Dr Darryl Hill
Senior Lecturer in Microbiology
Contact details
School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine,
University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building,
Bristol, BS8 1TD
phone: +44 (0)117 33 12073 (internal 12073)
email: darryl.j.hill@bristol.ac.uk
Research interests
Bacterial infections of the respiratory tract which lead to localised or disseminated disease are a considerable health and financial burden globally. Our research focuses on understanding the interplay between bacteria (mainly colonisers of the respiratory tract) and their human host during colonisation and progression of disease. By understanding key mechanisms used by bacteria to interact with human cells and tissues therapeutic targets can be identified.
Specific interests
- Molecular basis of receptor targeting by mucosal pathogens which colonise the human nasopharynx and oropharynx. Principally studies focus on Neisseria meningitidis, Moraxella catarrhalis and Haemophilus influenzae.
- Interactions of Neisseria meningitidis with serum components.
- Epithelial cell responses to neisserial infection.
- Bacterial interplay during adhesion to human respiratory epithelia.
- Structure and function analyses of Moraxella catarrhalis surface proteins.
- Bacterial-stem cell interactions in osteomyelitis.
Current collaborators
- Professor Mumtaz Virji (CMM)
- Professor Neil Williams (CMM)
- Professor Adam Finn (Institute of Child Health Bristol/CMM)
- Professor Leo Brady (Biochemistry, University of Bristol)
- Professor Charles Serhan (Harvard Medical School)
- Dr Wael Kafienah (CMM)
- Dr Eric Lafontaine (University of Georgia)
- Dr Dave Dymock (Oral and Dental Sciences, University of Bristol)
- Dr Nathan Zaccai (Biochemistry, University of Bristol)
- Dr Richard Sessions (Biochemistry, University of Bristol)
Selected publications
- Hill, D.J., Griffiths, N.J., Borodina, E. and Virji, M. (2010) Cellular and molecular biology of Neisseria meningitidis infection and Meningitis. Journal of Clinical Science, 118, 547-564.
- Carbonelle, E,. Hill, D.J., Morand, P., Griffiths, N.J., Bourdoulous, S., Murillo, I., Nassif, X., Virji, M. (2009) Meningococcal interactions with the host. Vaccine, 27, B78-89.
- Connors, R., Hill, D.J., Borodina, E., Agnew, C., Daniell, S.J., Burton, N.M., Sessions, R.B., Clarke, A.R., Catto, L.E., Lammie, D., Wess, T., Brady, R.L. and Virji, M. (2008) The Moraxella adhesin UspA1 binds to its human CEACAM1 receptor via a deformed trimeric coiled coil. EMBO J. 27, 1779-1789.
- Villullas, S., Hill, D.J., Sessions, R.B., Rea, J. and Virji, M. (2006) Mutational analysis of human CEACAM1: The potential of receptor polymorphism in increasing host susceptibility to bacterial infection. Cellular Microbiology 9, 329-346.
- Rowe, H.A., Griffiths, N.J., Hill, D.J. and Virji, M. (2006) Coordinate action of bacterial adhesins and human carcinoembryonic antigen receptors in enhanced cellular invasion by capsulate serum resistant Neisseria meningitidis. Cellular Microbiology 9, 154-168.
- Hardy, A.R., Hill, D.J. and Poole, A.W. (2005) Evidence that the purinergic receptor PY12 potentiates platelet shape change by a Rho kinase-dependent mechanism. Platelets 16, 415-429.
- Hill, D.J., Edwards, A.M., Rowe, H.A. and Virji, M. (2005) Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM)-binding recombinant polypeptide confers protection against infection by respiratory and urogenital pathogens. Molecular Microbiology 55, 1515-1527.
- Hill, D.J. and Virji, M. (2003) A novel cell binding mechanism of Moraxella catarrhalis ubiquitous surface protein UspA: specific targeting of the N-domain of carcinoembryonic antigen related cell adhesion molecules by UspA1. Molecular Microbiology 48, 117-129.
- Virji M. and Hill, D.J. (2003) In vitro models of Infection II - Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial cells (Huvecs) system. In: Haemophilus influenzae Protocols, Methods in Molecular Medicine. pp. 297-314. Eds : M. Herbert, D.W. Hood and E.R. Moxon. Humana Press (New Jersey).
- Hill, D.J., Toleman, M.A., Evans, D.J., Villullas, S., Van Alphen, L. and Virji, M. (2001) The variable P5 proteins of typable and non-typableHaemophilus influenzae target human CEACAM1. Molecular Microbiology 39, 850-862.
- Virji, M., Evans, D., Griffith, J., Hill, D.J., Serino, L., Hadfield, A. and Watt, S.M. (2000) Carcinoembryonic antigens are targeted by diverse strains of typable and non-typable Haemophilus influenzae. Molecular Microbiology 36, 784-795.
View all publications held on the University of Bristol's IRIS database