Dr Kieran Bates
Lecturer in Microbiome Science
Research
Microbiome, Glycobiology, Ecology and Evolution, Experimental Biology, Fungal Pathogens
Interests
I am interested in understanding how microbial communities assemble, persist and influence the health of their hosts. My research combines theory with wild and experimental systems to investigate microbial function through to eco-evolutionary dynamics. My group is especially interested in the role of host mucosal and epithelial glycans as both ligands for microbial colonisation and nutrient sources.Publications
2025
Unraveling the disease pyramid: the role of environmental micro-eukaryotes in amphibian resistance to the deadly fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidisBouchali R, Sentenac H, Bates KA, Fisher MC, Schmeller DS, Loyau A
Msystems, American Society For Microbiology vol. 11 (1), e01436-e01425.
15-12-2025
Rapid emergence of Trichophyton indotineae (Trichophyton mentagrophytes ITS genotype VIII) observed in the United Kingdom, up to August 2025Czerniewska A, Borman A, Abdolrasouli A, Budd EL, Fisher MC, Barton R, Bates KA, Lambourne J et al.
Eurosurveillance, European Centre For Disease Control and Prevention (Ecdc) vol. 30 (49)
11-12-2025
Host Transcriptomics Reveal Reduction in Defence‐Reproduction Trade‐Offs During CoinfectionWill I, Stevens EJ, King KC, Bates KA
Molecular Ecology, Wiley vol. 34 (21)
13-10-2025
Warming During Different Life Stages has Distinct Impacts on Host Resistance Ecology and EvolutionLi J, Smith CA, Chen J, Bates KA, King KC
Ecology Letters, Wiley vol. 28 (2)
01-02-2025
2024
Incidence and characterization of polyglucosan bodies in the cerebella of montserrat orioles (Icterus oberi)Spiro S, Pereira M, Bates KA, Jaunmuktane Z, Everest DJ, Denk D, Núñez A, Wrigglesworth E et al.
Veterinary Pathology, Sage Publications vol. 62 (4), 581-585.
15-08-2024
Author Correction: Chemical disinfection as a simple and reliable method to control the amphibian chytrid fungus at breeding points of endangered amphibiansThumsová B, González-Miras E, Rubio Á, Bates KA
Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 14 (1)
20-03-2024
Chemical disinfection as a simple and reliable method to control the amphibian chytrid fungus at breeding points of endangered amphibiansThumsová B, González-Miras E, Rubio Á, Granados I, Bates KA
Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 14 (1)
02-03-2024
2023
Gut microbiota of the critically endangered Saiga antelope across two wild populations in a year without mass mortalityHanski E, Khanyari M, Li J, Bates KA, Zuther S, Kock R
Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 13 (1)
11-10-2023
2022
Environmental and Anthropogenic Factors Shape the Skin Bacterial Communities of a Semi-Arid Amphibian SpeciesBates KA, Friesen J, Loyau A, Butler H, Laufer J, Schmeller DS
Microbial Ecology, Springer Nature vol. 86 (2), 1393-1404.
29-11-2022
Experimental temperatures shape host microbiome diversity and compositionLi J, Bates KA, Hector TE, Knowles SCL
Global Change Biology, Wiley vol. 29 (1), 41-56.
17-10-2022
Scientists' warning of threats to mountainsSchmeller DS, Urbach D, Bates K, Catalan J, Cogălniceanu D, Friesen J, Füreder L, Gaube V et al.
The Science of The Total Environment, Elsevier vol. 853
07-09-2022
Rapid evolution of a novel protective symbiont into keystone taxon in Caenorhabditis elegans microbiotaWu-Chuang A, Bates KA, Obregon D, King KC
Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 12 (1)
18-08-2022
Turning the tide on sex and the microbiota in aquatic animalsBates KA, Higgins C, Neiman M
Hydrobiologia, Springer Nature vol. 850 (17), 3823-3835.
05-05-2022
Microbiome function predicts amphibian chytridiomycosis disease dynamicsBates KA, Sommer U, Hopkins KP, Shelton JMG, Wierzbicki C, Sergeant C, Tapley B, Michaels CJ et al.
Microbiome, Springer Nature vol. 10 (1)
10-03-2022
2021
LeucobacterBates KA, King KC
Trends in Microbiology, Elsevier vol. 29 (Int. J. Syst. Evol. ), 1046-1047.
22-07-2021
A globally ubiquitous symbiont can drive experimental host evolutionBates KA, Bolton JS
Molecular Ecology, Wiley vol. 30 (15), 3882-3892.
14-06-2021
Host microbiota can facilitate pathogen infectionStevens EJ, Bates KA, King KC
Plos Pathogens, Public Library of Science (Plos) vol. 17 (5)
13-05-2021
Effects of multiple stressors on northern leopard frogs in agricultural wetlandsMarcogliese DJ, King KC
Parasitology, Cambridge University Press (Cup) vol. 148 (7), 827-834.
09-03-2021
2019
Captivity and Infection by the Fungal Pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans Perturb the Amphibian Skin MicrobiomeBates KA, Shelton JMG, Mercier VL, Hopkins KP, Harrison XA, Fisher MC
Frontiers in Microbiology, Frontiers vol. 10
23-08-2019
2018
Diagnosing Emerging Fungal Threats: A One Health PerspectiveGhosh PN, Fisher MC, Bates KA
Frontiers in Genetics, Frontiers vol. 9
11-09-2018
Development and worldwide use of non-lethal, and minimal population-level impact, protocols for the isolation of amphibian chytrid fungiFisher MC, Ghosh P, Shelton JMG, Bates K, Brookes L, Wierzbicki C, Rosa GM, Farrer RA et al.
Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 8 (1)
17-05-2018
Recent Asian origin of chytrid fungi causing global amphibian declinesO'Hanlon SJ, Rieux A, Farrer RA, Rosa GM, Waldman B, Bataille A, Kosch TA, Murray KA et al.
Science, American Association For The Advancement of Science (Aaas) vol. 360 (6389), 621-627.
11-05-2018
Amphibian chytridiomycosis outbreak dynamics are linked with host skin bacterial community structureBates KA, Clare FC, O’Hanlon S, Bosch J, Brookes L, Hopkins K, McLaughlin EJ, Harrison XA
Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 9 (1)
15-02-2018
2016
Tracking the amphibian pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans using a highly specific monoclonal antibody and lateral‐flow technologyDillon MJ, Bowkett AE, Bungard MJ, Beckman KM, O'Brien MF, Bates K, Fisher MC, Stevens JR et al.
Microbial Biotechnology, Wiley vol. 10 (2), 381-394.
19-12-2016
Captivity and exposure to the emerging fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans are linked to perturbation and dysbiosis of the amphibian skin microbiomeBates KA, Shelton JMG, Mercier VL, Hopkins KP, Harrison XA, Petrovan SO, Fisher MC
In Biorxiv
Development and worldwide use of a non-lethal and minimal population-level impact protocols for the isolation of chytrids from amphibiansFisher MC, Ghosh P, Shelton JMG, Bates K, Brookes L, Wierzbicki C, Rosa GM, Farrer RA et al.
In Biorxiv
Grants of specific relevance to Predictive in vitro Models
Developing a rapid diagnostic to track the spread of an emerging fungal pathogen in East LondonKieran Bates
£73,168 Barts and the London Charity
01-04-2026 - 30-09-2027
FROGMICRO Host control and symbiont counter-adaptation in the microbiome ERC STG 2025 BatesKieran Bates
£1,181,557 EU Commission - Horizon Europe
01-02-2026 - 31-01-2031