Escape Lab: A Journey of Drug Discovery

During British Science Week 2025, we packed up and took Escape Lab to various audiences across four exciting events: 

• Secondary school children at the DMU Teen Tech festival

• Year 5 students at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy Leicester

• Year 5 students at Forest Lodge Academy, Leicester

• Family Day at Science Oxford Centre

We had an absolute blast engaging with over 250 children, sparking curiosity and enthusiasm for science. We especially enjoyed all the questions from the students, which lead to some fantastic discussions ranging from the earliest medicines, the most interesting places we can find viruses, and what it's like to study at University! ​

A huge thank you to the Microbiology Society and Biochemical Society for their Outreach Grants to help fund these events. Thanks also to all our amazing volunteers, the DMU Widening Participation Team for their invaluable support. ​​

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Escape Lab through the eyes of Microbiology Society staff, Adam and Clare, during their visit to De Montfort University! You can find more pictures of the activities in our Escape Lab Gallery.

New blog post: Tackling norovirus

One of our research interests is focussed on infection control of norovirus.

In a new feature article for the Applied Microbiology International magazine, The Microbiologist, Ph.D. student Brandon Moulds writes about tackling norovirus with an improved disinfection system, a novel polyacrylonitrile (PAN) catalyst to enhance the efficacy of biocides such as hydrogen peroxide.

The article was published in The Microbiologist in October 2024, and has also been reproduced on our blog here.

Life Beyond PhD Conference 2024

PhD student Gemma Cooper was selected by the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, to attend the Life Beyond PhD Conference at Cumberland Lodge from 12 - 16 August 2024. This prestigious annual conference brings together postgraduate doctoral students from a range of disciplines to explore academic research, and develop collaborations and public engagement skills.

Of the experience, Gemma said, "Attending the Life beyond the PhD conference at Cumberland Lodge was an unforgettable experience. The conference took place on the Windsor estate, and the breathtaking surroundings added an extra layer of magic to the event.  

Picturesque views at Cumberland Lodge

"The conference covered valuable topics like communication, presenting for different audiences, and social media strategies for research. A memorable session focused on writing skills, where we explored different styles of writing about our research - I even managed to describe my PhD in the form of a haiku, which was a challenge! A personal highlight was delivering an impromptu, inspiring talk about the benefits of being a night owl, which I managed to pull off with just 5 minutes of preparation.

The event was geared towards collaborative working. This was especially evident in a role-play session where we were split into groups with different roles and tasked with finding a solution to a proposed dam. Different groups, each representing stakeholders like engineers, environmentalists, and local residents, had to come together to discuss solutions. One group played activists and staged enthusiastic protests, which made the session very energetic and interactive. Our group (the scientists) came up with the fun idea of using a beaver-built dam as part of the solution! It was a fantastic session that brought together a lot of the skills we learned throughout the week and was highly engaging.

Gemma presents a beaver-based solution to a proposed dam

Delegates enjoy a game of croquet

Delates at the Life Beyond PhD 2024 conferece

I gained an amazing group of friends, all with very different backgrounds and interests. Overall, the conference was a unique experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally."