Dr Robert Fagan

School of Biosciences

Senior Lecturer

Rob Fagan
Profile picture of Rob Fagan
r.fagan@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 4182
Firth Court

Full contact details

Dr Robert Fagan
School of Biosciences
Firth Court
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
Profile

Career history

  • 2018-present: Senior Lecturer, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, UK
  • 2013 - 2017: Lecturer, Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, UK
  • 2008 - 2012: Senior Research Associate, Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College London, UK
  • 2005 - 2008: Research Associate, Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College London, UK
  • 2001 - 2005: PhD, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland
Research interests

Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. It’s a highly antibiotic resistant pathogen that can cause severe disease following antibiotic-mediated disruption of the protective gut microbiota.

The aim of our research is to understand the molecular basis of interactions between the bacterium and its host. We study the outermost layer of the C. difficile cell envelope, the surface- or S-layer, a 2-dimensional proteinaceous crystal that completely coats the surface of the bacterium.

The S-layer has been implicated in adhesion and induction of innate immunity. Our work combines molecular microbiology and structural biology to study S-layer biogenesis and function.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

  • Buddle JE, Thompson LM, Williams AS, Wright RCT, Durham WM, Turner CE, Chaudhuri RR, Brockhurst MA & Fagan RP (2024) . PLOS Biology, 22(8).
  • Lanzoni-Mangutchi P, Banerji O, Wilson J, Barwinska-Sendra A, Kirk JA, Vaz F, O'Beirne S, Baslé A, El Omari K, Wagner A , Fairweather NF et al (2022) . Nat Commun, 13(1), 970.
  • Fuchs M, Lamm-Schmidt V, Sulzer J, Ponath F, Jenniches L, Kirk JA, Fagan RP, Barquist L, Vogel J & Faber F (2021) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(25).
  • Kirk JA, Gebhart D, Buckley AM, Lok S, Scholl D, Douce GR, Govoni GR & Fagan RP (2017) . Science Translational Medicine, 9(406).
  • Dembek M, Barquist L, Boinett CJ, Cain AK, Mayho M, Lawley TD, Fairweather NF & Fagan RP (2015) . MBIO, 6(2).

All publications

Journal articles

  • Wilson JS, Fortier L-C, Fagan RP & Bullough PA (2025) . Life Science Alliance, 8(6).
  • Buddle JE, Thompson LM, Williams AS, Wright RCT, Durham WM, Turner CE, Chaudhuri RR, Brockhurst MA & Fagan RP (2024) . PLOS Biology, 22(8).
  • Galley NF, Greetham D, Alamán-Zárate MG, Williamson MP, Evans CA, Spittal WD, Buddle JE, Freeman J, Davis GL, Dickman MJ , Wilcox MH et al (2024) . Journal of Biological Chemistry, 300(1).
  • Phothichaisri W, Phetruen T, Chankhamhaengdecha S, Janvilisri T, Ounjai P, Fagan RP & Chanarat S (2024) , 245-262.
  • Ormsby MJ, Vaz F, Kirk JA, Barwinska-Sendra A, Hallam JC, Lanzoni-Mangutchi P, Cole J, Chaudhuri RR, Salgado PS, Fagan RP & Douce GR (2023) . PLOS Pathogens, 19(6).
  • Royer ALM, Umansky AA, Allen M-M, Garneau JR, Ospina-Bedoya M, Kirk JA, Govoni G, Fagan RP, Soutourina O & Fortier L-C (2023) . Microbiol Spectr, 11(2), e0389422.
  • Buddle JE & Fagan RP (2023) . Virulence, 14(1), 2150452.
  • Phothichaisri W, Chankhamhaengdecha S, Janvilisri T, Nuadthaisong J, Phetruen T, Fagan RP & Chanarat S (2022) . Microbiol Spectr, 10(2), e0236121.
  • Lanzoni-Mangutchi P, Banerji O, Wilson J, Barwinska-Sendra A, Kirk JA, Vaz F, O'Beirne S, Baslé A, El Omari K, Wagner A , Fairweather NF et al (2022) . Nat Commun, 13(1), 970.
  • Alabdali YAJ, Oatley P, Kirk JA & Fagan RP (2021) . Anaerobe, 70.
  • Fuchs M, Lamm-Schmidt V, Sulzer J, Ponath F, Jenniches L, Kirk JA, Fagan RP, Barquist L, Vogel J & Faber F (2021) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(25).
  • Oatley P, Kirk JA, Ma S, Jones S & Fagan RP (2020) . Scientific Reports, 10(1).
  • Janganan TK, Mullin N, Dafis-Sagarmendi A, Brunt J, Tzokov SB, Stringer S, Moir A, Chaudhuri RR, Fagan RP, Hobbs JK & Bullougha PA (2020) . Msphere, 5(4).
  • de Lussy-Kubisa L, Chaudhuri R & Fagan R (2019) . Access Microbiology, 1(1A).
  • Vaz F, Wilson G, Kirk J, Salgado P, Fagan R & Douce G (2019) . Access Microbiology, 1(1A).
  • O’Beirne S, Kirk JA & Fagan RP (2019) . Access Microbiology, 1(1A).
  • Fagan R, McBride SM & Shen A (2018) . Anaerobe, 53, 1-1.
  • McHale TM, Garciarena CD, Fagan RP, Smith SGJ, Martin-Loches I, Curley GF, Fitzpatrick F & Kerrigan SW (2018) . Critical Care Medicine, 46(8), E805-E810.
  • Kirk JA, Gebhart D, Buckley AM, Lok S, Scholl D, Douce GR, Govoni GR & Fagan RP (2017) . Science Translational Medicine, 9(406).
  • Kirk JA, Banerji O & Fagan RP (2017) . Microbial Biotechnology, 10(1), 76-90.
  • Kirk JA & Fagan RP (2016) . Anaerobe, 42, 1-5.
  • Buckley AM, Jukes C, Candlish D, Irvine JJ, Spencer J, Fagan RP, Roe AJ, Christie JM, Fairweather NF & Douce GR (2016) . Scientific Reports, 6.
  • Willing SE, Candela T, Shaw HA, Seager Z, Mesnage S, Fagan RP & Fairweather NF (2015) . Molecular Microbiology, 96(3), 596-608.
  • Dembek M, Barquist L, Boinett CJ, Cain AK, Mayho M, Lawley TD, Fairweather NF & Fagan RP (2015) . MBIO, 6(2).
  • Pettit LJ, Browne HP, Yu L, Smits WK, Fagan RP, Barquist L, Martin MJ, Goulding D, Duncan SH, Flint HJ , Dougan G et al (2014) . BMC Genomics, 15(1).
  • Fagan RP & Fairweather NF (2014) . Nature Reviews Microbiology, 12(3), 211-222.
  • Deakin LJ, Clare S, Fagan RP, Dawson LF, Pickard DJ, West MR, Wren BW, Fairweather NF, Dougan G & Lawley TD (2012) . Infect Immun, 80(8), 2704-2711.
  • Mahon V, Fagan RP & Smith SGJ (2012) . Biochimie, 94(9), 2058-2061.
  • Tam Dang TH, Fagan RP, Fairweather NF & Tate EW (2012) . Bioorg Med Chem, 20(2), 614-621.
  • Fagan RP & Fairweather NF (2011) . J Biol Chem, 286(31), 27483-27493.
  • Reynolds CB, Emerson JE, de la Riva L, Fagan RP & Fairweather NF (2011) . PLoS Pathog, 7(4), e1002024.
  • Fagan RP, Janoir C, Collignon A, Mastrantonio P, Poxton IR & Fairweather NF (2011) . J Med Microbiol, 60(Pt 8), 1225-1228.
  • Fagan R & Fairweather N (2010) . Methods Mol Biol, 646, 117-134.
  • Dang THT, de la Riva L, Fagan RP, Storck EM, Heal WP, Janoir C, Fairweather NF & Tate EW (2010) . ACS Chem Biol, 5(3), 279-285.
  • Emerson JE, Reynolds CB, Fagan RP, Shaw HA, Goulding D & Fairweather NF (2009) . Mol Microbiol, 74(3), 541-556.
  • Fagan RP, Albesa-Jové D, Qazi O, Svergun DI, Brown KA & Fairweather NF (2009) . Mol Microbiol, 71(5), 1308-1322.
  • Fagan RP, Lambert MA & Smith SGJ (2008) . Infect Immun, 76(3), 1135-1142.
  • Smith SGJ, Mahon V, Lambert MA & Fagan RP (2007) . FEMS Microbiol Lett, 273(1), 1-11.
  • Fagan RP & Smith SGJ (2007) . FEMS Microbiol Lett, 269(2), 248-255.
  • Janganan TK, Mullin N, Tzokov SB, Stringer S, Fagan RP, Hobbs JK, Moir A & Bullough PA () . Food Microbiology, 59, 205-212.

Preprints

  • Buddle JE, Pennington VK, Kirk JA, Faber F, Turner CE, Brockhurst MA & Fagan RP (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Janganan TK, Mullin N, Dafis-Sagarmendi A, Brunt J, Tzokov SB, Stringer S, Moir A, Chaudhuri R, Fagan RP, Hobbs JK & Bullough PA (2020) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Oatley P, Kirk J, Ma S, Jones S & Fagan R (2018) .
Teaching activities

Level 3 modules

  • MBB328 The Organisation of Bacterial Cells (Module Coordinator)
  • MBB335 Bacterial Pathogenicity (Module Coordinator)