Raymond Allan

Dr Raymond Allan

Job: Senior Lecturer in Microbiology (VC2020)

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

School/department: Leicester School of Pharmacy

Address: 羞羞视频, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH

T: N/A

E: raymond.allan@dmu.ac.uk

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Personal profile

Dr Raymond Allan is a Senior Lecturer in Microbiology in the School of Pharmacy at 羞羞视频. His research focusses on the investigation of bacterial biofilms, developing an understanding of the adaptive mechanisms they employ to enable their survival within the human host, and investigating their role in chronic infectious disease. His research also includes the identification of targets for the development and investigation of novel treatment strategies for biofilm-associated infections.

He has over 10 years’ experience investigating biofilm-associated infections at University of Southampton, the National Biofilms Innovation Centre, and Southampton NIHR Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, joining 羞羞视频 in 2019.

Research group affiliations

Leicester Institute for Pharmaceutical and Health Innovations (LIPHI)

Publications and outputs

Hussain K, King RSP, Allan RN, Farrugia K, Krzeminska-Ahmadzai U (2025). The use of non-thermal plasma for DNA decontamination in a forensic Vacuum Metal Deposition chamber: A proof of concept study. Forensic Science International. PMID: 40163931. DOI:

Soliman MAN, Khedr A, Sahota T, Armitage R, Allan RN, Laird K, Allcock N, Alazragi R, Edwards-Gayle CJC, Wychowaniec JK, Vargiu AV, Elsawy MA (2025). Unravelling the atomistic mechanism of electrostatic lateral association of peptide b-sheet structures and its role in nanofibre growth and hydrogelation. Small. PMID: 39780584. DOI:

Lister AP, Highmore CJ, Hanrahan N, Read J, Munro APS, Tan S, Allan RN, Faust SN, Webb JS, Mahajan S (2022). Multi-excitation Raman spectroscopy for label-free, strain-level characterisation of bacterial pathogens in artificial sputum media. Analytical Chemistry. PMID: 34978813. DOI:

Biggs TC, Abadalkareem RS, Hayes SM, Holding RE, Lau LC, Harries PG, Allan RN, Pender SLF, Walls AF, Salib RJ (2020). Staphylococcus aureus internalisation enhances bacterial survival through modulation of host immune responses and mast cell activation. Allergy. PMID: 33314209. DOI:

Allan RN*, Varadarajan AR*, Valentin JDP*, Castaneda Ocampo OE, Somerville V, Pietsch F, Buhmann MT, West J, Skipp PJ, van der Mei HC, Ren Q, Schreiber F, Webb JS, Aherns CH (2020). An integrated model system to gain mechanistic insights into biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa MPAO1. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. PMID: 33127897. DOI: *Equal contribution.

Frapwell CJ, Skipp PJ, Howlin RP, Angus EM, Hu Y, Coates, ARM, Webb JS*, Allan RN* (2020). Antimicrobial activity of the quinolone derivative HT61 against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. PMID: 32122902. DOI: *Equal contribution.

Harrison F, Allan RN, Maddocks SE (2020). Editorial: Polymicrobial biofilms in chronic infectious disease. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. PMID: 33425788. DOI:

Hayes SM, Biggs TC, Goldie SP, Harries PG, Walls AF, Allan RN, Pender SLF, Salib RJ (2020). Staphylococcus aureus internalisation in mast cells in nasal polyps - characterisation of interactions and potential mechanisms. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. PMID: 31254531. DOI:

Soren O, Rineh A, Silva DG, Cai Y, Howlin RP, Allan RN, Feelisch M, Davies JC, Connett GJ, Faust SN, Kelso MJ, Webb JS (2019). Cephalosporin nitric oxide-donor prodrug DEA-3CD disperses biofilms formed by clinical cystic fibrosis isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. PMID: 31682251. DOI:

Biggs TC, Hayes SM, Harries PG, Allan RN, Walls AF, Pender SLF, Salib RJ (2019). Immunological profiling of key inflammatory drivers of nasal polyp formation and growth in chronic rhinosinusitis. Rhinology. PMID: 31317972. DOI:

Papadopoulou D, Dabrowska A, Harries PG, Webb JS, Allan RN, Salib RJ (2019). Evaluation of a bio-engineered honey and its synthetic equivalent as novel Staphylococcus aureus biofilm-targeted topical therapies in chronic rhinosinusitis. American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy. PMID: 31510757. DOI:

Frapwell CJ, Howlin RP, Soren O, McDonagh BT, Duignan CM, Allan RN, Horswill AR, Stoodley P, Hu Y, Coates ARM, Webb JS (2018). Increased rates of genomic mutation in a biofilm co-culture model of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. bioRxiv. DOI:

Newby RS, Dryden M, Salib RJ*, Allan RN* (2018). Antimicrobial activity of a novel bioengineered honey against non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae biofilms: an in vitro study. Journal of Clinical Pathology. PMID: 29449345. DOI: (IF: 3.4) *Equal contribution.

Allan RN*, Koo H, Howlin RP, Stoodley P & Hall-Stoodley L (2017). Targeting Biofilms: Current and Prospective Therapeutics. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 15(12), 740-755. PMID: 28944770. DOI: *All authors equal contribution.

Collins SA, Kelso MJ, Rineh A, Yepuri NR, Coles J, Jackson CL, Halladay GD, Walker WT, Webb JS, Hall-Stoodley L, Connett, G, Feelisch M, Faust SN, Lucas JSA & Allan RN (2017). Cephalosporin-3’-diazeniumdiolate NO-donor prodrug PYRRO-C3D enhances azithromycin susceptibility of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae biofilms. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 61(2). PMID: 27919896. DOI:

Walker WT, Jackson C, Allan RN, Collins SA, Kelso MJ, Rineh A, Yepuri NR, Nicholls B, Lau L, Johnstone D, Lackie P, Faust SN, Lucas JSA & Hall-Stoodley L (2017). Primary ciliary dyskinesia ciliated airway cells show increased susceptibility to Haemophilus influenzae biofilm formation. European Respiratory Journal. 50(3). PMID: 28890436. DOI:

Dawe H, Berger E, Sihlbom C, Angus EM, Howlin RP, Laver JR, Tebruegge M, Hall-Stoodley L, Stoodley P, Faust SN & Allan RN(2017). D-methionine interferes with non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae peptidoglycan synthesis during growth and biofilm formation. Microbiology. PMID: 28699879. DOI:

Edwards AE, Yifang G, Allan RN, Ball D, de Graaf H, Coelho V, Curtis N, Williams A, Faust SN, Marshall B, Elkington P & Tebruegge M (2017). Corticosteroids and infliximab impair the performance of interferon-gamma release assays used for tuberculosis screening. Thorax. PMID: 28159773. DOI:

Howlin R, Cathie K, Hall-Stoodley L, Cornelius V, Duignan C, Allan RN, Fernandez BO, Barraud N, Bruce KD, Jefferies J, Kelso M, Kjelleberg S, Rice SA, Rogers GB, Pink S, Smith C, Sukhtankar PS, Salib R, Legg J, Carroll M, Daniels T, Feelisch M, Stoodley P, Clarke SC, Connett G, Faust SN & Webb JS (2017). Low-dose nitric oxide as targeted anti-biofilm adjunctive therapy to treat chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis. Molecular Therapy. 25(9), 2104-16. PMID: 28750737. DOI:

Allan RN, Kelso MJ, Rineh A, Yepuri NR, Feelisch M, Soren O, Brito-Mutunayagam S, Salib RJ, Stoodley P, Clarke SC, Webb JS, Hall-Stoodley L & Faust SN (2017). Cephalosporin-3’-diazeniumdiolate NO-donor prodrug PYRRO-C3D is active against Streptococcus pneumoniae biofilms despite the absence of b-lactamases. Nitric Oxide. 65, 43-49. PMID: 28235635. DOI:10.1016/j.niox.2017.02.006

Dryden M, Cooke J, Holding RE, Biggs T, Salamat AA, Allan RN, Salib RJ, Newby RS, Halstead F, Oppenheim B, Hall T, Cox SC, Staples IL, Grover LM, Al-hindi Z, Novak-Frazer L & Richardson, MD (2017). Reactive Oxygen: a novel antimicrobial mechanism for targeting biofilm-associated infection. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance. 8, 186-191. PMID: 28213334. DOI:

Allan RN, Morgan S, Brito-Mutunayagam S, Skipp P, Feelisch M, Hayes SM, Hellier, W, Clarke SC, Stoodley P, Burgess A, Ismail-Koch H, Salib RJ, Webb JS, Faust SN & Hall-Stoodley L (2016). Low concentrations of nitric oxide modulate Streptococcus pneumoniaebiofilm metabolism and antibiotic tolerance. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 60(4), 2456-66. PMID: 26856845. DOI:

Churton NWV, Mirsa R, Howlin RP, Allan RN, Gharbia SE, Edwards RJ, Clarke SC & Webb JS (2016). Parallel evolution in Streptococcus pneumoniae biofilms. Genome Biology and Evolution. 8(5),1316-26. PMID: 27190203. DOI:

Jarvis J, Gao Y, de Graaf H, Hughes S, Allan RN, Williams A, Marshall B, Elkington P, Faust SN & Tebruegge M (2015). Environmental temperature impacts on the performance of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube assays. The Journal of Infection. 71(2), 276-80. PMID: 25869537. DOI:

Tebruegge M, Jones C, de Graaf H, Sukhtankar P, Allan RN, Howlin RP, Browning D, Schuster H, Pallett A, Patel S & Faust SN (2015). Invasive Propionibacterium acnes infections in a non-selective patient cohort: clinical manifestations, management and outcome. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. 34(3), 527-34. PMID: 25326276. DOI:

Wilkins M, Hall-Stoodley L, Allan RN & Faust SN (2014). New approaches to the treatment of biofilm-related infections, The Journal of Infection. 69 Suppl 1: S47-52. PMID: 25240819. DOI:

Allan RN, Skipp P, Jefferies J, Clarke SC, Faust SN, Hall-Stoodley L & Webb J (2014). Pronounced metabolic changes in adaptation to biofilm growth by Streptococcus pneumoniae, PLoS One. PMID: 25188255. DOI:

Mongkolthanaruk W, Cooper G, Mawer J, Allan RN & Moir A (2011). Effect of amino-acid substitutions in the GerAA protein on the function of the alanine-responsive germinant receptor of Bacillus subtilis spores, Journal of Bacteriology 193(9), 2268-75. PMID: 21378197. DOI:

Logan NA & Allan RN (2008). Aerobic, endospore-forming bacteria from Antarctic geothermal soils. Microbiology of Extreme Soils. P. Dion & C. S. Nautiyal (eds). Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, 13, 155-76. DOI:

Allan RN, Lebbe L, Heyrman J, De Vos P, Buchanan CJ & Logan NA (2005). Brevibacillus levickii sp. nov. and Aneurinibacillus terranovensissp. nov., two thermoacidophiles isolated from geothermal soils of northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. International Journal of Systematic & Evolutionary Microbiology. 55, 1039-50. PMID: 15879231. DOI:

Research interests/expertise

Respiratory pathogens (Streptococcus pneumoniae, non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus)
Biofilm-associated infections
Host-pathogen interactions
Bacterial adaptive responses
Identification of targets for development of novel anti-biofilm agents

Honours and awards

Dean’s Award for outstanding contribution in Enterprise; University of Southampton (2017)

Membership of professional associations and societies

Microbiology Society

Projects

Current Projects

1. Development of a humane respiratory epithelial model for pneumococcal infection. Funding body: Humane Research Trust

2. Biofilms within industrial healthcare, pharmaceutical and hospitality laundries: the impact on infection control, antibiotic resistance, wastewater and the environment. Funding body: National Biofilms Innovation Centre (BBSRC funded CTP) & Textile Services Association

3. Metabolic profiling of commensal-pathogen interactions during biofilm formation. Funding body: The Royal Society

4. From Leaf to Lung: Development of Nebulizable Phytochemicals for treatment of pneumococcal infection

5. Investigation of inter-kingdom microbial interactions in Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

6. Treatment of dental biofilms with a hydrogen peroxide-containing oral healthcare product

Current research students

PhD (1st) - Divine Derefaka - Development of a humane respiratory epithelial model for pneumococcal infection (2026-2028)

PhD (1st) - Harini Satkunarasa - Development of a lab-based laundering model for the investigation of biofilm formation, antimicrobial/disinfectant resistance, and biofilm-removal interventions (2025-2029)

PhD (1st) - Jasira Patel - Interplay between the upper respiratory tract commensal, Corynebacterium accolens and Dolosigranulum pigrum, and the pathobiont non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (2022-2028)

MRes (1st) - Lord Cudjoe - From Leaf to Lung: Development of Nebulizable Phytochemicals for treatment of pneumococcal infection (2025-2026)

MRes (1st) - Muhammad Atif - Investigation of inter-kingdom microbial interactions in Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (2025-2026)

PhD (2nd) - Katie Hussain - Biofilms within industrial healthcare, pharmaceutical and hospitality laundries: the impact on infection control, antibiotic resistance, wastewater and the environment (2025-2029)

PhD (2nd) - Eleanor Robertson - Treatment of dental biofilms with a hydrogen peroxide-containing oral healthcare product (2026-2029)

Completions: 6 PhD

Externally funded research grants information

1. Development of a humane respiratory epithelial model for pneumococcal infection (2026). Funder: Humane Research Trust (£136k). Principal investigator.

2. Single molecule studies of the dynamics of macromolecular complexes using optical force measurements and fluorescence imaging (2025). Funder: BBSRC (£988k). Co-investigator.

3. Biofilms within industrial healthcare, pharmaceutical and hospitality laundries: the impact on infection control, antibiotic resistance, wastewater and the environment (2025). Funder: National Biofilms Innovation Centre (BBSRC funded CTP) & Textile Services Association (£524k). Co-investigator.

4. Investigation of RO technology on wound-associated biofilm-formers (2023). Funder: Matoke Holdings Ltd (£29k). Principal investigator.

5. Metabolic profiling of commensal-pathogen interactions during biofilm formation (2022). Funder: The Royal Society (£17k). Principal investigator.

6. Utilising galactose analogues to inhibit pneumococcal colonisation and biofilm formation on human respiratory epithelial cells (2022). Funder: Microbiology Society (£3k). Principal investigator.

7. Investigation of RO technology on wound-associated biofilm-formers (2021). Funder: Matoke Holdings Ltd. (£22k). Principal investigator.

8. Characterisation of extracellular DNA origin and structural properties in bacterial monospecies biofilm models Funder: National Biofilms Innovation Centre (£50k). Co-investigator.

9. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis: Is the lipid membrane profile of the respiratory epithelium linked to colonisation and biofilm formation? Funder: British Lung Foundation (£25k). Co-investigator.

10. Development of an advanced host-pathogen interaction model to investigate responses to Haemophilus influenzae biofilm infection in primary ciliary dyskinesia (2019). Funder: Asthma, Allergy & Inflammation Research Charity (£9k). Principal investigator.

11. Targeting pneumococcal carbohydrate metabolism to treat childhood infections (2018). Funder: Rosetrees Trust (£20k). Principal investigator.

12. Characterisation of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) epithelial responses to non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae biofilm infection (2018). Funder: Wessex Medical Research & Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre matched funding (£99k). Co-investigator.

13. Development of Surgihoney^TM and other compositions comprising an enzyme that is able to convert a substrate to release hydrogen peroxide as a novel biofilm-targeted topical therapy in chronic rhinosinusitis (2017). Funder: Matoke Holdings Ltd (£35k). Co-investigator.

14. Development of small molecule inhibitors of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa LasB protease virulence factor for the treatment of infections in CF patients (2017). Funding body: Antabio (£180k). Co-investigator.

15. Development of rationally designed tagatose analogues as a novel treatment strategy for pneumococcal biofilm infections (2016). Funder: Network for Anti-Microbial Resistance and Infection Prevention (£11k). Principal investigator.

16. Application of Reactive Oxygen in the treatment of respiratory tract infections (2016). Funder: Matoke Holdings Ltd. (£46k). Principal investigator.

17. Prevention of pneumococcal biofilm formation on tympanostomy tubes to combat AMR (2015). Funder: Network for Anti-Microbial Resistance and Infection Prevention (£18k). Principal investigator.

18. Research Project on development of an engineered honey as a novel antibiotic-sparing topical therapy in chronic rhinosinusitis (2015). Funder: Rosetrees Trust (£20k). Co-investigator.

Internally funded research project information

1. Translational research for biofilm management in healthcare laundries (2025). Funder: Higher Education Innovation Funding (£12k). Co-investigator.

2. Development of novel galactose analogue hydrogels for treatment of antimicrobial resistant infections (2023). Funder: Higher Education Innovation Funding (£5k). Principal investigator.

3. PeroxyCat: proof of concept study for activity against key pathogens using 羞羞视频’s novel catalyst technology (2021). Funder: Higher Education Innovation Funding (£11k). Co-investigator.

Professional esteem indicators

Editor: Access Microbiology (2025-Present)

Associate Editor: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology – Biofilms (2020-Present)

Review Editor: Frontiers in Pediatrics - Pediatric Infectious Diseases (2017-2019)

Guest Editor: Thematic issue on ‘Role of Antimicrobials and Surfaces in Shaping the Tolerance, Evolution, Assembly and Biophysics of Bacterial Biofilms’ in Frontiers in Microbiology (2021)

Guest Editor: Thematic issue on ‘Polymicrobial Biofilms in Chronic Infectious Disease’ in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2020)

ORCID number

0000-0001-7764-4849