Research group

Leggett Group

Developing new methods and tools for real-time metagenomics

Group activities.

The Technology Algorithms Group is focussed on developing computational methods to enhance new sequencing technologies, particularly in the area of real-time and in-field metagenomics and surveillance.

Much of our current projects are focussed on nanopore sequencing, but we are also interested in new applications of short read technologies and other long-read technologies.

Our work usually involves software engineering, data science, algorithm development and data analysis, but members of the group are also active in the wet lab, developing DNA extraction protocols and carrying out sequencing.

Some of our current projects include:

  • Developing protocols, tools, and automation for In-field and real-time sequencing.
  • Developing real-time metagenomic analysis software, such as MARTi
  • Development of bioinformatics tools for assembly such as the visualisation tool ALVIS or the metagenomic assembler MetaCortex.
  • Detection of crop, animal and human pathogens from the air using the Air-seq pipeline.
  • Clinical microbiome diagnostics: monitoring pathogens and AMR resistance in human microbiomes.
  • In-field environmental sequencing.
  • Ocean metagenomics.
  • Viral metagenomics.
  • Real-time, low-power, efficient analysis.