Dr Vartul Sangal

Assistant Professor

School: Geography and Natural Sciences

Dr Sangal completed his Ph.D. at the Max-Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin followed by postdoctoral research at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. He established his independent research at Northumbria University as an Anniversary Research Fellow and was appointed as a Senior Lecturer in Cellular and Molecular Sciences in September 2016.

Dr Sangal works in collaboration with many research groups both nationally and internationally and delivered invited talks in several international conferences.

Email Vartul

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Dr Sangal is interested in evolutionary and genetic analysis of whole genome sequences of bacteria and microbial community analysis of soil samples from challenging environments using computational approaches. His group works on identification and characterisation of novel virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria using molecular techniques. His research also emphasises the importance of incorporating genome sequence-based approaches into systematics for a reliable identification and classification of prokaryotic taxa.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
A native bacterial consortium degrades estriol in domestic sewage and activated sludge via the 4,5- seco pathway and requires estriol to retain its biodegradation phenotype, Hashem, J., Ismail, W., Chiang, Y., Sangal, V., Hentati, D., Abotalib, N., Bekhit, A. 7 Oct 2025, In: Microbiology Spectrum
Antrihabitans spumae sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from stable foams formed in wastewater treatment plants, and emended description of the genus Antrihabitans, Suescún-Sepúlveda, J., Riesco, R., Petrovski, S., Soddell, J., Sangal, V., Jones, A., Sánchez- Juanes, F., Seviour, R., Goodfellow, M., Trujillo, M. 28 Feb 2025, In: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Genomic analysis of Aeromonas species isolated from retail foods suggests an under-investigated population, Harding-Crooks, R., Macori, G., Sangal, V., Jones, A., Smith, D., Fanning, S., Fox, E. 2 Nov 2025, In: International Journal of Food Microbiology
Entering Poorly Charted Waters: The Biology of the Filamentous Acid-Loving Actinomycetes and Acidimicrobia, Golińska, P., Goodfellow, M., Sangal, V. 6 Feb 2024, Actinomycetes in Marine and Extreme Environments , Abingdon, CRC Press
Environmental microbiome in the home and daycare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic, and potential risk of non-communicable disease in children, McKay, J., Crown, M., Bashton, M., Pearce, D., Entwistle, J., Sangal, V. Feb 2024, In: Environmental Microbiology Reports
In memoriam - Michael Goodfellow (1941 - 2024), Embley, M., Sangal, V., Sutcliffe, I., Trujillo, M. 15 Apr 2024, In: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Is the bacterial genus name Rhodococcus Zopf 1891 illegitimate? Request for an Opinion, Goodfellow, M., Oren, A., Sangal, V., Sutcliffe, I. 25 Jan 2024, In: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Phylogenomic analyses of multidrug resistant Corynebacterium striatum strains isolated from patients in a tertiary care hospital in the UK, Sangal, V., Marrs, E., Nelson, A., Perry, J. 1 Jul 2024, In: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Phylogenomic diversity within Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a re-emerging threat to global public health, Sangal, V., Burkovski, A. 1 May 2024, Phylogenomics, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Elsevier
Phylogenomic diversity within Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a reemerging threat to global public health, Burkovski, A., Sangal, V. May 2024, Phylogenomics, London, Elsevier

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Invited talk: 6th Meeting of Bergey’s International Society for Microbial Systematics (BISMiS 2025): Novel microbial diversity: shaping our health, environment and economy 2025
Oral presentation: 20th International Symposium on the Biology of Actinomycetes (ISBA2025): Phylogenomic structure of new actinobacterial genus Rhodococcoides 2025
Other: Poster: Distinct microbial communities in acidic forest soil environments with capacities to produce novel biomolecules. 2025
Invited talk: 9th International Weigl Conference, University of Rzeszów - Distinct microbial communities in acidic forest soil environments with capacities to produce novel biomolecules  2024
Invited talk: Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun - Environmental microbiome: shaping our health, environment and economy 2024
Invited talk: Bergey’s International Society for Microbial Systematics: Spatiotemporal variations in the honeybee gut microbiome with capacity to produce novel biomolecules 2023
Invited talk: Legitimate, illegitimate, valid, correct, rejected: negotiating a nomenclatural minefield with Prescottella equi. 2023
Invited talk: London Interdisciplinary Biosciences Consortium (LIDo) Lecture Week: Impact of vaccine on evolutionary dynamics of human pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae 2021
Invited talk: University of Cambridge: Influence of vaccine on evolution of Corynebacterium diphtheriae 2020
Oral presentation: Application of whole genome sequencing to exploring intra-generic heterogeneity 2018

PGR Supervision

Megan Paterson Molecular characterisation of novel pathways for cell envelope protein localisation in Rhodococcus equi Start Date: 01/10/2017
Esther Smith Diagnosing asthma using PBM-Hale: comparing cytokines and the microbiome in exhaled breath condensate Start Date: 01/02/2024 End Date: 17/10/2025
Esther Smith Diagnosing asthma using PBM-Hale: comparing cytokines and the microbiome in exhaled breath condensate Start Date: 01/02/2024
Megan Paterson Molecular characterisation of novel pathways for cell envelope protein localisation in Rhodococcus equi Start Date: 01/10/2017 End Date: 17/10/2025