Rate My Professor Tracy Palmer

Professor Tracy Palmer is Professor of Microbiology in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University. She obtained a B.Sc. in Biochemistry with First Class Honours from the University of Birmingham in 1988 and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the same institution in 1991 under Professor J.B. Jackson. Her postdoctoral research began at the University of Birmingham and continued at the University of Dundee with Professor D.H. Boxer from 1992 to 1993. Subsequent appointments include University Research Fellow at the University of Dundee (1993-1996), Royal Society University Research Fellow at the John Innes Centre (1996-2004), MRC Senior Non-Clinical Research Fellow at the John Innes Centre (2004-2007), Professor of Molecular Microbiology at the University of Dundee (2007-2018) where she headed the Division of Molecular Microbiology from 2009 to 2017, and since 2018, Professor of Microbiology at Newcastle University, leading the Microbes in Health and Disease Theme in the Biosciences Institute.

Palmer's research specializes in bacterial protein secretion systems, focusing on the Type VII secretion pathway (T7SS) in Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium abscessus. Her group has identified key substrates like the nuclease EsaD, toxins TspA and TslA, and elucidated mechanisms of interbacterial competition and phage defense. She co-discovered the Twin-Arginine Translocation (Tat) system for folded protein export. Notable contributions include development of E. coli strains for molybdenum cofactor studies. Key publications encompass 'Multiple variants of the type VII secretion system in Gram-positive bacteria' (microLife, 2024), 'A type VII-secreted lipase toxin with reverse domain arrangement' (Nature Communications, 2023), 'High-throughput functional analysis provides novel insight into type VII secretion in Staphylococcus aureus' (Open Biology, 2024), and 'Distinct immunity protein families mediate compartment-specific neutralization of a bacterial toxin' (Cell Reports, 2025). Her accolades include Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS, 2018), Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci, 2021), Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE, 2009), EMBO membership (2017), American Academy of Microbiology fellowship (2015), and Microbiology Society Fleming Medal (2002). Her discoveries have profoundly influenced understanding of bacterial antagonism and secretion machineries.