Dr Andrew Nelson

Senior Scientific Officer

School: Geography and Natural Sciences

Andrew Nelson is Senior Scientific Officer (Genomics) within the NU-OMICS DNA Sequencing Research Facility. He graduated from Sunderland University with a BSc. Biomedical Sciences in 2007. While studying for his undergraduate degree he completed his IBMS certificate of competence portfolio in the Microbiology Department at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne. On completion of the degree he began a PhD under the supervision of Prof. Stephen Cummings at �ֲ��ý��Ƶ in collaboration with Prof. John Perry at the Freeman Hospital to study polymicrobial infections of the cystic fibrosis lung which he completed in 2011.

As a Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Nelson began using 454 pyrosequencing in collaboration with P&G to investigate the role of microorganisms in malodour. He then developed his technical expertise by undertaking research projects to investigate the serum proteome in humans for biomarkers of disease and then to identify potential novel vaccine candidates against multidrug resistant bacteria. He then returned to work with Prof. Cummings in 2014 to develop multi-omic projects on the vaginal microbiome and preterm infant gut microbiome.

Dr Nelson is the laboratory lead of the DNA sequencing research facility at �ֲ��ý��Ƶ, NU-OMICS. This is an outfacing service that is linked to both academic and industrially linked DNA sequencing projects.

Email Andrew

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Dr Nelson’s research is led by his technical expertise is genomic, proteomic and metabolomic projects he developed throughout his career. He uses these approaches to understand how microbes form communities from pioneer species and how succession occurs. Understanding these processes will allow us to create a framework and develop actions that disrupt community assembly.

Preterm infant infection
Adult lung microbiome
Biofouling

Key Publications

Addressing pandemic-wide systematic errors in the SARS-CoV-2 phylogeny, Hunt, M., Hinrichs, A., Anderson, D., Karim, L., Dearlove, B., Knaggs, J., Constantinides, B., Fowler, P., Rodger, G., Street, T., Lumley, S., Webster, H., Sanderson, T., Ruis, C., Kotzen, B., de Maio, N., Amenga-Etego, L., Amuzu, D., Avaro, M., Awandare, G., Ayivor-Djanie, R., Barkham, T., Bashton, M., Batty, E., Bediako, Y., De Belder, D., Benedetti, E., Bergthaler, A., Boers, S., Campos, J., Carr, R., Chen, Y., Cuba, F., Dattero, M., Dejnirattisai, W., Dilthey, A., Duedu, K., Endler, L., Engelmann, I., Francisco, N., Fuchs, J., Gnimpieba, E., Groc, S., Gyamfi, J., Heemskerk, D., Houwaart, T., Hsiao, N., Huska, M., Hölzer, M., Iranzadeh, A., Jarva, H., Jeewandara, C., Jolly, B., Joseph, R., Kant, R., Ki, K., Kurkela, S., Lappalainen, M., Lataretu, M., Lemieux, J., Liu, C., Malavige, G., Mashe, T., Mongkolsapaya, J., Montes, B., Mora, J., Morang’a, C., Mvula, B., Nagarajan, N., Nelson, A., Ngoi, J., da Paixão, J., Panning, M., Poklepovich, T., Quashie, P., Ranasinghe, D., Russo, M., San, J., Sanderson, N., Scaria, V., Screaton, G., Sessions, O., Sironen, T., Sisay, A., Smith, D., Smura, T., Supasa, P., Suphavilai, C., Swann, J., Tegally, H., Tegomoh, B., Vapalahti, O., Walker, A., Wilkinson, R., Williamson, C., Zair, X., de Oliveira, T., Peto, T., Crook, D., Corbett-Detig, R., Iqbal, Z. 1 Mar 2026, In: Nature Methods
Clostridia from preterm infants metabolize human milk oligosaccharides to suppress pathobionts and modulate intestinal function in organoids, Chapman, J., Masi, A., Beck, L., Watson, H., Young, G., Browne, H., Shao, Y., Kiu, R., Nelson, A., Doyle, J., Palmowski, P., Lengyel, M., Connolly, J., Lamb, C., Porter, A., Lawley, T., Hall, L., Embleton, N., Perry, J., Berrington, J., Stewart, C. 1 Apr 2026, In: Nature Microbiology
Microbial decomposition in experimental single and mass graves: New insights on post-burial interval estimation, Ogbanga, N., Mickleburgh, H., Nelson, A., Smith, D., Gocha, T., Wescott, D., Procopio, N. 1 Jun 2026, In: Forensic Science International: Genetics
Oral microbiomes as forensic markers of origin and migration: Insights from an underrepresented population, Nigeria, Ogbanga, N., Nelson, A., Smith, D., Somiari, R., Procopio, N. 1 Mar 2026, In: Forensic Science International: Genetics
Assessment of upper respiratory and gut bacterial microbiomes during COVID-19 infection in adults: potential aerodigestive transmission, Al-Momani, H., Nelson, A., Al Balawi, H., Al Balawi, D., Aolymat, I., Khasawneh, A., Tabl, H., Alsheikh, A., Zueter, A., Pearson, J., Ward, C. 13 Jan 2025, In: Scientific Reports
House dust - a Pandora’s box of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) activity?, Pearce, D., Crown, M., Nelson, A., Jabeen, K., Thompson, J., Argyraki, A., Hursthouse, A., Bashton, M., Entwistle, J. 22 Oct 2025, In: Sustainable Microbiology
Novel diagnostic approaches to the recovery of nontuberculous mycobacteria from clinical samples, Stephenson, D., Preece, C., Perry, A., Nelson, A., Perry, J., Jones, A. 17 Jun 2025, 20th International Symposium on the Biology of Actinomycetes
OC98 Host-microbiome and immune-related protein interactions in the preterm milk fortification in neonates (PUFFIN) study, Cifuentes, M., Young, G., Nelson, A., Palmer, J., Johnson, M., Garg, S., Lamb, C., Embleton, N., Stewart, C., Berrington, J. 20 Aug 2025, In: Frontline Gastroenterology
PglZ from Type I BREX phage defence systems is a metal-dependent nuclease that forms a sub-complex with BrxB, Readshaw, J., Doyle, L., Puiu, M., Kelly, A., Nelson, A., Kaiser, A., Mcguire, S., Peralta Acosta, J., Smith, D., Stoddard, B., Kaiser, B., Blower, T. 8 Jul 2025, In: Nucleic Acids Research
Protocol to study the inter-relationship between phageome and lipidome in low-volume preterm milk, Yew, W., Young, G., Cheung, W., Nelson, A., Berrington, J., Smith, D. 19 Sep 2025, In: STAR Protocols

Professional Activity

Organising a conference, workshop, ...: Viruses of Microbes Conference 2026
Publication Peer-review: Gut Microbiology (Journal) 2025
Editorial work: Gut Microbiology (Journal) 2025
Publication Peer-review: Nutrients (Journal) 2025
Publication Peer-review: Microbiology (Journal) 2024
Publication Peer-review: Microbiome (Journal) 2022
Membership of network: COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium (External organisation) 2020
Publication Peer-review: FEMS Microbiology Ecology (Journal) 2020
Invited talk: Decontamination 2019

PGR Supervision

Jasmine Jessop Characterising Prophage diversity and function in the preterm infant pathogen, Staphylococcus epidermidis Start Date: 01/10/2021 End Date: 17/10/2025
Jasmine Jessop Characterising Prophage diversity and function in the preterm infant pathogen, Staphylococcus epidermidis Start Date: 01/10/2021 End Date: 31/10/2025

Qualifications