Dr Justin Pachebat

Dr Justin Pachebat is a Senior Lecturer in Microbial Genomics at Aberystwyth: parasitologist and specialist in single molecule genomics and next generation sequencing (NGS).

After an MSc at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, he did a PhD at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research (1997-2000) on the characterisation and biosynthesis of a malaria vaccine target: Merozoite Surface Protein 7 in Plasmodium falciparum merozoites. Subsequently he did post-doctoral research at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (2000-2007) and the University of Cambridge (2007-2009) including time at the Max Planck Institute für Dynamik komplexer technischer Systeme, working on single molecule genomics, HAPPY mapping and Illumina sequencing.

In 2010, he moved to IBERS, Aberystwyth to take up a Senior Lectureship in Microbial Genomics, where he has a combined research and teaching role. Research has two main focuses: 1) using single molecule genomics and NGS technologies to characterise pathogens (especially protozoa such as Cryptosporidium and Eimeria species) with the aim of developing novel diagnostics/methods of control; 2) using meta-genomic and meta-transcriptomic approaches to study host–pathogen–microbiome interactions.

His teaching focuses on cell and molecular biology, synthetic biology, genomics and infectious diseases, especially parasitology. He is an Admissions Tutor and coordinates the MRes Parasite Control Scheme (https://courses.aber.ac.uk/postgraduate/parasite-control/).

In 2012-2015 he was Elected Member of the Society of General Microbiology (SGM) Eukaryotic Microbiology Committee (Infectious Disease theme), and organised conference sessions at the 2015 and 2016 SGM annual meetings. In 2016 he was elected to the BSP council, in 2018 he organised the BSP Spring conference at Aberystwyth University, and in 2019 took on role of Honorary Treasurer.

Justin is a member of the UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations Steering Committee where he represents parasitology and the BSP. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and of the Higher Education Academy.