DrNicholas Brereton

Dr Nicholas Brereton is an interdisciplinary biologist specialising in the genetics of cross-kingdom interactions, with particular focus on microbiome dynamics in clinical, agricutlural and extreme environments. He received an MSc in Plant Biotechnology in 2007 and a PhD in Bioenergy in 2011 from Imperial College London.

Following research roles at Mycologix Ltd and Imperial College, he held a Research Fellowship at the University of Montreal, Canada, where he explored plant-microbe metatranscriptomics in phytoremediation systems and co-founded Transcriptomic Solutions Inc. He has since consulted on human, environmental and space microbiome projects, contributing to studies on missions including Mars500, ISS Rodent Research-6, Inspiration-4, and Axiom-1 missions.

In 2023, Dr Brereton joined University College Dublin as an Ad Astra Fellow and Assistant Professor in the School of Biology and Environmental Science. He serves on two NASA GeneLab Analysis Working Groups and the ESA Space Omics Topical Team. He leads the ESA funded projects exploring plant-microbe interactions and human gut microbiome radiosensitivity, and works on DAFM funded projects exploring biostimulant use in sustainable agriculture and bee microbiome health. His work integrates multiomics and open science approaches across clinical and environmental systems.