Applied Microbiology International summer studentship

Undergraduate student Nicole Sibanda joined us in the lab this summer, funded by the Applied Microbiology International summer studentship. Nicole worked in the lab with Ph.D. student Brandon Moulds, to investigate the reusability of a novel catalyst for norovirus disinfection.

Nicole and Brandon

Lab meeting - August 2023

Nicole said of the experience, "During my internship, I had the privilege to engage in various tasks that provided me with a comprehensive understanding of microbiology and its practical applications.

"The hand-on experience of assessing the efficacy of cleaning products in killing norovirus has broadened my perspective on the practical aspects of combating pathogens. One of my highlights was delving into my independent research on norovirus and the potential implications for disinfection strategies by hydrogen peroxide and the catalyst.

"The skills I have acquired during my time in the lab, including laboratory maintenance practices, will undoubtedly be valuable as I pursue my Masters degree. I am extremely confident that the insights gained during my internship will be instrumental in shaping my career in the pharmaceutical industry in the coming years."

Through the eight week project, Nicole developed our understanding of the stability and activity of the catalyst following various treatments. She is now undertaking an MSc in Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Manchester.

If you are interested in completing a summer studentship in the lab, get in touch!

DMU Doctoral College Showcase 2023

The annual Doctoral College Showcase, this year held on 8th June, gives PGR students from all Faculties in DMU an opportunity to celebrate their work and present their research.

A total of 40 students presented their research through posters, ten minute presentations, or three minute flash talks as part of the 3MT three-minute thesis competition. Topics ranged across various disciplines, covering Identity, Sustainability, Societal Impact, and Digital Society.

Ph.D. Gemma Cooper gave a fantastic presentation on her research 'Plants to Drugs: The Search for Novel Antivirals', for the first time to a non-specialist audience. Huge congratulations to Gemma on winning both the Judge's Choice and People's Choice in the Excellent Presentation Competition!

Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2023

The Microbiology Society Annual Conference is a leading conference attracting virologists and microbiologists from across the UK and globally. This year, the conference was held on 17 - 20th April, in Manchester UK.

The conference included several keynote talks focussing on understanding the development of pandemics, the importance of microbial sequencing, and new advances in structural studies. The Prize Medal 2023 Lecture by Prof Wendy Barclay (Imperial College London, UK) on Perspectives on Pandemics was a brilliant and accessible summary of Prof Barclay's research on transmissibility of respiratory viruses, particularly the adaptations influenza virus and coronaviruses have to undergo to make them transmit between humans. Prof Ravi Gupta's (University of Cambridge, UK) Translational Microbiology Prize Lecture comprehensively covered the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and their impact on host immunity. Prof Iruka Okeke (University of Ibadan, Nigeria) gave an inspirational Peter Wildy Prize Lecture on the importance of bringing the people outside into the scientific community to expand access to microbiology and pathogen genomics research globally.

Alongside, several workshops showcased novel research in SARS-CoV-2 biology and immunity, DNA viruses and RNA viruses. A particular highlight were two talks focussing on single-molecule microscopy in the Microns Apart: Viral Organisation of a Crowded Cell workshop. Prof Marvin Tanenbaum (TU Delft, Netherlands) presented their work on a single-molecule imaging assay to visualise individual viral RNAs to during the very early stages of picornavirus infections; at one point generating an audible gasp of amazement from the audience by a video showing a single fluorescent vRNA molecule enter a cell, followed by a burst of several fluorescent foci indicating translating vRNAs in the infected cell! The second talk by Prof Kevin Welsher (Duke University, USA) showcased a single-particle tracking method with simultaneous volumetric imaging of the cell (3D-Trlm) to visualise the extracellular phase of infection, tracking individual virus particles outside the cell before entry occurs.

Ph.D. student Gemma Cooper, and Maitreyi Shivkumar presented posters on our antiviral research in the SARS-CoV-2 section, focussing on investigating the antiviral activity of natural product-derived and synthetic xanthones, and natural product volatiles. Maitreyi also presented a flash talk at the Teaching Symposium on outreach activity Escape Lab, based on our antiviral drug discovery research.

Overall, the conference was a great opportunity for us to present our research, get feedback from the community, and return to the lab with so many ideas for our next experiments!