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Come and learn about the smaller things in life. In collaboration with the British Ecological Society, we bring to you two talks on algae and bacteriophages- dive into the world of the absolutely minuscule and find out what they are and how their uses vary- from providing us with medicine to being the cause of bacterial infections. What’s more, there will be customised Pint of Science goodies up for grabs! Please note that this event takes place on the ground floor and is accessible for those with impaired mobility.
All The World’s a Phage
Dr. Chloe James
(Lecturer in Medical Microbiology, University of Salford)
Bacteriophages are the most abundant life forms on earth. They infect bacterial cells and play a key role in their evolution. Some phages rapidly kill their bacterial hosts and have been developed as antibacterial therapeutics whilst others integrate into bacterial DNA to become dormant prophages. We know that there is an abundance of active prophages in the body. However, little is known about what triggers their activity and how they influence the resident bacteria. This talk describes the role of phages in driving the evolution of disease-causing bacteria.
The Good, the Bad and the Algae
Dr. Andrew Dean,
(Lecturer in Environmental Microbiology, Manchester Metropolitan University)
Algae are a diverse group of photosynthetic organisms, and range in size from microscopic single cells, to huge seaweeds more than 45m in length. Algae are pretty to look at, but can also be good for us. They can fertilise our fields, provide us with food, medicines and health products, and an alternative source of energy. They can even help us solve murders! But too much algae can be a bad thing. Algal blooms can deplete oxygen and cause dead zones in lakes and oceans, and release potent toxins causing mass mortalities in sea life, and human illness and death through poisoned seafood. Eek.
What lies beneath … and why you should care
Professor Jon Lloyd
(Professor of Geomicrobiology, University of Manchester)
I will talk about the “unseen majority”, the microorganisms that surround us and control the chemistry of our planet, but cannot be seen by the naked eye. I will focus on microorganisms that live in the ground beneath our feet, from those that thrive in the first few inches of soils to more exotic and poorly understood organisms residing at kilometre depths in underlying rocks and sediments. They are responsible for the natural cycling of the elements of life, give clues to the living processes that we may find on other planets and they also may hold the key to sustainable human existence.
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