Biology
Watch our video of biology and conservation student, Megan, as she gives us a glimpse into what life was like on her year-long placement at Chester Zoo.
Our BSc (Hons) Biology degree offers the chanc…
Dr James Redfern
Reader in Microbiology
My profile
Biography
I am an interdisciplinary research microbiologist with a focus on understanding microbial biofilm, and how to control bacteria using antimicrobial surfaces and materials. Although a microbiologist, I collaborate with many engineers and chemistry experts to ensure my research is using the most effective methods to fully understand the interaction between bacteria and biofilm and the wider environment.
To achieve this, I use many standard microbiology methods, visualisation techniques, genomic tools, sensor technology and 3D printing. I am involved in many national and international networks, working groups and committees, detailed below. I am always keen to collaborate with other academics and industry, having successfully achieved research funding from numerous industry partners and UKRI (BBSRC). If you have any questions on my research or would like to collaborate, please get in touch.
In addition to my research, I teach across the Biology Programme, where I am the Assistant Programme Leader (year 1). Please see the Teaching and Supervision tab above to see more on my teaching style and topics.
| Award title | Funder and value | Role and overview |
|---|---|---|
| Next Generation BiOactiVe NAnocoatings (NOVA) | £403,000 as part of a €7.5m consortium grant from the EU Horizon Europe/UKRI | |
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Proof of concept electrochemical sensor as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for the presence fungal pathogens |
£148,000 from BBSRC | Principal investigator. The aim of the project is to establish the MVOC profile of Chytrid and other fungi when grown in environments used during amphibian ex situ conservation. |
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BloomSafe: Developing a cost-effective, rapid and portable diagnostic tool for the detection of toxins resulting from algal blooms |
£80,592 from NERC | Co-investigator. This project will develop a rapid, user-friendly, on-site diagnostic tool to determine levels of microcystins (MCs) in waterbodies affected by toxic algal blooms (TABs) using a paper analytical device (PAD). |
| Developing a novel test method for antimicrobial treated articles. | £45,000 from the International Biodeterioration Research Group |
Principal investigator. This PhD project aims to develop a robust testing protocol that generates reproducible environmental conditions to assess efficacy of antimicrobial non-porous treated articles. |
Committees, networks and working groups
- Member of the International Biofilm Standards Task Group (2023 - ongoing)
- Member of the Bio-Effective Surfaces for Transport (BEST) Think Tank (2021 - ongoing)
- A committee member of the British Standards Institute for CH/216/-/1 - Antimicrobial Hard Surfaces (2019 - ongoing)
- Invited member of the International Biodeterioration Research Group, an international group of industry representatives for antimicrobial materials (2017 – ongoing).
- Invited expert for the Anti-microbial coating innovations to prevent infectious diseases (AMiCI) EU COST action (CA15114) (2017-2020).
- Elected member of the Microbiology Society Impact and Influence Committee (2021-ongoing)
- Elected member of the Microbiology Society Communications Committee (2016-2018)
Prizes and awards
- Microbiology Society Outreach Prize winner 2013
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Met, Science Communication Champion Award 2011
Editorial Board membership
- Editor for Access Microbiology (Microbiology Society Journal - 2022 - ongoing)
- Editor for thematic series ‘Scientimetrics’ within FEMS Letters (2017-2018)
- Editorial board for Microbiology Today (2016-2018)
Membership of professional associations
- Microbiology Society
- Society for Applied Microbiology
- American Society for Microbiology
Teaching
I teach across the Biology Programme, supporting many of the microbiology, molecular biology and biochemistry units. Much of my teaching is focused on using real-world examples and case studies to discuss the latest in biological sciences.
When I was a student, and continuing into my professional career, the laboratory has always been an important and fun space. As such, many units I collaborate on have a heavy practical element, whether that be searching for new antibiotics from soil, to searching for new viruses that can kill bacteria - you will gain practical, transferable skills that will put you at the forefront of biological sciences.
Your final year project is your opportunity to explore an element of biological sciences that you are interested in. If you do your project with me, you can expect a laboratory-based microbiology or molecular biology focus, usually aligned to my current research interests.
Units you will find me teaching on:
- Biotechnology (2nd year)
- Biochemistry (2nd year)
- Applied Molecular Biology (2nd year)
- Frontiers in Biotechnology (3rd year)
- Genetic Data Analysis (3rd year)
- Project (3rd year)
Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Watch our video of Biological Sciences student, Megan, as she gives us a glimpse into what life was like on her year-long placement at Chester Zoo.
Explore a fascinating area of biology: a microscopi…
Zoology
Watch our video of biology and conservation student, Megan, as she gives us a glimpse into what life was like on her year-long placement at Chester Zoo.
Our BSc (Hons) Zoology degree offers an interd…
Supervision
I have experience with numerous postgraduate research students undertaking research degrees at both Masters by Research (MRes) and PhD level.
If you would like to discuss the potential of completing a research degree with me, please get in touch. For more information on my research interests, please see the research section.
Research outputs
Over my career I have always published my work in journals that best reflect the work I have contributed too, often in interdisciplinary journals. In addition to standard research articles, I also have presented talks and posters and book chapters.
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Chapters in books
Verran, J., Redfern, J. (2016) 'Testing Surface Cleanability in Food Processing.' In Lelieveld, H., Holah, J., Gabric, D. (ed.) Handbook of Hygiene Control in the Food Industry. Woodhead Publishing,
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Journal articles
Redfern, J., Cunliffe, A.J., Goeres, D.M., Azevedo, N.F., Verran, J. (2024) 'Critical analysis of methods to determine growth, control and analysis of biofilms for potential non-submerged antibiofilm surfaces and coatings.' Biofilm, 7
Verran, J., Wood, J., Redfern, J., Moravej, H., Radclyffe-Thomas, N. (2023) 'Hands On Biofilm! A multidisciplinary public engagement event using kombucha tea pellicle as an accessible example of biofilm.' Biofilm, 6
Verran, J., Redfern, J., Cunliffe, A., Romachney, A., Wood, J. (2023) 'Hands on Biofilm! Utilizing a public audience in a citizen science project to assess yield variability when culturing kombucha pellicle.' FEMS Microbiology Letters, 370pp. fnad073-fnad073.
Wood, J., Verran, J., Redfern, J. (2023) 'Bacterial cellulose grown from kombucha: Assessment of textile performance properties using fashion apparel tests.' Textile Research Journal,
Ragupathy, R., Jolley, K.A., Zamuner, C., Jones, J.B., Redfern, J., Behlau, F., Ferreira, H., Enright, M.C. (2023) 'Core-Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing for Epidemiological and Evolutionary Analyses of Phytopathogenic Xanthomonas citri.' Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 89(5)
Verran, J., Illingworth, S., Pritchett, J., Redfern, J. (2023) 'Co-development, co-delivery, and evaluation of a Medical Writing module at master’s level.' Medical Writing, 32(1) pp. 92-98.
Wood, J., Redfern, J., Verran, J. (2022) 'Developing textile sustainability education in the curriculum: pedagogical approaches to material innovation in fashion.' International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 16(2) pp. 141-151.
Cunliffe, A.J., Wang, R., Redfern, J., Verran, J., Wilson, D.I. (2022) 'Effect of environmental factors on the kinetics of evaporation of droplets containing bacteria or viruses on different surfaces.' Journal of Food Engineering, 336pp. 111195-111195.
Redfern, J., Tosheva, L., Malic, S., Butcher, M., Ramage, G., Verran, J. (2022) 'The denture microbiome in health and disease: an exploration of a unique community.' Letters in Applied Microbiology, 75(2) pp. 195-209.
Wood, J., van der Gast, C., Rivett, D., Verran, J., Redfern, J. (2022) 'Reproducibility of Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers Over Sub-Cultured Generations for the Development of Novel Textiles.' Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 10pp. 876822-876822.
Grao, M., Redfern, J., Kelly, P., Ratova, M. (2022) 'Photocatalytic degradation of contaminants of emerging concern using a low-cost and efficient black bismuth titanate-based water treatment reactor.' Journal of Water Process Engineering, 45pp. 102525-102525.
Cunliffe, A.J., Askew, P.D., Stephan, I., Iredale, G., Cosemans, P., Simmons, L.M., Verran, J., Redfern, J. (2021) 'How Do We Determine the Efficacy of an Antibacterial Surface? A Review of Standardised Antibacterial Material Testing Methods.' Antibiotics, 10(9) pp. 1069-1069.
Redfern, J., Wallace, J., van Belkum, A., Jaillard, M., Whittard, E., Ragupathy, R., Verran, J., Kelly, P., Enright, M.C. (2021) 'Biofilm associated genotypes of multiple antibiotic resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.' BMC Genomics, 22
Çakar, Z.P., Redfern, J., Verran, J. (2021) 'Analysis of University student responses to the pandemic in a formal microbiology assessment..' FEMS Microbiology Letters, 368(14)
Whittard, E., Redfern, J., Xia, G., Millard, A., Ragupathy, R., Malic, S., Enright, M.C. (2021) 'Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Novel Polyvalent Bacteriophages With Potent In Vitro Activity Against an International Collection of Genetically Diverse Staphylococcus aureus.' Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 11
Grao, M., Redfern, J., Kelly, P.J., Ratova, M. (2021) 'Magnetron co-sputtered Bi12TiO20/Bi4Ti3O12 composite – An efficient photocatalytic material with photoinduced oxygen vacancies for water treatment application.' Applied Surface Science, 552
Redfern, J., Ratova, M., Dean, A.P., Pritchett, J., Grao, M., Verran, J., Kelly, P. (2020) 'Visible light photocatalytic bismuth oxide coatings are effective at suppressing aquatic cyanobacteria and degrading free-floating genomic DNA.' Journal of Environmental Sciences, 104pp. 128-136.
Scimone, A., Redfern, J., Patiphatpanya, P., Thongtem, T., Ratova, M., Kelly, P., Verran, J. (2020) 'Development of a rapid method for assessing the efficacy of antibacterial photocatalytic coatings.' Talanta, 225pp. 122009-122009.
Verran, J., Jackson, S., Scimone, A., Kelly, P., Redfern, J. (2020) 'Biofilm control strategies: Engaging with the public.' Antibiotics, 9(8) pp. 1-12.
Redfern, J., Enright, M.C. (2020) 'Further understanding of Pseudomonas aeruginosa’s ability to horizontally acquire virulence: possible intervention strategies.' Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy, 18(6) pp. 539-549.
Redfern, J., Bowater, L., Coulthwaite, L., Verran, J. (2020) 'Raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance among the general public in the UK: the role of public engagement activities.' JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance, 2(1)
Redfern, J., Tucker, J., Simmons, L., Askew, P., Stephan, I., Verran, J. (2018) 'Environmental and Experimental Factors Affecting Efficacy Testing of Nonporous Plastic Antimicrobial Surfaces.' Methods and Protocols, 1(4)
Malic, S., Rai, S., Redfern, J., Pritchett, J., Liauw, C., Verran, J., Tosheva, L. (2018) 'Zeolite-embedded silver extends antimicrobial activity of dental acrylics.' Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 173pp. 52-57.
Ratova, M., Redfern, J., Verran, J., Kelly, P. (2018) 'Highly efficient photocatalytic bismuth oxide coatings and their antimicrobial properties under visible light irradiation.' Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 239pp. 223-232.
Redfern, J., Bowater, L., Crossle, M., Verran, J. (2018) 'Spreading the message of antimicrobial resistance: A detailed account of a successful public engagement event..' FEMS microbiology letters, 365(16)
Verran, J., Haigh, C., Brooks, J., Butler, J., Redfern, J. (2018) 'Fitting the message to the location: engaging adults with antimicrobial resistance in a World War 2 air raid shelter..' Journal of Applied Microbiology, 125(4) pp. 1008-1016.
Carolan, K., Verran, J., Amos, M., Crossley, M., Redfern, J., Whitton, N., Louttit, D. (2018) 'SimFection: a digital resource for vaccination education.' Journal of Biological Education, 53(2) pp. 225-234.
Redfern, J., Cobo, M.J., Herrera-Viedma, E. (2018) 'Editorial: Mapping microbiology with scientometrics - help provide a clearer vision of microbiology research around the globe..' FEMS Microbiology Letters, 365(9)
Redfern, J., Geerts, L., Seo, J.W., Verran, J., Tosheva-Jivkova, L., Wee, L.H. (2018) 'Toxicity and Antimicrobial Properties of ZnO@ZIF‑8 Embedded Silicone against Planktonic and Biofilm Catheter-Associated Pathogens.' ACS Applied Nano Materials, 1(4) pp. 1657-1665.
Carolan, K., Verran, J., Crossley, M., Redfern, J., Whitton, N., Amos, M. (2018) 'Impact of educational interventions on adolescent attitudes and knowledge regarding vaccination: A pilot study.' PLoS ONE, 13(1)
Verran, J., Redfern, J., Moravej, H., Adebola, Y. (2018) 'Refreshing the public appetite for ‘good bacteria’: menus made by microbes.' Journal of Biological Education, 53(1) pp. 34-46.
Redfern, J., Goldyn, K., Verran, J., Retoux, R., Tosheva, L., Mintova, S. (2017) 'Application of Cu-FAU nanozeolites for decontamination of surfaces soiled with the ESKAPE pathogens.' Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 253pp. 233-238.
Redfern, J., Verran, J. (2017) 'Effect of humidity and temperature on the survival of Listeria monocytogenes on surfaces.' Letters in Applied Microbiology, 64(4) pp. 276-282.
Redfern, J., Illingworth, S., Verran, J. (2016) 'What does the UK public want from academic science communication?.' F1000Res, 5
Redfern, J., Verran, J. (2015) 'What is a microbiologist? A survey exploring the microbiology workforce.' FEMS microbiology letters, 362(24)
Illingworth, S., Gray, S.B., Millington, S., Redfern, J. (2015) 'What’s in a Name? Exploring the Nomenclature of Science Communication in the UK.' F1000Research, 4(409)
Redfern, J., Verran, J. (2015) 'Learning the art of science.' Biologist, 62(2)
Redfern, J., Burdass, D., Verran, J. (2015) 'Developing microbiological learning materials for schools: best practice..' FEMS Microbiol Lett, 362(6)
Redfern, J., Kinninmonth, M., Burdass, D., Verran, J. (2014) 'Using soxhlet ethanol extraction to produce and test plant material (essential oils) for their antimicrobial properties..' J Microbiol Biol Educ, 15(1) pp. 45-46.
Redfern, J. (2014) 'Microbiology, school science and science communication - A PhD with a difference.' Microbiology Today, 41(2)
Redfern, J., Burdass, D., Verran, J. (2013) 'Transforming a school learning exercise into a public engagement event: The Good, the Bad and the Algae.' Journal of Biological Education, 47(4) pp. 246-252.
Redfern, J., Burdass, D., Verran, J. (2013) 'Transforming a school learning exercise into a public engagement event: 'The Good, the Bad and The Algae'.' Journal of Biological Education,
Redfern, J., Burdass, D., Verran, J. (2013) 'Practical microbiology in schools: a survey of UK teachers.' TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY, 21
Redfern, J. (2013) 'Schoolzone: Bacteriophage practical.' Microbiology Today, 40(1) pp. 38-39.
Redfern, J. (2011) 'Call for evaluation volunteers.' Microbiology Today, 38(1) pp. 43-44.
Verran, J., J.redfern, , Smith, L.A., Whitehead, K.A. (2010) 'A critical evaluation of sampling methods used for assessing microorganisms on surfaces.' Food and Bioproducts Processing, 88(4) pp. 335-340.
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Non-peer reviewed articles / reviews
Redfern, J., Wallace, J., van Belkum, A., Jaillard, M., Whittard, E., Ragupathy, R., Verran, J., Kelly, P., Enright, M.C. (2019) Biofilm Associated Genotypes of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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Conference papers
Donohue, J., Dean, A.P., Linton, P.E., Redfern, J. (2023) 'Donohue, J., Dean, A. P., Linton. P.E., & Redfern, J. (2022) A language-based approach to teaching and learning Science: A UK University case study. Invited plenary at Conference. The language of science: HOW TO APPROACH THE LANGUAGE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRAINING OF SCIENTISTS. Chile.' In The science of the language of science. Chile, 1/12/2022 - 2/12/2022.
Dean, A., Redfern, J., Shaw, K.J. (2022) 'STUDENT ENGAGEMENT & ACHIEVEMENT IN A COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE CREATING APPLIED MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES.' pp. 1175-1176.
Redfern, J., Verran, J., Jackson, S. (2017) 'Volatiles Produced by Candida spp on Denture Materials.' In Eurobiofilms 2017. Amsterdam, 19/9/2017 - 22/9/2017.
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Posters
Verran, J., Askew, P., Stephan, I., Redfern, J. (2017) 'Control of humidity during simulation tests on the efficacy of antimicrobial surfaces.' [Poster] In COST Action Clinical Microbiology and Infection (AMiCl) Conference. Date viewed 6/6/2017.