Professor Peter Fineran
University of Otago, New Zealand
Peter Fineran is a Professor at the University of Otago, New Zealand and leads the Phage-host interactions (Phi) laboratory. He obtained a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Canterbury, NZ, then completed his PhD and post-doctoral training at the University of Cambridge, UK. Peter’s group researches the interactions between bacteriophages, other mobile elements and their bacterial hosts – in particular in the area of CRISPR-Cas and other phage defence systems. His team has also worked extensively on strategies used by phages to evade various anti-phage defence systems as well as the development of phages in therapeutic applications – particularly in agriculture. Peter has published over 130 articles, has filed multiple patents and received numerous awards in recognition of his research, including the Fleming Prize from the Microbiology Society, UK. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and a current James Cook Fellow.