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No matter how well you wash, humans contain trillions of microorganisms, making up more than half of the cells in your body. How does a day in the sun affect the bacteria that live on your skin? How can we make new materials to stop the next viral outbreak? In what way do fungi effect our everyday lives? From allies to enemies, beer to antibiotics, jump under the microscope and explore the world of the tiny creatures that live inside your body!
How bacteria might help us combat sun damage
Cath O'Neill
(Professor of Translational Dermatology, The University of Manchester)
The major function of the skin is to act as a 2-way barrier that stops us from leaking water from the inside and prevents anything harmful from entering the body from the outside. Additionally, skin protects the body from the potentially harmful effects of sunlight and is home to millions of bacteria. My talk focuses on understanding how the bacteria that live on the skin might help it to perform its function as a barrier, and in particular, how bacteria might protect the skin form sun damage.
How materials can beat a virus
Sam Jones
(Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Fellow in the Department of Materials, The University of Manchester)
My research group explores the exciting field of virus/material interactions. Understanding how viruses interact with the world around us will allow for improvements in vaccines, antivirals, viral detection, gene therapies, medical textiles and many other research areas. Our research sits at the interface of chemistry, biology and materials science and relies upon strong multi-disciplinary research.
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