Dr Jo Hobbs

Dr Jo Hobbs

Lecturer in Molecular Microbiology

Phone
+44 (0)1334 46 3854
Email
jkh26@st-andrews.ac.uk

 

Research areas

Research in the Hobbs Lab is primarily focused on the bacterial phenomenon of antibiotic tolerance. Tolerance describes the ability of a bacterial population to survive transient exposure to an otherwise lethal concentration of antibiotic without exhibiting resistance. Unlike resistance, tolerance is not detected by routine susceptibility testing performed in clinical microbiology labs. For this reason, we have very little information on the prevalence and significance of tolerance in relation to clinical isolates and antibiotic treatment outcomes. However, tolerance is known to be a contributing factor in persistent and recurrent infections, which have higher mortality rates and healthcare costs than resolving infections.

Using a combination of bacterial genetics, clinical microbiology, genomics, analytical biochemistry and enzymology, our research aims to answer the following questions:

  • How common is antibiotic tolerance among clinical isolates of bacteria?
  • What are the molecular mechanisms underlying tolerance in clinical isolates?
  • Does in vitro tolerance translate into antibiotic treatment failures in vivo, and are some antibiotics/antibiotic combinations better at clearing tolerant infections than other?
  • Do tolerance mutations contribute to the development, expression and dissemination of antibiotic resistance?
  • Can we reverse tolerance and resensitise tolerant bacteria to existing antibiotics using chemical inhibitors?

For more information, visit our lab website (www.hobbs-lab.co.uk).

PhD supervision

  • Sophie Appleyard
  • Ashley Deventer
  • Claire Stevens

Selected publications

  • Deventer, A. T., Sutherland, A., Biernacka, D., Johnston, P. R., Stevens, C. E., Kaczorowska, A.-K., Boraston, A. B. & Hobbs, J. K., 12 Nov 2025, bioRxiv, p. 1-39, 39 p.

    Research output: Working paper › Preprint

  • Open access
    Stevens, C. E., Deventer, A. T., Johnston, P. R., Lowe, P. T., Boraston, A. B. & Hobbs, J. K., Sept 2025, In: Molecular Microbiology. 124, 3, p. 189-203 15 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    McCormack, A., Hobbs, J., Johnston, P. & Coote, P. J., 15 May 2025, In: Antibiotics. 14, 22 p., 507.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Vickers, C. J., Hettle, A. G., Hobbs, J. K., Shapiro-Ward, S., Pluvinage, B., Medley, B. J., McGuire, B. E., Mihalynuk, L., Nitin, N., Zandberg, W. F. & Boraston, A. B., Oct 2025, In: Journal of Biological Chemistry. 301, 10, p. 1-17 17 p., 110719.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Stevens, C. E., Deventer, A. T. & Hobbs, J. K., 4 Aug 2025, In: npj Antimicrobials and Resistance. 3, p. 1-8 8 p., 69.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Deventer, A., Stevens, C., Stewart, A. & Hobbs, J., 4 Oct 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Clinical Microbiology Reviews. Ahead of Print, 34 p., e00106-24.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

  • Robb, C. S., Hobbs, J. K., Pluvinage, B., Reintjes, G., Klassen, L., Monteith, S., Giljan, G., Amundsen, C., Vickers, C., Hettle, A. G., Hills, R., Nitin, Xing, X., Montina, T., Zandberg, W. F., Abbott, D. W. & Boraston, A., 1 May 2022, In: Nature Chemical Biology. 18, 5, p. 501-510 10 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Deventer, A. T., Bryson, D., Shortill, M., Boraston, A. B. & Hobbs, J. K., 20 Dec 2022, In: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 66, 12, 11 p., e0093822.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Bryson, D., Hettle, A. G., Boraston, A. B. & Hobbs, J. K., 21 Feb 2020, In: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 64, 3

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Jones, D. R., McLean, R., Hobbs, J. K. & Abbott, D. W., 1 Sept 2019, In: Journal of Structural Biology. 207, 3, p. 279-286 8 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review