Prof David Whitworth
BA (Oxon), PhD (Warwick), SFHEA

Professor

Contact Details

Email: dew@aber.ac.uk
ORCID: 0000-0002-0302-7722
Office:2.36 (the room previously known as S22) Cledwyn Building
Phone: +44 (0) 1970 1828
Research Portal Profile (https://research.aber.ac.uk/en/persons/10acb497-9178-486e-b48f-411fe129b3bf)

Dave is a Professor of Biochemistry at Aberystwyth and coordinates the Biochemistry degree scheme. He studied for a BA in Biochemistry at Balliol College, Oxford (1991-1995) before completing a PhD in bacterial genetics at the University of Warwick (1999). After two postdoctoral posts and a lectureship at Warwick, Dave moved to Aberystwyth in 2008. He has been a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy since 2016 and served a term as member of Council for the Microbiology Society. Dave's research interests include bacterial genome evolution and functional genomics (particularly of predatory myxobacteria), and the pedagogy of skills and creativity.

Module Coordinator

AB1 Skills for Biologists (BR16820)
AB1 Cell Biology (BR17520)
AB2 Practical Skills for Biochemists (BR22920)

Moderator

Tutor

Lecturer

My research group focuses on predatory myxobacteria, such as Myxococcus xanthus, and how they have evolved to prey upon other microbes. We study natural myxobacteria isolates and their secreted vesicles/metabolites, using a variety of 'omic, biochemical and phenotypic techniques to identify genes conferring antimicrobial activity. We have recently become interested in applying myxobacteria as biological control agents in agriculture. Various projects are investigating how best to protect crop plants and edible insects from problematic fungal and bacterial pathogens using myxobacteria.

Microbial pathogens of edible insects: A growing problem for the insect farming industry. / Akemu, Stephen E.; Welford, Alexandra E. G.; Santer, Roger D. et al.
In: Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, Vol. 9, No. 1, 09.12.2025, p. 13-24.

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

Milestones in the development of Myxococcus xanthus as a model multicellular bacterium. / Kroos, Lee; Wall, Daniel; Islam, Salim T. et al.
In: Journal of Bacteriology, Vol. 207, No. 7, 24.07.2025.

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

Myxobacteria from soil can substantially reduce the bacterial load in a wound infection model. / Arakal, Benita S; Rowlands, Richard S; Maddocks, Sarah E et al.
In: Journal of Applied Microbiology, Vol. 136, No. 1, lxae315, 14.01.2025.

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

Biology of myxobacteria. / Li, Zhoukun; Zhu, Honghui; Whitworth, David E. et al.
In: Frontiers in Microbiology, Vol. 15, 1450345, 05.07.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial

Corallococcus senghenyddensis sp. nov., a myxobacterium with potent antimicrobial activity. / Arakal, Benita S.; Rowlands, Richard S.; McCarthy, Michael et al.
In: Journal of Applied Microbiology, Vol. 135, No. 5, lxae102, 01.05.2024.

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

More publications on the Research Portal