His research focuses on microbial cell-cell interactions and the development of surface associated communities, called biofilms. The research is a mixture of applied and fundamental science aimed at elucidating the genetic mechanisms that drive interactions between bacteria as well as between bacteria and higher organisms. Specific themes include the roles of filamentous phage in biofilm development, quorum sensing signalling, microbial induced corrosion, the biofilm matrix, and microbial predator-prey dynamics. In addition to studying single species, population-based biofilms to discover novel mechanisms to control biofilms, he is also actively studying mixed species biofilms. These mixed species communities display emergent properties that increase the resilience of the community when stressed. Such communities may be inherently stable based on niche adaptation and this can be exploited to monitor disturbances in the community, indicative of invading species. Mixed species communities are important in environmental processes, such as biological fouling, as mediators of corrosion of steel and concrete infrastructure and fouling of water purification systems. Microbial communities play important roles in host health, where they may contribute to good health, e.g. by excluding pathogens or providing the host essential nutrients. Alternatively, microbial communities are also associated with infections and in particular, chronic infections.