Robyn Manley

Senior Post-doc Research Fellow

I am a molecular ecologist and microbiologist interested in the ecology and evolution of host–virus interactions. I have worked on viruses across a range of systems, including vector-borne viruses affecting livestock health, the effects of virus transmission on pollinator conservation, and interactions between bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts in a phage therapy context.

My current research focuses on virus communication and competition, particularly in temperate bacteriophages of soil bacteria. These phages show a striking capacity to communicate within and across species, allowing them to regulate lysis–lysogeny decisions. I am interested in how viruses sense and respond to cues from their host and environment, and how this shapes transmission strategies. In natural settings, viruses exist within complex, multispecies communities where ecological interactions are likely to influence infection outcomes, and my work aims to understand how viruses respond to this complexity.