Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Institute of Aquaculture Pathfoot Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA
I am a post-doctoral researcher currently working on a BBSRC funded project “Investigating the potential of nutritional programming to improve the utilisation of sustainable feeds in aquaculture”. I have almost 10 years’ experience with the aquaculture industry, predominantly in Scotland. Furthermore, I have worked extensively in Antarctica and have substantial knowledge of planning and implementing projects in extreme environments. These adventures have shaped my desire to maintain ecological diversity through more sustainable food production. Key roles:
My main research interests are: • Sustainable nutrition in aquaculture. • Bacterial pathogenesis and virulence factor discovery. • Molecular techniques to investigate microbial community structure and essential genes. • Reducing vertebrate experimentation by developing new applications for the wax moth (Galleria mellonella) as an alternative infection model.
Article
Bekaert M, Goffin N, McMillan S & Desbois AP (2021) Essential Genes of Vibrio anguillarum and Other Vibrio spp. Guide the Development of New Drugs and Vaccines. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, Art. No.: 755801. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.755801
Article
Bacterial Communities of Ballan Wrasse (Labrus bergylta) Eggs at a Commercial Marine Hatchery
Bone A, Bekaert M, Papadopoulou A, McMillan S, Adams A, Davie A & Desbois AP (2021) Bacterial Communities of Ballan Wrasse (Labrus bergylta) Eggs at a Commercial Marine Hatchery. Current Microbiology, 78 (1), pp. 114-124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-020-02286-8
Article
Optimising efficacy of antibiotics against systemic infection by varying dosage quantities and times
Hoyle A, Cairns D, Paterson I, McMillan S, Ochoa G & Desbois AP (2020) Optimising efficacy of antibiotics against systemic infection by varying dosage quantities and times. PLoS Computational Biology, 16 (8), Art. No.: e1008037. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008037
Article
Coyle NM, Bartie KL, Bayliss SC, Bekaert M, Adams A, McMillan S, Verner-Jeffreys DW, Desbois AP & Feil EJ (2020) A Hopeful Sea-Monster: A Very Large Homologous Recombination Event Impacting the Core Genome of the Marine Pathogen Vibrio anguillarum. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, Art. No.: 1430. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01430
Article
Paving the way to acceptance of Galleria mellonella as a new model insect
Desbois AP & McMillan S (2015) Paving the way to acceptance of Galleria mellonella as a new model insect. Virulence, 6 (5), pp. 410-411. https://doi.org/10.1080/21505594.2015.1036218
Article
McMillan S, Verner-Jeffreys DW, Weeks JM, Austin B & Desbois AP (2015) Larva of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, is a suitable alternative host for studying virulence of fish pathogenic Vibrio anguillarum. BMC Microbiology, 15, Art. No.: 127. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-015-0466-9
