Iain studied for his first degree in Biochemistry at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, where he stayed on to complete a PhD in microbial physiology, supervised by Dr Norman Shaw. Subsequent post-doctoral research notably included working with Professor Roy Russell and a Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship in Taxonomy (both in the Department of Oral Biology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne).
He was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland from 1996-2003 before moving to Northumbria, where he was promoted to Reader (2005), then Professor of Microbiology in 2007. From 2012 to 2019 he was the Research Lead for the Department of Applied Sciences, and from 2019 to 2021 he was REF Lead for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.
My research focuses on understanding the bacterial cell envelope as the interface between a bacterium and its environment, with a specific focus on the nature, biosynthesis and roles of membrane-anchored macromolecules, notably bacterial lipoproteins and lipoglycans. Several projects are focussed on understanding the role of the cell envelope in the biology of the important veterinary pathogen Prescottella (Rhodococcus) equi and related bacteria.
Understanding cell envelope diversity is also of importance for microbial taxonomy and studies of bacterial evolution, and I am particularly interested in the evolution of outer membranes. My work in taxonomy has progressed from an earlier chemotaxonomic approach to primarily using comparative genomics and in this regard I am active in developing the discipline of microbial systematics, serving two terms (2017-2023) as Chair of the International Committee for Systematics of Prokaryotes (https://www.the-icsp.org/). Seperately, I am actively involved in the development of the nomenclatural code for uncultured microorganisms (the 'SeqCode' https://www.isme-microbes.org/seqcode-initiative).
- Roadmap for naming uncultivated Archaea and Bacteria, Murray, A., Freudenstein, J., Gribaldo, S., Hatzenpichler, R., Hugenholtz, P., K盲mpfer, P., Konstantinidis, K., Lane, C., Papke, R., Parks, D., Rossello-Mora, R., Stott, M., Sutcliffe, I., Thrash, J., Venter, S., Whitman, W., Acinas, S., Amann, R., Anantharaman, K., Armengaud, J., Baker, B., Barco, R., Bode, H., Boyd, E., Brady, C., Carini, P., Chain, P., Colman, D., DeAngelis, K., de los Rios, M., Estrada-de los Santos, P., Dunlap, C., Eisen, J., Emerson, D., Ettema, T., Eveillard, D., Girguis, P., Hentschel, U., Hollibaugh, J., Hug, L., Inskeep, W., Ivanova, E., Klenk, H., Li, W., Lloyd, K., L枚ffler, F., Makhalanyane, T., Moser, D., Nunoura, T., Palmer, M., Parro, V., Pedr贸s-Ali贸, C., Probst, A., Smits, T., Steen, A., Steenkamp, E., Spang, A., Stewart, F., Tiedje, J., Vandamme, P., Wagner, M., Wang, F., Hedlund, B., Reysenbach, A. 1 Aug 2020, In: Nature Microbiology
- Addressing the sublime scale of the microbial world: reconciling an appreciation of microbial diversity with the need to describe species, Sutcliffe, I., Rossell贸-M贸ra, R., Trujillo, M. 1 Sep 2021, In: New Microbes and New Infections
- Out with the old and in with the new: time to rethink twentieth century chemotaxonomic practices in bacterial taxonomy, Vandamme, P., Sutcliffe, I. 30 Nov 2021, In: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
- Mechanism of Phosphatidylglycerol Activation Catalyzed by Prolipoprotein Diacylglyceryl Transferase, Singh, W., Bilal, M., McClory, J., Dourado, D., Quinn, D., Moody, T., Sutcliffe, I., Huang, M. 22 Aug 2019, In: Journal of Physical Chemistry B
- Refined Systematics of the Genus Rhodococcus Based on Whole Genome Analyses, Sangal, V., Goodfellow, M., Jones, A., Seviour, R., Sutcliffe, I. 2019, Biology of Rhodococcus
- Proposal of Carbonactinosporaceae fam. nov. within the class Actinomycetia. Reclassification of Streptomyces thermoautotrophicus as Carbonactinospora thermoautotrophica gen. nov., comb. nov, Volpiano, C., Sant'Anna, F., da Mota, F., Sangal, V., Sutcliffe, I., Munusamy, M., Saravanan, V., See-Too, W., Passaglia, L., Rosado, A. 1 Jul 2021, In: Systematic and Applied Microbiology
- Invited talk: Legitimate, illegitimate, valid, correct, rejected: negotiating a nomenclatural minefield with Prescottella equi. 2023
- Editorial work: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Journal of Microbiology (Journal) 2019
- Editorial work: Frontiers in Microbiology (Journal) 2018
- Membership of committee: Bergey's International Society for Microbial Systematics (External organisation) 2017
- Membership of committee: International Committee for Systematics of Prokaryotes (External organisation) 2017
- Oral presentation: Whole genome analyses support the taxonomic separation of 鈥淩hodococcus equi鈥� from other rhodococci 2014
- Invited talk: Reclassification of Rhodococcus equi into a novel genus, Prescottia gen. nov., as Prescottia equi comb 2012
- Editorial work: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Journal of Microbiology (Journal) 2009
Mian Munir Investigations of lipoprotein biosynthesis in bacteria and the structural-functional relationship of prolipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase Start Date: 09/01/2012
Biochemistry PhD September 01 1985
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