Dr Sarah Griffiths
Senior Lecturer in Molecular Ecology and Conservation Genetics
My profile
Biography
My research is focussed on genetic diversity in ecological systems – what can it reveal about population ecology, what effect does it have at the community and ecosystem levels, and how can we utilise it most effectively for biodiversity conservation? My work centres on critical conservation issues including ocean acidification, habitat restoration and disease, and incorporates population genetics, microbial ecology, and gene expression approaches.
My primary study system is marine sponges and the rich communities of microbes that inhabit their tissues, known as microbiomes. I use a holistic approach to understand sponge-microbiome relationships, and how their diversity affects resilience and ecosystem processes in the face of environmental change.
Teaching
I teach on undergraduate and master’s programmes within the biological sciences. My teaching focuses primarily on genetics and marine ecology, and I use a combination of traditional-style lectures, computer data analysis practicals, and group activities and discussions to help students learn and develop their skills. I also teach on field courses, primarily the first year Biodiversity Monitoring field course in Cumbria.
Undergraduate
First year:
- Biodiversity Monitoring (field course)
Second year:
- Applied Molecular Biology
Final year:
- Coastal Ecology and Ecosystem Services (unit leader)
- Genetic Data and Analysis
- Biological Responses to Environmental Change
Postgraduate
- Topics in Organismal Genetics (unit leader)
Supervision
I supervise undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations across the biological sciences programmes. My students work on a variety of topics, including genetic diversity in captive populations, developing new molecular tools for conservation research, responses of marine invertebrates to climate change, sponge taxonomy, and communicating science to non-scientific audiences. My students work in the molecular lab and in the marine aquaria, or at their computer in desk-based projects.
Research outputs
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Journal articles
Dittami, S.M., Arboleda, E., Auguet, J.C., Bigalke, A., Briand, E., Cárdenas, P., Cardini, U., Decelle, J., Engelen, A.H., Eveillard, D., Gachon, C.M.M., Griffiths, S.M., Harder, T., Kayal, E., Kazamia, E., Lallier, F.H., Medina, M., Marzinelli, E.M., Morganti, T.M., Pons, L.N., Prado, S., Pintado, J., Saha, M., Selosse, M.A., Skillings, D., Stock, W., Sunagawa, S., Toulza, E., Vorobev, A., Leblanc, C., Not, F. 'A community perspective on the concept of marine holobionts: Current status, challenges, and future directions.' PeerJ, 9
Harrison, X.A., McDevitt, A.D., Dunn, J.C., Griffiths, S.M., Benvenuto, C., Birtles, R., Boubli, J.P., Bown, K., Bridson, C., Brooks, D.R., Browett, S.S., Carden, R.F., Chantrey, J., Clever, F., Coscia, I., Edwards, K.L., Ferry, N., Goodhead, I., Highlands, A., Hopper, J., Jackson, J., Jehle, R., da Cruz Kaizer, M., King, T., Lea, J.M.D., Lenka, J.L., McCubbin, A., McKenzie, J., de Moraes, B.L.C., O'Meara, D.B., Pescod, P., Preziosi, R.F., Rowntree, J.K., Shultz, S., Silk, M.J., Stockdale, J.E., Symondson, W.O.C., de la Pena, M.V., Walker, S.L., Wood, M.D., Antwis, R.E. 'Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome..' Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288(1957) pp. 20210552-20210552.
Griffiths, S.M., Butler, M.J., Behringer, D.C., Pérez, T., Preziosi, R.F. 'Oceanographic features and limited dispersal shape the population genetic structure of the vase sponge Ircinia campana in the Greater Caribbean.' Heredity, 126(1) pp. 63-76.
Griffiths, S.M., Galambao, M., Rowntree, J., Goodhead, I., Hall, J., O'Brien, D., Atkinson, N., Antwis, R.E. 'Complex associations between cross-kingdom microbial endophytes and host genotype in ash dieback disease dynamics.' Journal of Ecology, 108(1) pp. 291-309.
Griffiths, S.M., Taylor-Cox, E.D., Behringer, D.C., Butler, M.J., Preziosi, R.F. 'Using genetics to inform restoration and predict resilience in declining populations of a keystone marine sponge.' Biodiversity and Conservation, 29(4) pp. 1383-1410.
Griffiths, S., Antwis, R., Lenzi, L., Lucaci, A., Behringer, D., Butler, M.J., Preziosi, R. 'Host genetics and geography influence microbiome composition in the sponge Ircinia campana.' Journal of Animal Ecology, 88(11) pp. 1684-1695.
Griffiths, S.M., Harrison, X.A., Weldon, C., Wood, M.D., Pretorius, A., Hopkins, K., Fox, G., Preziosi, R.F., Antwis, R.E. 'Genetic variability and ontogeny predict microbiome structure in a disease-challenged montane amphibian.' The ISME Journal, 12(10) pp. 2506-2517.
Truelove, N.K., Box, S.J., Aiken, K.A., Blythe-Mallett, A., Boman, E.M., Booker, C.J., Byfield, T.T., Cox, C.E., Davis, M.H., Delgado, G.A., Glazer, B.A., Griffiths, S.M., Kitson-Walters, K., Kough, A.S., Pérez Enríquez, R., Preziosi, R.F., Roy, M.E., Segura-García, I., Webber, M.K., Stoner, A.W. 'Isolation by oceanic distance and spatial genetic structure in an overharvested international fishery.' Diversity and Distributions, 23(11) pp. 1292-1300.
Antwis, R.E., Griffiths, S.M., Harrison, X.A., Aranega-Bou, P., Arce, A., Bettridge, A.S., Brailsford, F.L., de Menezes, A., Devaynes, A., Forbes, K.M., Fry, E.L., Goodhead, I., Haskell, E., Heys, C., James, C., Johnston, S.R., Lewis, G.R., Lewis, Z., Macey, M.C., McCarthy, A., McDonald, J.E., Mejia-Florez, N.L., O'Brien, D., Orland, C., Pautasso, M., Reid, W.D.K., Robinson, H.A., Wilson, K., Sutherland, W.J. 'Fifty important research questions in microbial ecology.' FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 93(5)
Griffiths, S.M., Fox, G., Briggs, P.J., Donaldson, I.J., Hood, S., Richardson, P., Leaver, G.W., Truelove, N.K., Preziosi, R.F. 'A Galaxy-based bioinformatics pipeline for optimised, streamlined microsatellite development from Illumina next-generation sequencing data.' Conservation Genetics Resources, 8(4) pp. 481-486.
Bertolotti, A.C., Griffiths, S.M., Truelove, N.K., Box, S.J., Preziosi, R.F., de Leon, P.S. 'Isolation and characterization of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the endangered Galapagos-endemic whitespotted sandbass (Paralabrax albomaculatus).' PeerJ, 2015(10)
Truelove, N.K., Griffiths, S., Ley-Cooper, K., Azueta, J., Majil, I., Box, S.J., Behringer, D.C., Butler, M.J., Preziosi, R.F. 'Genetic evidence from the spiny lobster fishery supports international cooperation among Central American marine protected areas.' Conservation Genetics, 16(2) pp. 347-358.
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Non-peer reviewed articles / reviews
Harrison, X.A., McDevitt, A.D., Dunn, J.C., Griffiths, S., Benvenuto, C., Birtles, R., Boubli, J.P., Bown, K., Bridson, C., Brooks, D., Browett, S.S., Carden, R.F., Chantrey, J., Clever, F., Coscia, I., Edwards, K.L., Ferry, N., Goodhead, I., Highlands, A., Hopper, J., Jackson, J., Jehle, R., da Cruz Kaizer, M., King, T., Lea, J.M.D., Lenka, J.L., McCubbin, A., McKenzie, J., de Moraes, B.L.C., O’Meara, D.B., Pescod, P., Preziosi, R.F., Rowntree, J.K., Shultz, S., Silk, M.J., Stockdale, J.E., Symondson, W.O.C., de la Pena, M.V., Walker, S.L., Wood, M.D., Antwis, R.E. Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome.