Thomas Barry

Dr Barry has over 25 years research experience in the discovery of microbial biomarkers and the development of these biomarkers for use in nucleic acid diagnostics technologies. Dr Barry is the research director of the Nucleic Acid Diagnostics Research Laboratory (NADRL), in Microbiology at NUIG. The research group consists of the director, 1 senior research postdoctoral scientist, 2 postdoctoral scientists, 1 research assistant, 3 PhD students and 2 MSc students. Research interests are primarily focused on the biodiscovery, development and commercialisation of platform nucleic acid based diagnostics technologies for the detection and identification of microbial pathogens and contaminants. ?

Dr Barry is the inventor of the microbial platform nucleic acid based diagnostics, Internal Transcribed Spacer-Probe, RiboSEQ, MycoTECH, MycoSEQ, MtSEQ and RiboTECH technologies. These technologies, over the past 5 years, have generated approximately €7.3 million in funding and revenue through industry driven commercial product research and development and through intellectual property licensing agreements. Associated technologies are embedded in international multinational and SME companies (1 Irish) and with NAD products in the marketplace or products due to be released shortly into the marketplace. Public agency research funding of approximately €1.7 million has also been generated over the past five years.