Vartul Sangal

Dr Sangal is an Assistant Professor in Cellular and Molecular Sciences in the Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Dr Sangal completed his Ph.D. at the Max-Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin followed by postdoctoral research at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. He joined Northumbria University in September 2013.

He has investigated evolutionary dynamics and niche adaptation in a number of pathogenic bacteria by analysing whole genome sequences and molecular characterisation of virulence genes in the laboratory. His research highlighted the importance of molecular genetic approaches over classical biochemical typing for reliable identification of pathogenic bacteria in clinics and revealed patterns of global dissemination and local adaptation of multidrug resistance lineages. His work on integrating genomic approaches in prokaryotic systematics and understanding the mechanisms of bacterial adaptation in extreme environments has been very well received by the community and has resulted in several national and international collaborations.

His current research is focused on understanding microbial community ecology in diverse environments using an integrated omics approach including metagenomics, proteomics and metabolomics. He identified several bacterial species in the dust samples from daycare providers and homes that may help young children develop immunity against various infectious and noncommunicable diseases. More recently, he has been working on the impact of gut microbiome on health among key pollinators and microbial communities in challenging soil environments.

His publications include 71 articles in international peer reviewed journals, 7 book chapters and two letters/comments (https://researchportal.northumbria.ac.uk/en/persons/vartul-sangal).