Welcome to the Hendrickson Lab! We work on the evolution of bacteria.

Bacteria rule the planet. In the Hendrickson lab in the Biology Department at the University of Canterbury we use a combination of experimental evolution, bacterial genomics, cell biology, genome sequencing, and genetics to study important transitions in microbiology. We are currently pursuing projects that involve using bacteriophages to protect New Zealand's primary industries against bacterial pathogens. We also study the evolution of bacterial cell shape, virulence and endosymbiosis. For more information on specific projects see the tabs to the left or head to the Research page.

Projects at the University of Canterbury:

Heather has worked previously and maintains an active interest in Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT), chromosome architecture, and bacteriophages. You can find links to this work on the Publications page.

The lab is also actively involved in communicating science to the public. You can find links to videos, articles and recordings on the Science Communication page or check out Heather's blog on Wordpress at "This Microbial Life".