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Other Newcastle events

Fighting the invisible killers

Past event - 2017
15 May 7:30pm - 09:30pm (Doors open @ 7pm)
The Old George, Old George Yard,
Newcastle NE1 1EZ
Sold Out!
Microbes can cause everything from colds to deadly infections. We are running out of antibiotics to treat our infections efficiently hence microbial disease require our attention. During this evening we will discuss how microbes cause infection, how our body tries to fight them and what can we do to win this war. Please note this venue has a strict no under 18’s policy. The function room is accessed by stairs and there is no lift.

Fishing for knowledge: zebrafish & science

Juliane Mueller (Research Associate, Newcastle University)
The zebrafish (or zebra danio) is a small tropical freshwater fish, originally found in rivers on the Indian subcontinent. It owes his name to its characteristic black and white stripes. In the 1970s and 1980s, the zebrafish has been used to study basic processes of body and organ development. In recent years, zebrafish have taken the world of medical genetics by storm and have become one of the main animal models in the laboratory. I will explain how this inconspicuous little fish has become one of our major helpers in understanding and fighting inherited diseases.

Genomic scissors in action - future of medicine?

Michele Giuta (Research Associate, Newcastle University)
A brief introduction to this new genome editing technology which makes ‘cut and paste’ of our genes easier than ever before. It has already changed the world of research and promises to change our lives in the next years. Since the discovery of its biological role in bacteria almost 30 years ago we will learn how it works and how this system can be exploited to fight cancer and control malaria.

The Macrophage: The Dark Knight of the human body

Dr Katarzyna Mickiewicz (Research Associate, Newcastle University)
Macrophages are at the forefront of our innate immune defences. Like silent guardians, they patrol all parts of our body in search of pathogens in order to eliminate them. My talk will focus on the various strategies that macrophages employ to detect and destroy bacteria and how pathogens, in turn, protect themselves against the host immune system.
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