Dr Katie Evans
Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Faculty of Science
Email: K.Evans@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 231 2334
ORCID
I gained my first degree, a BSc (Hons) in Applied Microbiology, from LJMU in 2001. After completing my undergraduate degree I spent some time working in industry at one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and then at a water treatment company carrying out analysis and testing for Legionella. I then studied for my PhD not too far away from Liverpool at the STFC Daresbury Laboratory (then home to the synchrotron radiation source). My PhD focussed on characterisation of bacteriophytochromes in the purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris.
After my PhD, wanting to explore further afield, I accepted a postdoctoral position at Texas A&M University. I worked in the department of Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, investigating virulence mechanisms in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It was here that I found my niche in medical microbiology. Following my postdoc, I moved back to Liverpool and took a position working for a clinical diagnostics company. Here I developed phenotypic tests to detect Enterobacteriaceae producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase enzymes, a significant cause of multidrug-resistant infections.
In 2009 I joined LJMU School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences as a lecturer in Microbiology. I teach general and medical microbiology across a range of programmes including Biomedical Science, Biochemistry, Biology and Pharmacy.
My research interests include:
• Bacterial pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance
• Nanocarriers for antimicrobial drug delivery
• Development of diagnostic tests for antimicrobial resistance genes
• Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of microbial infections
Degrees
2006, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, PhD
2001, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, BSc (Hons) Applied Microbiology
Certifications
2016, Liverpool John Moores University, PGCert LTHE
Journal article
Cubas-Atienzar AI, Williams CT, Karkey A, Dongol S, Sulochana M, Rajendra S, Hobbs G, Evans K, Musicha P, Feasey N, Cuevas LE, Adams ER, Edwards T. 2021. A Novel Air-Dried Multiplex High Resolution Melt Assay for the Detection of Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase and Carbapenemase Genes. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance, 27 :123-131 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Edwards T, Williams C, Teethaisong Y, Sealey J, Sasaki S, Hobbs G, Cuevas LE, Evans K, Adams ER. 2020. A highly multiplexed melt-curve assay for detecting the most prevalent carbapenemase, ESBL, and AmpC genes DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE, 97 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Papiz MZ, Bellini D, Evans K, Grossmann G, Fordham-Skelton T. 2019. Light-induced complex formation of bacteriophytochrome RpBphP1 and gene repressor RpPpsR2 probed by SAXS The Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) Journal, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Teethaisong Y, Nakouti I, Evans K, Eumkeb G, Hobbs G. 2019. Nitro-Carba test, a novel and simple chromogenic phenotypic method for rapid screening of carbapeneamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance, 18 :22-25 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Edwards T, Sasaki S, Williams C, Hobbs G, Feasey NA, Evans K, Adams ER. 2018. Speciation of common Gram-negative pathogens using a highly multiplexed high resolution melt curve assay Scientific Reports, 8 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Teethaisong Y, Hobbs G, Nakouti I, Evans K, Eumkeb G. 2018. A nitrocefin disc supplemented with ertapenem for rapid screening of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Teethaisong Y, Evans K, Nakouti I, Tiamyom K, Ketudat-Cairns JR, Hobbs G, Eumkeb G. 2017. The performance of a resazurin chromogenic agar plate with a combined disc method for rapid screening of extended-spectrum-β-lactamases, AmpC β-lactamases and co-β-lactamases in Enterobacteriaceae Microbiology and Immunology, 61 :297-304 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Teethaisong Y, Eumkeb G, Chumnarnsilpa S, Autarkool N, Hobson J, Nakouti I, Hobbs G, Evans K. 2016. Phenotypic detection of AmpC β-lactamases, extended-spectrum- β-lactamases and metallo-β-lactamases in Enterobacteriaceae using a resazurin microtitre assay with inhibitor-based methods. Journal of Medical Microbiology, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Teethaisong Y, Eumkeb G, Nakouti I, Evans K, Hobbs G. 2016. A combined disc method with resazurin agar plate assay for early phenotypic screening of KPC, MBL and OXA-48 carbapenemases among Enterobacteriaceae. Journal of Applied Microbiology, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Zhuang Q, Smallman H, Lambert SJ, Sodngam SS, Reynolds CD, Evans K, Dickman MJ, Baldwin JP, Wood CM. 2014. Cofractionation of HMGB proteins with histone dimers. Anal Biochem, 447 :98-106 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Foulger LE, Sin CGT, Zhuang QQ, Smallman H, Nicholson JM, Lambert SJ, Reynolds CD, Dickman MJ, Wood CM, Baldwin JP, Evans K. 2012. Efficient purification of chromatin architectural proteins: histones, HMGB proteins and FKBP3 (FKBP25) immunophilin RSC ADVANCES, 2 :10598-10604 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Derbyshire H, Kay G, Evans K, Vaughan C, Kavuri U, Winstanley T. 2009. A simple disc diffusion method for detecting AmpC and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY, 63 :497-501 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Evans K, Grossmann JG, Fordham-Skelton AP, Papiz MZ. 2006. Small Angle X-ray Scattering Reveals the Solution Structure of a Bacteriophytochrome in the Catalytically Active Pr State Journal of Molecular Biology, 364 :655-666
Evans K, Fordham-Skelton AP, Mistry H, Reynolds CD, Lawless AM, Papiz MZ. 2005. A bacteriophytochrome regulates the synthesis of LH4 complexesin Rhodopseudomonas palustris PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH, 85 :169-180 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Chapters
Evans K, Georgiou T, Hillon T, Fordham-Skelton AP, Papiz MZ. 2008. The Purple Phototrophic Bacteria Hunter CN, Daldal F, Thurnauer MC. The Purple Phototrophic Bacteria Springer Verlag 9781402088148
Research Grants Awarded:
Society for Applied Microbiology, Development of a Sensitive and Specific Combination Disc Testing Product for the Detection of Carbapenemase Production in Enterobacteriaceae, Grant value (£): 1600, Duration of research project: 6 weeks. 2015
Membership of professional bodies:
Full Member, Microbiology Society, http://www.microbiologysociety.org/. 2012
Full Member, Society for Applied Microbiology, http://www.sfam.org.uk/. 2012