Dr Murphy graduated with a BSc (1994) and PhD (1998) from the Queens University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. This was followed by postdoctoral research in Dalhousie University, Canada, and St Andrews University Scotland. He was appointed as an assistant lecturer in University College Dublin in 2001 and is currently a professor of microbiology there. His research interests include the biosynthesis and biotransformation of fluorinated xenobiotics and the application of biofilms in biocatalysis and biodegradation.