Helena Seth-Smith

Curriculum Vitae

Full name:
Helena Margaret Brabazon Seth-Smith

Contact address:
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Hinxton
Cambridgeshire
CB10 1SA

E-mail address

Employment

Jan 09- Staff Scientist, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Pathogen Genomics
Oct 02-Jan 09 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Pathogen Sequencing Unit, comparative genomics group
Oct 98-Jun 08 Supervisor, University of Cambridge, Trinity Hall & Sidney Sussex, Biology of Cells, and Cell and Developmental Biology (previously Molecular Cell Biology)
May 06-Jun 08 Tripos Exam Assessor, University of Cambridge, Faculty of Biology, Biology of Cells
Jun 03-Jul 05 Marking Reviewer, OCR exam board, A-level chemistry
Jun 97-Aug 97 Research Post, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Laboratory of Cell Regulation
Jun 96-Sep 96 Research Post, University of Cambridge, Institute of Biotechnology

Education

1998-2002 Ph. D. University of Cambridge, Institute of Biotechnology
Microbial degradation of explosive RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) [Thesis pdf]
1995-1998 B.A. (M.A.) University of Cambridge, Trinity Hall
Natural Science Tripos specialising in Genetics (2.1)

Skills

Laboratory techniques and the flexibility to pick others up quickly:

Molecular biology techniques including library construction and screening, cloning in E. coli and environmental isolates, PCR, transposon mutagenesis, heterologous protein expression, sequencing
Microbiological techniques including isolation and identification of environmental micro-organisms, Category 2 training
Metabolite analysis using HPLC, ion chromatography (Dionex), TLC and spectrophotometric assays

Informatics (UNIX, PC and Macintosh):

Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Access, Endnote
Graphic packages: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, GIMP
Genome finishing applications: including GAP (Genome Assembly Program)
Annotation software: Artemis and Artemis Comparison Tool (ACT)
Data analysis software: Gap4, Sequencher, Cricketgraph and molecular biology search engines
HTML and web page construction: Seth-Smith family website

Communication and presentation:

Working within a diverse team environment, explaining concepts to undergraduates, preparing reports, presenting seminars, posters and progress meetings

Responsibilities and organisation:

Demonstrator at Artemis teaching courses at the University of Cambridge
Coordinator of duties of Research Assistant
Radiation Protection Supervisor (RPS) (2006-)
Area Safety Supervisor (2003-)
Reviewing grant proposals, interviewing job candidates
Tutoring undergraduates: explaining and consolidating lecture, setting and marking work

Continuing professional development

Tomorrow's Giants, Royal Society and Nature conference (2010)
Health and Safety Training for Managers (2010)
Global Innovations Lab workshop (2010)
Achieving as a Professional in Science Engineering & Technology Workshops (2009)
Project Management Skills (2008)
NESTA Crucible - encouraging young scientists in innovation (2007)
Radiation Protection Supervisor (Unsealed Sources) (2007)
Creative Writing (2007)
Radiation Protection Supervisor Update Course (Unsealed Sources) (2006)
Scientific Writing (2006)
Presentation Skills (2005)
Supervisory Skills (2005)
University of Cambridge, Department of Pathology lectures on Immune System and Microbiology (2004)

Scientific communication

NESTA Crucible - encouraging young scientists in innovation (2007)
Documentation of day in science for World Wide Day of Science (2007)
Article on research area for Friends of Albert Schweitzer (UK) charity newsletter (2007)
Career presentations at secondary schools (2005-)
Voice of Young Science (2004)
SGM Communicating Microbiology Workshop, Reading (2004), leading to article for SGM brochure (2006)
Cambridge Environmental Research Network (CERNet): article for newsletter (2000)
PAWS (Public Awareness of Science and Engineering) (1999-2002)
Young Science Writers Competition: certificate of merit (2000)
Varsity student newspaper: several articles on scientific topics (1998)

Interests

Friends of Albert Schweitzer (UK) charity trustee, promoting the philosophy of Reverence for Life
RoSPA advanced driving test (silver)
Gym, Yoga, Running
DIY and allotment gardening
Photography, dSLR
Basic French and German
Cookery, especially experimenting with new recipes

Grants Awarded

Cassey, P., Russell, D., Cooper, H., Seth-Smith, H., Zaccai, N. "Evolution of eggshell matrices in wild birds". Awarded by NESTA, 2008.
Zaccai, N., Seth-Smith, H., Fivelman, Q., Sitsapesan, R., Warhurst, D. "Drug resistance in malaria, virulence in Salmonella: are ion channels involved?". Awarded by NESTA, 2008.

Publications and Presentations

Research papers

Unemo, M., Seth-Smith, H.M.B. et al. (2010). "The Swedish new variant of Chlamydia trachomatis: Genome sequence, morphology, cell tropism and phenotypic characterization". Microbiology, 156: 1394-1404 (doi: 10.1099/mic.0.036830-0).
He, M., Seth-Smith, H.M.B. (8th) et al. (2010). "Evolutionary dynamics of Clostridium difficile over short and long time scales". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 107: 7527-7532. (doi: 10.1073/pnas.0914322107).
Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Harris, S.R. et al. (2009). "Co-evolution of genomes and plasmids within Chlamydia trachomatis and the emergence in Sweden of a new variant strain". BMC Genomics, 10: 239 (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-10-239).
Holden, M.T.G., Seth-Smith, H.M.B. et al. (2009). "The Genome of Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315, an Epidemic Pathogen of Cystic Fibrosis Patients". Journal of Bacteriology, 191 (1): 261-277 (doi:10.1128/JB.01230-08).
Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Edwards, J., Rosser, S.J., Rathbone, D.A. and Bruce, N.C. (2008). "The Explosive-Degrading Cytochrome P450 System Is Highly Conserved Among Strains of Rhodococcus spp.". Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74 (14): 4550-4552 (doi: 10.1128/AEM.00391-08).
Rylott, E.L., Jackson, R.G., Edwards, J., Womack, G.L., Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Rathbone, D.A., Strand, S.E. and Bruce, N.C. (2006). "An explosive-degrading cytochrome P450 activity and its targeted application for the phytoremediation of RDX". Nature Biotechnology 24: 216-219 (doi:10.1038/nbt1184).
Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Rosser, S.J., Basran, A., Travis, E.R., Dabbs, E.R., Nicklin, S. and Bruce, N.C. (2002). "Cloning, Sequencing and Characterization of the RDX Degradation Gene Cluster from Rhodococcus rhodochrous". Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 68 (10): 4764-4771 (doi: 10.1128/AEM.68.10.4764-4771.2002). Kominami, K., Seth-Smith, H., Toda, T. (1998). "Apc10 and Ste9/Srw1, two regulators of the APC-cyclosome, as well as the CDK inhibitor Rum1 are required for G₁ cell-cycle arrest in fission yeast". EMBO J., 17: 5388-5399 (doi:10.1093/emboj/17.18.5388).

Review papers

Rylott, E.L., Seth-Smith, H.M. (4th) et al. (2010). "The explosive-degrading cytochrome P450 XplA: biochemistry, structural features and prospects for bioremediation". Biochim. Biophys. Acta. (in press) (doi:10.1016/j.bbapap.2010.07.004).
Seth-Smith, H. (2010). "Genome Watch: 'Slick' operation". Nature Reviews Microbiology 8:538 (doi:10.1038/nrmicro2407).
Seth-Smith, H. and Croucher, N.J. (2009). "Genome Watch: Breaking the ICE". Nature Reviews Microbiology 7:328-329 (doi:10.1038/nrmicro2137).
Seth-Smith, H. and Croucher, N.J. (2009). "Genome Watch: Breaking the ICE". Nature Reviews Microbiology 7:328-329 (doi:10.1038/nrmicro2137).
Seth-Smith, H.M.B. (2008)."SPI-7: Salmonella's Vi-Encoding Pathogenicity Island". Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 2 (4): 267-271.
Seth-Smith, H. and Walker, A. (2008). "Genome Watch: Opportunity knocks". Nature Reviews Microbiology 6:652-653 (doi:10.1038/nrmicro1985).
Seth-Smith, H. (2008). "Genome Watch: A poultry existence". Nature Reviews Microbiology 6:8 (doi:10.1038/nrmicro1830).
Walker, A. and Seth-Smith, H. (2007). "Genome Watch: Urbane decay". Nature Reviews Microbiology 5: 748-749 (doi:10.1038/nrmicro1763).
Seth-Smith, H. (2007). "Genome Watch: A more convenient truth". Nature Reviews Microbiology 5: 248-250 (doi:10.1038/nrmicro1644).
Seth-Smith, H. (2007). "Genome Watch: Ocean's elevenses". Nature Reviews Microbiology 5: 9 (doi:10.1038/nrmicro1589).
Seth-Smith, H. and Bentley, S. (2006). "Genome Watch: Where there's muck there's microbes". Nature Reviews Microbiology 4: 646-647 (doi:10.1038/nrmicro1497).

Conference proceedings

Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Fookes, M.C., Okoro, C., Parkhill, J., Thomson, N.R. (2010). "A family of integrative and conjugative elements in Salmonella, including SPI-7". Presented at the ASM conference on Mobile DNA, Montreal, Canada, S2:8.
Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Okoro, C., Thomson, N.R., Parkhill, J. (2009). "Salmonella pathogenicity island SPI-7 is an integrative and conjugative element with a close relative in Salmonella bongori". Presented at the ASM conference on Salmonella, Aix-en-Provence, France, 35A.
Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Holden, M., and Parkhill, J. (2006). "Mobile Elements within the Burkholderiaceae". Presented at the ASM conference on Mobile DNA, Banff, Alberta, Canada, A55.
Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Dennis, A., Holden, M., Crossman, L.C., Mahenthiralingham, E. and Parkhill, J. (2005). "Comparative Genomics for the Identification of Virulence Factors in Burkholderia cepacia complex". Presented at the International Conference on Microbial Genomes, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, P27.
Edwards, J., Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Rathbone, D.A., and Bruce, N.C. (2005). "Biodegradation of the high explosive RDX by Rhodococcus sp." Presented at the SGM 156th meeting, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, U.K.
Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Dennis, A., Mahenthiralingam, E. and Parkhill, J. (2004). "Comparative genomics for the identification of virulence factors in Burkholderia cepacia complex". Presented at the International Burkholderia cepacia Working Group, 9th Annual meeting, Vancouver, A13.
Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Dennis, A., Mahenthiralingam, A. and Parkhill. J. (2003). "Comparative genomics for the identification of virulence factors in Burkholderia cepacia". Presented at the Burkholderia Genomes Workshop, Hinxton Conference Centre, Cambridgeshire, U.K.
Seth-Smith, H.M.B., Rosser, S.J., Basran, A., Nicklin, S. and Bruce, N.C. (2001). "Biodegradation of RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) by Rhodococcal species". Presented at the ASM conference on Biodegradation, Biotransformation and Biocatalysis, San Juan, Puerto Rico, A42.

Last updated: May 2010
Helena Seth-Smith, Cambridge, England
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