Samantha Lycett

The biochemical composition of coronavirus Nucleocapsid proteins drives the bicistronic properties of their sub-genomic mRNAs

The paper identifies conserved overlapping accessory ORFs in coronavirus N genes and shows that nucleotide and codon biases drive their formation.

Investigating Bacillus anthracis genomic diversity and trait-specific lineages in an endemic area in northern Tanzania through a combination of traditional and culture-free sequencing approaches

This study investigates genomic diversity of Bacillus anthracis in northern Tanzania using traditional and culture-free sequencing, finding high strain diversity and limited host-specific clustering.

Home is where the host is: Evolutionary history of geographic spread, host switching, and adaptive genomic signatures in two generalist Group B Streptococcus clonal groups

This study analyzes the evolutionary history and host adaptation of two GBS clonal groups, revealing host switching, regional AMR gene distribution differences, and biased sampling in multi-host pathogens.

Synergy between HA cleavage site sequence and NA-mediated plasminogen recruitment as a virulence mechanism for low pathogenic avian influenza

This study identifies a virulence mechanism in low pathogenic avian influenza viruses where neuraminidase recruits plasminogen to cleave hemagglutinin, enhancing pathogenicity.

A phylogenetic contribution to understanding the panzootic spread of African swine fever: from the global to the local scale

This study uses genomic data to analyze the spread of African Swine Fever virus, identifying long-distance transmissions and multiple introduction events in Europe.

Genetic reassortment and diversification of host specificity have driven evolutionary trajectories of lineages of panzootic H5N1 influenza

The Winners Take It All? Global Evolutionary Success ofH5Nx Reassortants in the 2020-2024 Panzootic

This study identifies 209 H5Nx reassortant strains of avian influenza viruses from 2020-2024, showing that reassortants from Europe had greater host range and persistence than those from Asia.

Co-occurrence networks from wetland bird surveys predict H5N1 genetic similarity between wild birds with strong effects of time, space and viral clustering.

Three Accessory Gene Clusters Drive Host-Adaptation in Group B Streptococcus

The paper identifies three accessory gene clusters driving host adaptation in Group B Streptococcus across different hosts.

Importance of wildlife in the circulation and maintenance of SAT1 and SAT2 foot-and-mouth disease viruses in Africa

The paper uses phylogenetic analysis to show impala act as an intermediate host for SAT1 and SAT2 FMD viruses in Africa, playing a more significant role than previously thought.

No part gets left behind: Tiled nanopore sequencing of whole ASFV genomes stitched together using Lilo

The paper presents a method for efficient, low-cost sequencing of ASFV genomes using tiled PCR and a new pipeline called Lilo, resulting in near-complete genomes with high accuracy.

The fall and rise of group B Streptococcus in dairy cattle: reintroduction due to human-to-cattle host jumps?

This paper investigates the re-emergence of group B Streptococcus in dairy cattle by analyzing genomic data from historical and contemporary isolates, finding evidence of human-to-cattle transmission and strain replacement.