Disease: inside and out

For good human growth and health, our body produces proteins which perform different functions within our cells. The creation of proteins known as “protein biosynthesis” and the environment in which the process sits is complex, and challenging for researchers to replicate. Join Patrick for an exciting journey into modern research techniques which allows the removal of the biosynthetic machinery from a cell, helping to simplify the research process and open up a whole new technology for use in biotech, medicine and synthetic biology.

The pregnancy test hasn’t changed for over 40 years, which is fine if you live in a developed country with lower temperatures or air-con. But what if you live in a hot developing country, and instead of testing for pregnancy you want to test for cholera or malaria? In fact, current diagnostics have major flaws for use in the developing world. In this talk Alex  will ask if we can fix these problems by viewing the world as less biology and more like Lego. If we did, could we use chemical Lego to make a robust diagnostic for less than $1 and help the 1.3 billion people at risk of cholera?

It's a typically mundane Wednesday in Class 4B, but events take a sinister turn when Polly, Aiden and Mo develop a stomach bug. It doesn't stop there, as similar reports flood in from other local schools. We need your help to prevent this outbreak from going viral and save the children of Warwickshire! In this interactive session, you the audience investigate and manage an outbreak. You will make the decisions and determine the outcome! The session will demonstrate how real outbreaks are managed, what can go wrong if they are mismanaged, and how research supports infectious disease control.