Rate My Professor Andrew Jones

Dr Andrew K. Jones is a Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology and Genomics in the School of Biological and Medical Sciences at Oxford Brookes University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. He obtained his BSc in Biochemistry from Imperial College London in 1996 and his PhD from the University of Leeds in 2000, with his doctoral research investigating acetylcholinesterase and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of the blood fluke Schistosoma. From 2001 to 2011, Jones worked as a researcher on invertebrate cys-loop ligand-gated ion channels at the MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford. He then undertook a year of postdoctoral research at the Botnar Institute, Oxford, before taking up his current position at Oxford Brookes University in 2012. Additionally, he serves as a Postgraduate Research Tutor and lead for the Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership (Oxon DTP).

Jones's research focuses on the gene diversity, functional, and pharmacological properties of cys-loop ligand-gated ion channels in insects, employing genome sequence analysis, molecular biology techniques, and electrophysiology. His studies target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, GABA receptors, and glutamate-gated chloride channels, which are primary sites for insecticides, and explore mutations conferring pesticide resistance. He has contributed substantially to insect genomics through co-authorship on high-impact publications, including 'The genome of the model beetle and pest Tribolium castaneum' (Nature, 2008), 'Insights into social insects from the genome of the honeybee Apis mellifera' (Nature, 2006), 'Genome Sequence of the Pea Aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum' (PLoS Biology, 2010), and 'Improved reference genome of Aedes aegypti informs arbovirus vector control' (Nature, 2018). Recent works encompass 'Characterisation of an unusual nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtype preferentially sensitive to biogenic amines' (Communications Biology, 2025), 'The cys-loop ligand-gated ion channel gene superfamilies of the Lepidopteran species, Bombyx mori and Chilo suppressalis' (Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2025), and investigations into insecticide resistance mechanisms in vectors like Aedes albopictus (Insects, 2024). His contributions enhance understanding of insect neuropharmacology, supporting advancements in pest control and resistance management strategies.