Dr Johanna Kenyon
Faculty of Health,
School of Biomedical Sciences
Biography
Dr Johanna Kenyon completed her PhD in microbiology at The University of Sydney in 2012. Her PhD project, in the laboratory of Prof. Peter Reeves FAA, focused on the genetics of polysaccharides produced by the bacterial pathogen, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.In 2012, she took up a postdoctoral position at The University of Sydney with Prof. Ruth Hall OAM FAA, applying her skills in this field to unravel the complexities of surface polysaccharides produced by the nosocomial pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii using whole genome sequence data.
Prior to this, little was known about A. baumannii polysaccharides, and her work established the foundations of this field through the characterisation of the genomic locus that directs the synthesis of the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and outer core of the lipooligosaccharide (LOS).
Since this time, she has made many original contributions to the field of A. baumannii capsule genetics and is a recognised international leader in this space. Her team created the definitive KL and OCL typing databases for A. baumannii and continue to curate and maintain these as an Australian-led scientific/health resource.
She joined Queensland University of Technology in 2015 as a Lecturer in Microbiology and Bioinformatics, and in 2018, was awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) DECRA Fellowship to study the biosynthesis pathways of complex carbohydrates produced by A. baumannii.
Lab website: https://research.qut.edu.au/ciic/projects/bacterial-polysaccharide-research/
Personal details
Positions
- Adjunct Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Health,
School of Biomedical Sciences
Keywords
Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, Bacterial surface polysaccharides, Bioinformatics, Genomics, Glycoinformatics, Glycomics
Research field
Genetics, Medical Microbiology
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2008
Qualifications
- PhD (University of Sydney)
- Bachelor of Science (Molecular Biology and Genetics) (Hons) (University of Sydney)
Teaching
Infection and Immunity stream within the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (LS40):
Bacterial Pathogenesis and Genetics Learning Progression Second year: LQB362: – Bacterial morphology, growth, and basic diagnostics. Third year: LQB594: – Bacterial genomics and genetic manipulation for diagnostics and therapeutics
Experience
Dr Johanna Kenyon has more than 10 years research and teaching experience, and currently leads the Bacterial Polysaccharides Research Group in the Faculty of Health at Queensland University of Technology.
Her research is dedicated to the glycomics of important Gram-negative pathogens, including the clinically significant pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. Her focused career trajectory has enabled the development of a specialised body of work and an extensive repertoire of experimental and bioinformatics skills relating to bacterial surface polysaccharide genetics, biosynthesis and biochemical properties.
She maintains collaborations with structural collaborators in Russia and Italy, as well as with geneticists and bacterial polysaccharide experts at the University of Sydney, Australia.
Publications
- Kenyon, J., Kasimova, A., Shashkov, A., Hall, R. & Knirel, Y. (2018). Acinetobacter baumannii isolate BAL_212 from Vietnam produces the K57 capsular polysaccharide containing a rarely occurring amino sugar N-acetylviosamine. Microbiology, 164(2), 217–220. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/223969
- Kenyon, J., Notaro, A., Hsu, L., De Castro, C. & Hall, R. (2017). 5,7-Di-N-acetyl-8-epiacinetaminic acid: A new non-2-ulosonic acid found in the K73 capsule produced by an Acinetobacter baumannii isolate from Singapore. Scientific Reports, 7, 1–6. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/130259
- Kenyon, J., Cunneen, M. & Reeves, P. (2017). Genetics and evolution of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis O-specific polysaccharides: A novel pattern of O-antigen diversity. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 41(2), 200–217. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/109722
- Liu, M., Kenyon, J., Lee, J. & Reeves, P. (2017). Rapid customised operon assembly by yeast recombinational cloning. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 101(11), 4569–4580. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/109723
- Kenyon, J., Kasimova, A., Shneider, M., Shashkov, A., Arbatsky, N., Popova, A., Miroshnikov, K., Hall, R. & Knirel, Y. (2017). The KL24 gene cluster and a genomic island encoding a Wzy polymerase contribute genes needed for synthesis of the K24 capsular polysaccharide by the multiply antibiotic resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolate RCH51. Microbiology, 163(3), 355–363. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/103454
- Holt, K., Kenyon, J., Hamidian, M., Schultz, M., Pickard, D., Dougan, G. & Hall, R. (2016). Five decades of genome evolution in the globally distributed, extensively antibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii global clone 1. Microbial Genomics, 2(2), 1–16. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/103446
- Kenyon, J., Shneider, M., Senchenkova, S., Shashkov, A., Siniagina, M., Malanin, S., Popova, A., Miroshnikov, K., Hall, R. & Knirel, Y. (2016). K19 capsular polysaccharide of Acinetobacter baumannii is produced via a Wzy polymerase encoded in a small genomic island rather than the KL19 capsule gene cluster. Microbiology, 162(8), 1479–1489. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/103450
- Schultz, M., Thanh, D., Do Hoan, N., Wick, R., Ingle, D., Hawkey, J., Edwards, D., Kenyon, J., Huong Lan, N., Campbell, J., Thwaites, G., Khanh Nhu, N., Hall, R., Fournier-Level, A., Baker, S. & Holt, K. (2016). Repeated local emergence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a single hospital ward. Microbial Genomics, 2(3), 1–15. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/103447
- Kenyon, J., Marzaioli, A., De Castro, C. & Hall, R. (2015). 5,7-di-N-acetyl-acinetaminic acid: A novel non-2-ulosonic acid found in the capsule of an Acinetobacter baumannii isolate. Glycobiology, 25(6), 644–654. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/83189
- Kenyon, J. & Hall, R. (2013). Variation in the complex carbohydrate biosynthesis Loci of Acinetobacter baumannii genomes. PLoS One, 8(4), 1–12. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/83178
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Johanna, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Awards
- Type
- Recipient of an Australia Council Grant or Australia Council Fellowship
- Reference year
- 2018
- Details
- Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellowship
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2017
- Details
- ASM Jim Pittard Early Career Award
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2015
- Details
- CASS Foundation Travel Award
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2013
- Details
- ASM Burnet-Hayes Award
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2013
- Details
- Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS) Young Scientists Travel Award
Selected research projects
- Title
- The Sweet Road to Synthesis of Bacterial Sugar Structures
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- DE180101563
- Start year
- 2018
- Keywords
Projects listed above are funded by Australian Competitive Grants. Projects funded from other sources are not listed due to confidentiality agreements.