Jo Prior

Jo Prior

Professor

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (dstl), UK

 

 

 

 

 

VALIDATE Role:

Network Investigator, Network Management Board member 2017-2021

 

Research Keywords: 

B. pseudomallei, vaccines, antimicrobials

 

Biography:

My PhD researched the lipooligosaccharide of Yersinia pestis. This initiated my interest in bacterial polysaccharides and my research interests have been focused in this area since this time. I have broadened my interests to include the Francisella, Brucella and Burkholderia spp and most recently Coxiella burnetii, in particular with a view to using polysaccharides as potential vaccine candidates. My current work as technical lead of the vaccine and therapeutics programme for the Chief Scientific Advisor, requires that I ensure technical quality, drive the direction of the research, establish and maintain collaborations as well as ensuring delivery of our research. I work across academia, industry and with governments from other nations to research and deliver new antibacterials.  

My research based challenges for the coming years will build on my research up to this point. I will continue to pursue vaccines for the intracellular pathogens Burkholderia pseudomallei, Burkholderia mallei, Francisella tularensis and Coxiella burnettii. In addition I continue to expand my interests to include combination therapy approaches such as antibodies and antibiotics to meet the increasing AMR challenge.  

 

Key Publications:

Scott, Andrew E.; Christ, William; George, Alison; Stokes, Margaret; Lohman, Gregory; Guo, Yuhong; Jones, Matthew; Titball, Richard; Atkins, Timothy, Campbell, A. Prior, Joann. Protection against experimental melioidosis with a synthetic manno-heptopyranose hexasaccharide glycoconjugate. Bioconjugate Chemistry 2016, 27 (6), pp 1435–1446

Andrew E. Scott, Sarah A. Ngugi, Thomas R. Laws, David Corser, Claire L. Lonsdale, Riccardo V. D’Elia, Richard W. Titball, E. Diane Williamson, Timothy P. Atkins and Joann L. Prior. Protection against experimental melioidosis following immunisation with a lipopolysaccharide- protein conjugate.  Biodefense agents for Clinical and Developmental Immunology March 2014.

Andrew E. Scott, Mary N. Burtnick, Margaret G. M. Stokes, Adam O. Whelan, E. Diane Williamson, Timothy P. Atkins, Joann L. Prior, Paul J. Brett. Burkholderia pseudomallei capsular polysaccharide conjugates provide protection against acute melioidosis. I and I. March 2014.

Jon Cuccui, Rebecca M. Thomas, Madeleine G. Moule, Riccardo V. D'Elia, Thomas R. Laws, Dominic C. Mills, Diane Williamson, Timothy P. Atkins, Joann L. Prior and Brendan W. Wren Exploitation of bacterial N-linked glycosylation to develop a novel recombinant glycoconjugate vaccine against Francisella tularensis. Open Biology May 2013.