioli clinical isolates. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 59(48), pp. 21553-21561. (10.1002/anie.202009110)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2020. Genomic assemblies of members of Burkholderia and related genera as a resource for natural product discovery. Microbiology Resource Announcements 9, article number: e00485-20. (10.1128/MRA.00485-20)
- Webster, G., Mullins, A. J., Cunningham-Oakes, E., Renganathan, A., Aswathanarayan, J. B., Mahenthiralingam, E. and Vittal, R. R. 2020. Culturable diversity of bacterial endophytes associated with medicinal plants of the Western Ghats, India. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 96(1), article number: fiaa147. (10.1093/femsec/fiaa147)
- Webster, G. et al. 2019. Genome sequences of three Paraburkholderia spp. strains isolated from Wood-decay fungi reveals them as novel taxa with antimicrobial biosynthetic potential. Microbiology Resource Announcements 8(34), article number: e00778-19. (10.1128/MRA.00778-19)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2019. Genome mining identifies cepacin as a plant-protective metabolite of the biopesticidal bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria. Nature Microbiology 4, pp. 996-1005. (10.1038/s41564-019-0383-z)
- Webster, G., Mullins, A. J., Watkins, A. J., Cunningham-Oakes, E., Weightman, A. J., Mahenthiralingam, E. and Sass, H. 2019. Genome sequences of two choline-utilising methanogenic archaea, Methanococcoides spp., isolated from marine sediments. Microbiology Resource Announcements 8(18), article number: e00342-19. (10.1128/MRA.00342-19)
- Beaton, A. et al. 2018. Community-led comparative genomic and phenotypic analysis of the aquaculture pathogen Pseudomonas baetica a390T sequenced by Ion semiconductor and Nanopore technologies. FEMS Microbiology Letters 365(9), article number: fny069. (10.1093/femsle/fny069)
Thesis
- Mullins, A. 2019. Understanding the genomics and specialised metabolites of the biopesticidal bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2019. Genome mining identifies cepacin as a plant-protective metabolite of the biopesticidal bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria. Nature Microbiology 4, pp. 996-1005. (10.1038/s41564-019-0383-z)
Ymchwil
My research is divided into three main areas: biopesticides, bacterial genomics, and natural product discovery:
Biopesticides
The bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria has been used historically as a commercial biopesticide but was phased out due to concerns over the opportunistic pathogenicity of members of the genus Burkholderia in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. However, with the updated sequencing and genomics tools developed over the last decade we can accurately identify Burkholderia species and those most commonly isolated from CF patients.
Greater knowledge of Burkholderia prevalence in CF and increasing evidence of the antimicrobial specialised metabolite capacity of Burkholderia species has led to a resurgence in interest for Burkholderia use as a biopesticide. I am investigating the efficacy of different Burkholderia species and strains as biopesticides, the persistence of these bacteria in the soil following application, and their ability to cause disease.
Bacterial genomics
The genus Burkholderia has undergone multiple expansion and splitting events since it was defined in 1993 following a split from Pseudomonas. Currently, there are six "sister" genera alongside Burkholderia sensu stricto that form the broader grouping Burkholderia sensu lato. Accurate identification of strains using genomics tools is essential to understanding the populaton biology of a strain and how it relates to other strains and species in a wider context. I use public genome databases alongside genomes sequenced at MMI from our own strain collection to interpret evolutionary relationships of these bacteria.
Natural product discovery
Large genomic datasets enable us to perform genome mining analyses at the species and genus level to understand the distribution of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) responcible for natural products biosynthesis. Such analyses have led to the discovery and characterisation of multiple specialised metabolites in Burkholderia and other genera such as Pseudomonas.