Rob Fagan
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robfagan.bsky.social
Rob Fagan
@robfagan.bsky.social
2.3K followers 2.4K following 500 posts
Lead for Molecular Microbiology @sheffielduni.bsky.social
@molmicrosheffield.bsky.social

#SEN parent, #AngelmanSyndrome

Clostridial cell biology, AMR & bacteriophage structure and function

He/Him

https://sites.google.com/sheffield.ac.uk/fagan-lab/
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robfagan.bsky.social
Our puppy turned 1 today. I think I managed to tire her out on a muddy walk!
Yellow Labrador Pip asleep with her head on my shoulder. Just visible is the grey wet robe she's wearing
February 7, 2026 at 10:35 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Been working flat out since Christmas so decided to take today off. Afternoon plans out the window after a call from Mr4's school. Never work with children or animals 🤣
Mr4 sitting beside me on the couch. He's watching a video on his tablet and Labrador puppy Pip is asleep beside him
January 12, 2026 at 1:58 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
And this is how it ends - 30kg lapdog. We'll both sleep well tonight
Pip wearing a very fetching grey bathrobe, asleep in my lap
January 9, 2026 at 9:42 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
A quick mental health break before the final grant submission push. Never too cold for a dip if you're a Labrador!
January 9, 2026 at 10:47 AM
robfagan.bsky.social
The finished product!
Mr4 with his completed Lego technic truck
December 31, 2025 at 5:48 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Some Lego fun with Mr4 on New Year's Eve!
Mr4 leaning on a Lego manual, assembling a small truck transmission. In the background on the table is a partially built truck cab and a plate of grapes
December 31, 2025 at 4:04 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Eventful Thursday! Pip cut her paw on something in our house, leading to a quick trip to the vets for some super glue. So she's had to come into the office with me. Apologies to everyone I've talked to today for the barking Labrador in the background!
Labrador puppy Pip wearing her very fetching green and orange harness, sitting on a green carpet in my office with some wooden drawers in the background. On her front right paw is a bandage covered with a green rubber boot
December 18, 2025 at 1:10 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Congratulations to the new Dr @bexx-menday.bsky.social! And huge thanks to fantastic examiners Peter Rosenthal and Ellie Harrison
Dr Becky Menday cutting a three level sponge cake. On the table are many bottles of bubbly
December 5, 2025 at 9:57 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Have a Pip and Toby!
Pip the Labrador and Toby the Cavalier King Charles spaniel lying side by side on our couch
December 2, 2025 at 10:54 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Inseparable
A black and white photo of Mr4 and Pip the Labrador. They are laying on the sofa in opposite directions with Mr4's head resting on Pip's. Pip is asleep
November 23, 2025 at 11:53 AM
robfagan.bsky.social
3. Predicting pathogen evolution: using experimental evolution to understand the impact of phage therapy on Clostridioides difficile
Led by Ellie Harrison. Experimental evolution and phage!

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
November 3, 2025 at 1:44 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
1. Characterising the role of the dual-function VanT in C. difficile vancomycin resistance.
A collaboration between our group in @molmicrosheffield.bsky.social and the groups of @gavinhthomas.bsky.social and Marjan van der Woude at the University of York

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
A simplified version of Figure 4 from our paper https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002741 describing the evolution of vancomycin resistance in C. difficile. The shows phase contract and fluorescence microscopy images of a wild type and a vancomycin resistant C. difficile. In the fluorescence channel can be seen vancomycin -bodipy binding to the mid-cells of wild type cells but this labelling is absent in the resistant bacteria
October 31, 2025 at 3:44 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Thanks to @abigailroberts.bsky.social for organising the party and taking photos!
Anne with her supervisors - William (Mack) Durham and me!
October 23, 2025 at 10:11 AM
robfagan.bsky.social
And just like that PhD student number 9 has finished! Congratulations Dr @anneswilliams.bsky.social and huge thanks to @claireyt.bsky.social and Laurence Wilson for acting as examiners. In the chaos yesterday I didn't get a photo so instead here's a drawing of our puppy by multi-talented Dr Williams
A drawing of yellow Labrador puppy Pip sitting on grass and with a purple giant microbe C. diff beside her
October 23, 2025 at 8:47 AM
robfagan.bsky.social
Nesting habits of a 60lb Labrador puppy. So well camouflaged I almost didn't see her....
Pip the Labrador puppy on our couch. She has made a nest for herself among the cushions.
October 21, 2025 at 1:14 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Making the most of a few days off before I have to get back to the day job! I think I've finally found the puppy's limit
Yellow Labrador puppy Pip in the woods looking into a small stream flowing down a steep hill. The steam is actually artificial, the last remaining sign of a mill today used to stand on this site A close up of Pip's face - she looks very happy Pip fast asleep on our couch
September 24, 2025 at 12:23 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Mission accomplished!
Pip asleep on a brown couch
September 18, 2025 at 12:13 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
There are definite benefits to living on the edge of the Peak District. 5 min walk from our front door we reach the edge of the woods and after that the only limit is my legs. Today's mission was to clear my head and tire out the puppy
A shallow river running through a forest. A yellow Labrador puppy is just about visible, having just come out of the water Pip, a yellow Labrador puppy, standing on a rocky path through the forest. She is looking expectantly at the camera waiting for a treat Pip resting her chin on a rough cut stone wall with a small waterfall in the background
September 18, 2025 at 12:12 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Sigh...
A close up photo of a very dirty Labrador puppy's face. She is a 7 month old yellow lab - although covered in mud so her coat looks darker
September 15, 2025 at 8:09 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Final product!
Mr4 pudding with his new Lego police car
September 6, 2025 at 10:17 AM
robfagan.bsky.social
Saturday morning Lego fun with Mr4!
Mr4, in a green and white horizontal stripey t-shirt, sitting at a low wooden table, looking at the instruction book for a Lego police car. The Lego pieces are spread out on the table in front of him
September 6, 2025 at 9:33 AM
robfagan.bsky.social
I don't think I'm going to be allowed to move from this spot for a while
Selfie of Rob and Pip. Pip is a 7 month old yellow Labrador puppy
September 5, 2025 at 12:11 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
Our French hosts really outdid themselves with the venue for last night's #ClostPath2025 congress dinner. A fantastic night, a fantastic week of science and now just two years to wait to do it all again in Rio
A view of the Eiffel Tower at night taken from a boat on the river Seine. The tower is brightly lit gold and a search light extends from the top
September 5, 2025 at 10:45 AM
robfagan.bsky.social
Lab on tour - the wonderful #ClostPath2025 organisers have arranged great walking tours. Guess where we are?
@lilia-elle.bsky.social, @funnirudh.bsky.social and Rob somewhere in Paris
September 3, 2025 at 5:23 PM
robfagan.bsky.social
The posters are done so we're officially ready for #ClostPath2025 @pasteur.fr next week. Now all I have to do is submit a programme grant and 3 PhD studentship applications and I'll be good to go too!
@lilia-elle.bsky.social‬ in our PhD student office holding up her freshly printed poster - describing some of her work on the C. difficile stringent response
August 28, 2025 at 5:01 PM