Dr Evelien Adriaenssens

Group Leader

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Bacteriophages and Viromics

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I am a molecular and computational microbiologist with a passion for everything viral.

I started my research career at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven, Belgium) investigating the use of bacteriophages (viruses of bacteria) as a biological control agent in potato plant production. As part of this project, co-funded by the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Flanders (ILVO), I isolated novel phages which I extensively characterised for commercial suitability, including genomics, production optimisation and in planta trials.

During my time as a postdoc (University of Pretoria, South Africa & University of Liverpool, UK), I specialised in viromics or viral metagenomics, to elucidate viral community diversity in a range of habitats. I have conducted research on extreme environments, such as the Namib Desert and the Antarctic Dry Valleys, where I studied several niche habitats such as hypoliths, hyperarid soil and saline springs. Using this expertise, I used viromics approaches to investigate the spread of pathogenic viruses from wastewater effluent into a river catchment area in the North of Wales and determine the potential for food- and waterborne illness.

I joined the Quadram Institute in January 2019 where my group is investigating the role of viruses, in particular bacteriophages, in the human gut and the environment, and how we can exploit some of these viruses to improve environmental and human health and treat disease. My group specialises in sequencing-based approaches to understand phages, including genomics, functional genomics, viromics and metagenomics, as well as classical phage biology.

I am the Vice President of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).


Key Publications

Pye HV, Krishnamurthi R, Cook R, Adriaenssens EM* (2024) Phage diversity in One Health. Essays in Biochemistry EBC20240012. DOI: 10.1042/EBC20240012

Cook R, Telatin A, Bouras G, Camargo AP, Larralde M, Edwards RA, Adriaenssens EM (2024) Driving through stop signs: predicting stop codon reassignment improves functional annotation of bacteriophages. ISME Communications ycae079. DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.24.568560

Adriaenssens EM, Roux S, Brister JR, Karsch-Mizrachi I, Kuhn JH, Varsani A, Yigang T, Reyes A, Lood C, Lefkowitz EJ, Sullivan MB, Edwards RA, Simmonds P, Rubino L, Sabanadzovic S, Krupovic M, Dutilh BE (2023) Guidelines for public database submission of uncultivated virus genome sequences for taxonomic classification. Nature Biotechnology 41:898-902. DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01844-2

Simmonds P, Adriaenssens EM, Zerbini FM, Abrescia NGA, Aiewsakun P, Alfenas-Zerbini P, Bao Y, Barylski J, Drosten C, Duffy S, Duprex WP, Dutilh BE, Elena SF, García ML, Junglen S, Katzourakis A, Koonin EV, Krupovic M, Kuhn JH, Lambert AJ, Lefkowitz EJ, Łobocka M, Lood C, Mahony J, Meier-Kolthoff JP, Mushegian AR, Oksanen HM, Poranen MM, Reyes-Muñoz A, Robertson DL, Roux S, Rubino L, Sabanadzovic S, Siddell S, Skern T, Smith DB, Sullivan MB, Suzuki N, Turner D, Van Doorslaer K, Vandamme AM, Varsani A, Vasilakis N. Four principles to establish a universal virus taxonomy. PLoS Biology 21:e3001922. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001922

Adriaenssens EM (2021) Phage diversity in the human gut microbiome: a taxonomist’s perspective. mSystems 6:00799-21. DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00799-21

 

Gutiérrez AV, Matthews M, Diaz M, Le Viet T, de Oliveira Martins L, Jørgensen F, Aird H, Painset A, Som N, Omelchenko O, Adriaenssens EM, Kingsley RA, Gilmour MW. (2025)

Population structure and gene flux of Listeria monocytogenes ST121 reveal prophages as a candidate driver of adaptation and persistence in food production environments.

Microbial genomics


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Ndovie W, Havránek J, Leconte J, Koszucki J, Chindelevitch L, Adriaenssens E, Mostowy RJ. (2025)

Exploration of the genetic landscape of bacterial dsDNA viruses reveals an ANI gap amid extensive mosaicism.

mSystems


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Zerbini FM, Simmonds P, Adriaenssens EM, Lefkowitz EJ, Oksanen HM, Alfenas-Zerbini P, Aylward FO, Freitas-Astúa J, Hughes HR, Lobocka M, Krupovic M, Kuhn JH, Mushegian A, Penzes JJ, Reyes A, Robertson DL, Roux S, Rubino L, Sabanadzovic S, Smith DB, Suzuki N, Turner D, Van Doorslaer K, Varsani A. (2025)

Virus species names have been standardized; virus names remain unchanged.

mSphere


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Haagmans R, Charity OJ, Baker D, Telatin A, Savva GM, Adriaenssens EM, Powell PP, Carding SR. (2025)

Assessing Bias and Reproducibility of Viral Metagenomics Methods for the Combined Detection of Faecal RNA and DNA Viruses.

Viruses


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Acton L, Pye HV, Thilliez G, Kolenda R, Matthews M, Turner AK, Yasir M, Holden E, Al-Khanaq H, Webber M, Adriaenssens EM, Kingsley RA. (2024)

Collateral sensitivity increases the efficacy of a rationally designed bacteriophage combination to control Salmonella enterica.

Journal of virology


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Acton L, Pye HV, Thilliez G, Kolenda R, Matthews M, Turner AK, Yasir M, Holden E, Al-Khanaq H, Webber M, Adriaenssens EM, Kingsley . (2024)

Collateral sensitivity increases the efficacy of a rationally designed bacteriophage combination to control Salmonella enterica

Journal of Virology


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Dominic C, Pye HV, Mishra EK, Adriaenssens E. (2024)

Bacteriophages for bronchiectasis: treatment of the future?

Current opinion in pulmonary medicine


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Current Vacancies

Applications Close: 02 July 2025

Research Scientist

We’re looking for a Research Scientist to join the Laboratory of Dr Evelien Adriaenssens in our Microbes and Food...

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