Education

Ph.D in Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada, 2003

Current position

Associate Professor of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada

Publications

1. Zhang, Y., Bignell, D. R., Zuo, R., Fan, Q., Huguet-Tapia, J. C., Ding, Y. and Loria, R. (2016). Promiscuous Pathogenicity Islands and Phylogeny of Pathogenic Streptomyces spp. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 29(8): 640-650.
2. Bown, L., Altowairish, M. S., Fyans, J. K. and Bignell, D. R. (2016). Production of the Streptomyces scabies coronafacoyl phytotoxins involves a novel biosynthetic pathway with an F420 -dependent oxidoreductase and a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase. Mol Microbiol 101(1): 122-135.
3. Ferguson, N. L., Pena-Castillo, L., Moore, M. A., Bignell, D. R. and Tahlan, K. (2016). Proteomics analysis of global regulatory cascades involved in clavulanic acid production and morphological development in Streptomyces clavuligerus. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 43(4): 537-555.
4. Fyans, J. K., Bown, L. and Bignell, D. R. (2016). Isolation and Characterization of Plant-Pathogenic Streptomyces Species Associated with Common Scab-Infected Potato Tubers in Newfoundland. Phytopathology 106(2): 123-131.
5. Cheng, Z., Bown, L., Tahlan, K. and Bignell, D. R. (2015). Regulation of coronafacoyl phytotoxin production by the PAS-LuxR family regulator CfaR in the common scab pathogen Streptomyces scabies. PLoS One 10(3): e0122450.
6. Fyans, J. K., Altowairish, M. S., Li, Y. and Bignell, D. R. (2015). Characterization of the Coronatine-Like Phytotoxins Produced by the Common Scab Pathogen Streptomyces scabies. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 28(4): 443-454.
7. Huguet-Tapia, J. C., Bignell, D. R. and Loria, R. (2014). Characterization of the integration and modular excision of the integrative conjugative element PAISt in Streptomyces turgidiscabies Car8. PLoS One 9(6): e99345.
8. Bignell, D. R., Francis, I. M., Fyans, J. K. and Loria, R. (2014). Thaxtomin A production and virulence are controlled by several bld gene global regulators in Streptomyces scabies. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 27(8): 875-885.
9. Bignell, D. R., Fyans, J. K. and Cheng, Z. (2014). Phytotoxins produced by plant pathogenic Streptomyces species. J Appl Microbiol 116(2): 223-235.
10. Fyans, J. K., Bignell, D., Loria, R., Toth, I. and Palmer, T. (2013). The ESX/type VII secretion system modulates development, but not virulence, of the plant pathogen Streptomyces scabies. Mol Plant Pathol 14(2): 119-130.
11. Bignell, D. R., Huguet-Tapia, J. C., Joshi, M. V., Pettis, G. S. and Loria, R. (2010). What does it take to be a plant pathogen: genomic insights from Streptomyces species. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 98(2): 179-194.
12. Bignell, D. R., Seipke, R. F., Huguet-Tapia, J. C., Chambers, A. H., Parry, R. J. and Loria, R. (2010). Streptomyces scabies 87-22 contains a coronafacic acid-like biosynthetic cluster that contributes to plant-microbe interactions. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 23(2): 161-175.
13. Johnson, E. G., Krasnoff, S. B., Bignell, D. R., Chung, W. C., Tao, T., Parry, R. J., Loria, R. and Gibson, D. M. (2009). 4-Nitrotryptophan is a substrate for the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase TxtB in the thaxtomin A biosynthetic pathway. Mol Microbiol 73(3): 409-418.
14. Parashar, A., Colvin, K. R., Bignell, D. R. and Leskiw, B. K. (2009). BldG and SCO3548 interact antagonistically to control key developmental processes in Streptomyces coelicolor. J Bacteriol 191(8): 2541-2550.
15. Loria, R., Bignell, D. R., Moll, S., Huguet-Tapia, J. C., Joshi, M. V., Johnson, E. G., Seipke, R. F. and Gibson, D. M. (2008). Thaxtomin biosynthesis: the path to plant pathogenicity in the genus Streptomyces. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 94(1): 3-10.
16. Joshi, M. V., Bignell, D. R., Johnson, E. G., Sparks, J. P., Gibson, D. M. and Loria, R. (2007). The AraC/XylS regulator TxtR modulates thaxtomin biosynthesis and virulence in Streptomyces scabies. Mol Microbiol 66(3): 633-642.
17. Bignell, D. R., Bate, N. and Cundliffe, E. (2007). Regulation of tylosin production: role of a TylP-interactive ligand. Mol Microbiol 63(3): 838-847.
18. Bate, N., Bignell, D. R. and Cundliffe, E. (2006). Regulation of tylosin biosynthesis involving 'SARP-helper' activity. Mol Microbiol 62(1): 148-156.
19. Bignell, D. R., Tahlan, K., Colvin, K. R., Jensen, S. E. and Leskiw, B. K. (2005). Expression of ccaR, encoding the positive activator of cephamycin C and clavulanic acid production in Streptomyces clavuligerus, is dependent on bldG. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 49(4): 1529-1541.
20. Bignell, D. R., Lau, L. H., Colvin, K. R. and Leskiw, B. K. (2003). The putative anti-anti-sigma factor BldG is post-translationally modified by phosphorylation in Streptomyces coelicolor. FEMS Microbiol Lett 225(1): 93-99.
21. Bignell, D. R., Warawa, J. L., Strap, J. L., Chater, K. F. and Leskiw, B. K. (2000). Study of the bldG locus suggests that an anti-anti-sigma factor and an anti-sigma factor may be involved in Streptomyces coelicolor antibiotic production and sporulation. Microbiology 146 ( Pt 9): 2161-2173.