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Hire Dr. Christopher P.

United Kingdom

USD 70 /hr

Senior Scientist | Microbiology, Molecular Biology & Immunology | Data Analysis | Scientific Writing

Profile Summary

I am a senior scientist with over 10 years of applied research experience in immunology, microbiology, and molecular biology. My work has focused on AMR surveillance, microbiome profiling, bacterial pathogen characterisation, and vaccine development. My expertise spans wet lab methodologies (bacterial culture, nucleic acid extraction, PCR, NGS, ELISA, Western blot), in vivo trial design and operation (UK Home Office Personal Licence holder), and data analysis using Conda, Galaxy, R, and JMP Pro. As a postdoctoral research fellow, I led the microbiology and immunology components of an international, interdisciplinary project developing a novel polyvalent vaccine for the aquaculture sector. In this role, I designed and executed in vivo trials, developed and validated immunoassays, and analysed a large collection of bacterial isolates using molecular, serological, and phenotypic methods. My research also encompassed comparative genomics of economically important bacterial pathogens, tracking bacterial evolution and identifying resistance and virulence markers to support global surveillance and control. I have successfully developed and transferred immunoassays across international partner laboratories, ensuring quality, reproducibility, and data integrity. Beyond laboratory research, I have contributed to securing over £500,000 in research funding, co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications, supervised students and staff from diverse scientific backgrounds, and led cross-cultural collaborations. I regularly communicate scientific results to both specialist and non-specialist audiences. I offer expertise in assay development and validation, data analysis (including bioinformatics), scientific writing, and technical documentation, helping research and industry clients generate high-quality, reproducible, and interpretable results.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ★ Microbiology
• ★ Molecular Biology
• ★ Aquaculture
• ☆ Microbiome Research
• ☆ Omics
• ☆ Genomics
• ☆ Molecular Evolution
• ☆ PCR
• ☆ Molecular Cloning
• ☆ Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
• ☆ DNA Sequencing
• ☆ Gene Expression Analysis
• ☆ Genome Sequencing
• ☆ Plasmid DNA
• ☆ Data Collection
• ☆ Blotting
• ☆ R
• ☆ Technical & Scientific Writing
• ☆ Manuscript & Journal Article Writing
• ☆ SOP & Protocol Writing
• ☆ Science Communication

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI

Writing Technical Writing

Research Scientific and Technical Research

Consulting Scientific and Technical Consulting

Data & AI Statistical Analysis, Data Visualization, Data Cleaning, Data Processing

Work Experience

Post Doctoral Research Fellow

University of Stirling

September 2020 - August 2025

Research Assistant

University of Stirling

January 2015 - September 2016

Education

PhD Aquaculture (Institute of Aquaculture)

University of Stirling

October 2016 - August 2020

MSc Aquatic Pathobiology (Distinction) (Institute of Aquaculture)

University of Stirling

January 2014 - August 2015

BSc (Hons) Marine Biology (1st Class) (School of Biological Sciences)

University of Portsmouth

September 2011 - August 2014

Certifications

• Antimicrobial Databases and Genotype Prediction: Data Sharing and Analysis

  Wellcome Connecting Science Learning and Training

  January 2025 - Present

• Bacterial Genomes: Accessing and Analysing Microbial Genome Data

  Wellcome Connecting Science Learning and Training

  October 2018 - Present

• Bacterial Genomes: From DNA to Protein Function Using Bioinformatics

  Wellcome Connecting Science Learning and Training

  June 2018 - Present

• Bacterial Genomes: Disease Outbreaks and Antimicrobial Resistance

  Wellcome Connecting Science Learning and Training

  May 2018 - Present

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Christopher J. Payne, Vo Hong Phuong, Nguyen Ngoc Phuoc, Tu Thanh Dung, Le Hong Phuoc, Margaret Crumlish (2025). Genomic diversity and evolutionary patterns of Edwardsiella ictaluri affecting farmed striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) in Vietnam over 20 years . Microbial Genomics.

Christopher J. Payne, Kathryn Grace, Vo Hong Phuong, Nguyen Ngoc Phuoc, Tu Thanh Dung, Le Hong Phuoc, Margaret Crumlish (2023). Exploring the genetic diversity of Edwardsiella ictaluri in Vietnamese striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) farms over a 20-year period . Frontiers in Marine Science.

Christopher Payne, Benjamin Gregory James Clokie, Ahmed Elsheshtawy, Amaya Albalat, Are Nylund, Allan Beveridge, Simon MacKenzie(2022). Optimization of Low-Biomass Sample Collection and Quantitative PCR-Based Titration Impact 16S rRNA Microbiome Resolution . Microbiology Spectrum. American Society for Microbiology

Christopher J. Payne, James F. Turnbull, Simon MacKenzie, Margaret Crumlish (2022). The effect of oxytetracycline treatment on the gut microbiome community dynamics in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) over time . Aquaculture.

Christopher J. Payne, James F. Turnbull, Simon MacKenzie, Margaret Crumlish(2021). Investigating the Effect of an Oxytetracycline Treatment on the Gut Microbiome and Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Dynamics in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) . Antibiotics. 10. (10). p. 1213. {MDPI} {AG}

Christopher J. Payne, James F. Turnbull, Simon MacKenzie, Margaret Crumlish (2021). Investigating the Effect of an Oxytetracycline Treatment on the Gut Microbiome and Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Dynamics in Nile Tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>) . Antibiotics.

William Bernard Perry, Elle Lindsay, Christopher James Payne, Christopher Brodie, Raminta Kazlauskaite(2020). The role of the gut microbiome in sustainable teleost aquaculture . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 287. (1926). p. 20200184. The Royal Society

(2018). Understanding and managing fish populations: keeping the toolbox fit for purpose . Journal of Fish Biology.