Dr Leonor Sánchez Busó

Staff Scientist

Alumni

This person is a member of Sanger Institute Alumni.

Leonor Sánchez Busó is a Staff Scientist in the Infection Genomics group. She is involved in the bioinformatic analysis of high-throughput sequencing data obtained from pathogenic microorganisms, mainly from the Neisseria genus. Her main interests are to unveil their mechanisms of genomic variation and evolution and how these relate to virulence and antibiotic resistance.

I joined the Sanger Institute in 2015 as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Infection Genomics group after a four-year PhD program in Spain and I enrolled in a Staff Scientist position in the same group in 2017. I understand high-quality research as a way of making an impact in science, which I believe I can achieve through my problem-solving skills but, most importantly, bringing together expertise through collaboration with different groups working in the field.

My PhD was focused in the research of microorganisms that pose a risk for public health, with special focus on the molecular epidemiology of the opportunistic pathogen Legionella pneumophila. This work introduced me into the analysis of high-throughput sequencing data, in which I am currently deeply involved.

My main postdoctoral research has been focused on the phylodynamic and phylogeographic genomic analysis of globally-distributed isolates from the Neisseria genus, with special interests in the sexually-transmitted Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the meningococcus-causing Neisseria meningitidis. My main research interests are to study its genomic epidemiology, mechanisms of variation related to virulence and antibiotic resistance. I am approaching these aims through the study of mechanisms of recombination, gene conversion for antigenic variation, phase variation, the role of restriction-modification systems, methylation patterns, etc. Results from these in silico analyses come from the integration of data from different sequencing platforms (Illumina, PacBio), which coupled with phenotypic data can provide relevant information about the biology and pathogenicity of the Neisseria genus.

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