Dr Ed (Edward) Emmott (PI)
Background: Ed joined the Centre for Proteome Research/Department of Biochemistry, Cell & Systems Biology at the University of Liverpool to start the Emmott lab in November 2019.
Research Interests: +ssRNA virus replication, virus-host interactions especially viral proteases, ultrasensitive/single-cell proteomic methods.
Consultancy: Ed undertakes consultancy in the areas of virology (especially norovirus/coronavirus biology), LC-MS/MS-based proteomics, and single-cell proteomic methods.
For more on Ed, click here
Ed moved to the University of Liverpool in November 2019 to set up the lab as part of the Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Cell & Systems Biology as a Tenure-Track Fellow. He was tenured and promoted to Lecturer in 2022, and to Reader in 2024. The labs goal is the use and development of proteomic methods to study virus replication and virus-host interactions.
Previously, he was a Postdoc in Nikolai Slavov’s lab, part of the Department of Bioengineering and the Barnett Institute for Chemical and Biological Analysis at Northeastern University. His postdoctoral research with Nikolai involved the study of ribosome heterogeneity and the immune response, as well as the development and application of single cell proteomic methods (SCoPE-MS/SCoPE2).
Prior to joining Nikolai’s lab, Ed was a postdoc in Ian Goodfellow’s lab in the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London where he studied norovirus replication and virus-host interactions, becoming particularly interested in the role of the viral protease, and polyprotein processing.
His PhD was at the University of Leeds under the supervision of Julian Hiscox with his thesis on ‘High-throughput proteomic analysis of the interactions of avian coronavirus and its nucleocapsid with the host cell’. His Bachelors was from the University of Warwick in Medical Microbiology & Virology where his undergraduate research on Adenovirus interactions with PML bodies was supervised by Keith Leppard.
Bluesky: edemmott.bsky.social ORCID: 0000-0002-3239-8178 CPR Page: (CPR) Staff Page: (Liverpool)
Email: e.emmott@liverpool.ac.uk
Dr Frazer Buchanan (PDRA)
Background: Frazer joined the lab in April 2024 as a PDRA investigating cellular substrates of viral proteases. He did his PhD research on Hep E virus in the Herod lab, University of Leeds.
Research Interests: RNA Virology, Viral Proteases.
Linkedin: Linkedin ORCID: 0000-0001-8791-1496
Email: f.j.t.buchanan@liverpool.ac.uk
Jessica Coomber (PhD Student)
Background: Jess joined the lab in Oct 2022 as part of a split-site PhD between Liverpool and the Pirbright Institute where she is supervised by Dr Trevor Sweeney.
Research Interests: Zika virus, virus replication/virus-host interactions.
Twitter: @coomber_jess Linkedin: Linkedin
Email: J.Coomber@liverpool.ac.uk
Dr I’ah Donovan-Banfield (PDRA)
Background: I’ah joined the lab in Oct 2024 as a PDRA studying coronaviruses. Her PhD was with the Hiscox lab at Liverpool on coronavirus sequencing, and antivirals.
Research Interests: Coronaviruses, RNAseq, Bioinformatics.
Email: I.Donovan-Banfield@liverpool.ac.uk
Charlotte Duncan (PhD Student)
Background: Charlie joined the lab in Jan 2023, as part of an industry-sponsored part-time PhD supported by Pro-lab diagnostics where she is Scientific Director, and in collaboration with Dr Anna Smielewska at Liverpool Clinical Labs and Dr Paul McNamara at Alder Hey Childrens Hospital. Charlies PhD is on developing LC-MS-based viral diagnostics.
Research Interests: (Viral) Diagnostics, Clinical Proteomics.
Linkedin: Linkedin Email: charlotte.duncan@liverpool.ac.uk
Dr Max Erdmann (PDRA)
Background: Max joined the lab in June 2024, applying his experience with coronavirus reverse genetics to study mechanisms of coronavirus replication. His PhD was with Prof. Andrew Davidson at the University of Bristol.
Research Interests: Coronaviruses, reverse genetics.
ORCID: 0000-0003-2084-9792
Email: Maximilian.Erdmann@liverpool.ac.uk
Stephen Holmes (PhD Student)
Background: Stephen joined the Emmott lab to start his PhD on proteolytic cleavage during virus infection and single-cell proteomics in October 2021.
Research Interests: Viral proteases, SARS-CoV-2, norovirus, SCoPE2.
Dr Rosie Maher (PDRA)
Background: Rosie first joined the lab in spring 2021, following her PhD in clinical proteomics with Prof. Rob Beynon. After a brief interlude working with the CPR-SRF, Rosi is back and leading the labs contribution to two CF/LifeArc hubs, supporting improved diagnostics and treatments for people with CF.
Research Interests: Clinical Proteomics, Lung disease, Cystic Fibrosis.
ORCID: 0000-0002-2137-6619
Email: R.E.Maher@liverpool.ac.uk
Dr Leandro Neves (PDRA)
Background: Leandro joined the lab in November 2022, to study substrates of viral proteases, and now is applying mass spectrometry to study coronavirus replication. His PhD and first postdoc were in Brazil.
Research Interests: LC-MS/MS, proteomics, viral proteases.
Twitter: @leandroxneves ORCID: 0000-0002-6074-1025
Email: l.xavier-neves@liverpool.ac.uk
Dr Rebekah Penrice-Randal (PDRA)
Background: Rebee joined the lab in April 2024 to study coronavirus replication with a mix of nanopore-based sequencing and molecular virology/proteomics! Her PhD was on coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/MERS) sequencing.
Research Interests: Coronaviruses, nanopore
Linkedin: Linkedin ORCID: 0000-0002-0653-2097 Website: Personal Website
Bluesky: http://@rebee.bsky.social Email: rebee@liverpool.ac.uk
Patchara Sittishevapark (PhD Student)
Background: Patchara (Poch) joined the lab in spring 2024 for the second year of his UoL-Chulalongkorn PhD with Dr Noppadon Kitana from Chulalongkorn, and Dr Mark Wilkinson at LSTM studying snake venom from snakes of medical interest in Thailand! Poch moved back to finish his studies at Chula at the end of April 2025!
Research Interests: Proteomics, snake venom.
This year we are also joined by Markella Loi, Charlotte Chim and Shuxian Zhou for their MRes projects, Connor Bosworth for an MSc, and Binglin Lu for a BSc project.
Lab Mascots:
Eds Ragdoll cats, Cyril (top) and Charlie (bottom)
Old Lab Photos:
Lab Alumni
PDRAs:
Dr Rosie Maher – 2022-2023: Rosie worked on clinical proteomics of CF patients. She moved to the CPR-SRF as facility staff in Jan 2024, but has returned to us in 2025 to do more on CF!
MRes:
Dan Conlon – MRes – 2022-23: Dan studied norovirus post-translational modifications.
Sophie Morris – MRes – 2021-22 : Sophie worked on (different) norovirus post-translational modifications in 2021-2022 for her MRes.
MSc:
Athul Rajendran Nair – MSc 2023-24: Athul worked on CRISPR-modifying cells
Samruddhi Sanjay Pathak – MSc 2022-23: Samruddhi worked on norovirus post-translational modifications.
Georgia Brassington – MSc – 2021-22: Georgia worked on norovirus post-translational modifications in 2021-2022 for her MSc.
BSc:
Amy Dugdale – BSc – 2023-2024: Amy studied norovirus post-translational modifications.
Haruni Shekimweri – BSc – 2022-23: Haruni studied cellular substrates of viral proteases using CL2 human coronaviruses.
Kathy Pawluk – BSc – 2020-21: Kathy worked on QConCATs for quantification of viral proteins.
Visitors:
Dr Bianca Alves Pauletti (Visiting Researcher) – 2024 – Bianca visited the lab in summer 2024 to learn our approaches for single-cell proteomics, and is based at the Brazilian Biosciences National Lab.
Dr Armando Arias (Visiting Academic) – 2022 – Armando visited the lab to learn our methods for studying viral protein interactions in summer 2022, and is based at Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.
Join the team!
Work in this lab will suit you if you:
- Want to do rigorous science, where we share our data, code, and reagents, letting others learn from, expand on, and validate our results.
- Find (+ssRNA) viruses neat! Both because they can cause a lot of damage, but also because they can be incredible tools to learn about normal cell biology.
- Like mass spec (or want to learn), and how we can apply and develop new methods to study virus and cell biology.
- Aren’t afraid of doing/learning some coding so you can do your own analysis (with help!).
- Want to have fun, with a supportive team who help and troubleshoot each others work (and when necessary, feed each other cake) while you are doing it!
Funded Positions:
- PhD positions – None at present, the next potential time for funded PhD positions to be advertised will be Winter 2025, for October 2026 start.
- PDRA positions – None at present, none expected in next ~12 months.
Unfunded Positions:
- Talk to us if you have access to funding, or have identified a suitable funding source and wish to apply for a PhD or PDRA with us. We can offer advise on if you are likely to be competitive, and help support your application. We have projects available on:
- Human sapovirus
- Post-translational modifications & coronavirus/calicivirus infection
- Single-cell proteomics
Other opportunities:
Fellowships and applying with/for your own funding (PhD &. Postdoc): If you have access to, or wish to pursue alternate sources of funding for PhD or postdoctoral positions in the lab, please contact Ed with a copy of your CV, and a description of your research interests and how these can fit with research in the lab. If a good fit, Ed can work with you to identify suitable research questions, and assist with funding applications.
Details on the application process for international students with access to funding who wish to pursue PhD study can be found here. A great source of potential fellowship schemes for interested applicants can be found at ECRcentral. Some specific Postdoctoral/PhD funding schemes include:
Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (Postdoctoral)
International applicants may be eligible for Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships. Please see here for details.
Royal Society Newton International Fellowships (Postdoctoral)
International applicants may be eligible for Royal Society Newton International Fellowships which provide 2 years of funding for postdoctoral projects. Applicants must not be UK citizens, and must be working outside the UK at the time of application. Full eligibility notes available here.
Royal Society Career Development Fellowships (Postdoctoral)
Royal Society Career Development Fellowships are a newly-launched scheme from the Royal Society specifically aimed at supporting researchers of Black or mixed-Black heritage. Applicants must have a PhD (or have one by the time funding starts) and at most 24 months of postdoctoral experience. Funding is for four years, covers your costs including visa and relocation costs if required and research expenses. Open to non-UK nationals.
Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Mobility
These awards support researchers with links to Switzerland (please see scheme for full details) to spend two years gaining skills in an international lab, prior to a final year in Switzerland. The final year is applied for separately. Funds include salary and research support. Full details available here.
Commenwealth Scholarships (PhD, Postdoctoral)
International applicants from Commonwealth countries may be eligible for Commonwealth Scholarships to support PhD or Postdoctoral studies. The exact funding schemes available depend on the applicant country of citizenship.
Summer Studentships: If you are a second or third year BSc student interested in a summer placement in the lab, please contact Ed early in the academic year. There are funding streams you can apply for, for example from the Microbiology Society, as well as internal schemes for University of Liverpool students. However the deadlines for these are generally early in the spring before the placement so please make contact early. It is usually Ed that will need to apply on your behalf, so you need to discuss this with Ed with plenty of time before the deadline.
Masters and Undergraduate Projects: There are projects available in the lab on the MRes Advanced Biological Sciences course. Please refer to the course page for details of the course, and email Ed if you would like further details of the available projects. The projects advertised are available, but there is also flexibility in the project you take on depending on your interests.
Positions (General): All current positions (funded or unfunded) will be advertised here, on the lab twitter account (@emmottlab) and through University recruitment as they become available. PhD student positions will be advertised on findaphd.com.