Dr Allan's main research interests are the molecular basis of bacterial virulence and metagenomics. In the area of virulence, she is studying the mechanisms used by bacterial pathogens to sense and respond to host signals and regulate virulence gene expression. She is currently working on a novel type of signal transduction system in Gram positive bacteria, comprised of a serine/threonine protein kinase and phosphatase, and trying to understand its role in regulating virulence. She is also studying the response to host-specific signals of the Gram negative bacterium, Campylobacter jejuni. In the area of metagenomics, Dr Allan is studying the indigenous microbiota of the oral cavity, specifically the mobile genetic elements harbouring antibiotic resistance- and virulence genes within this community.