John Kenny

Research Interests

John Kenny is a Senior Research Officer at Teagasc Food Research Centre. He completed his PhD in Microbiology at University College Cork, Ireland before moving to the University of Liverpool, where he used multi-omics approaches to investigate Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). John subsequently managed the Centre for Genomic Research, a core DNA analysis facility, leading the team in applying a range of cutting-edge technologies to academic and industrial challenges.

He has since taken up the role of Senior Research Officer at the Teagasc Food Research Centre. John’s interests lie in using new methods (e.g., sequencing and synbio) to track the microbial composition of environmental niches, to discover how these bacteria and phage interact, and to harness these microbial capabilities for biotransformation and health benefits.  Particular areas of focus include sequencing methods development, phages, and fermented foods. John’s research areas are funded by SFI, DAFM, NIFA, Dairy Research Ireland, and the EU. He is a Funded Investigator at the APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre and an Academic Collaborator with the VistaMilk SFI Research Centre.

Current Projects

• Biotransformation in Milk (Elucidating novel pathways for biotransformation of nutrients in milk for health or functional benefits)
• PhageSUAS (Improved Pig Health through the Novel Application of SynBio in Phage Therapy)
• Trojan Culture (Detection and analysis of hidden bacteriophage in food and animal systems by using metagenomics and synthetic biology)
• Veerus (Viruses employed to engineer rumen microbiomes and upgrade sustainability)
• DOMINO (Harnessing the microbial potential of fermented foods for healthy and sustainable food systems)
• MSCA- SHENAB (Sustainability and health as drivers of the rational design of fermentation processes)
• APC Culture Collection

Education

PhD. University College Cork, Ireland. 2006
B.Sc. (Microbiology), University College Cork, Ireland. 2000

Professional Membership

Microbiology Society, Board Member of Irish Division

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