Iain SutcliffeProf Sutcliffe studied for his first degree in Biochemistry at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, where he stayed on to complete a PhD in microbial membrane physiology, supervised by Dr Norman Shaw. Subsequent post-doctoral research notably inclued a Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship in Taxonomy (in the Department of Oral Biology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne) during which time his interested in cell envelope components as chemotaxonomic markers was developed. After a Senior Lectureship at the University of Sunderland (1996-2004) he moved to Northumbria University, where he is now Chair of Microbiology. His research focuses on the membrane-anchored molecules of bacteria, in particular bacterial lipoproteins (which appear to be a unique and ubiquitous feature of bacteria), lipoglycans and lipoteichoic acids. This work has been extended to using comparative genomics approaches to understand the diversity of microbial cell envelope structures at the phylum level, work underpinned by his interest in microbial systematics. Prof Sutcliffe is currently Editor-in-Chief of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Journal of Microbiology and in this role has gained considerable experience of the procedures for describing new microbial taxa and the challenges facing microbial systematists. Read More Read Less