What's in the Freezer? Stories of Science from mud to blood and everything inbetween!

Is there something you’d like researchers to look into? Do you think research could be done better? Have you ever read about research findings and found them confusing? You’re not alone — and your perspective matters. Join this interactive session to discover how you can have a real say in research. From shaping questions to sharing results, your ideas, experiences, and curiosity can help make research more relevant, inclusive, and impactful.

Cancer research doesn’t start in a lab — it starts with people. Behind every breakthrough is a biobank storing precious patient samples that fuel discovery. As biobank technicians, we work at the frontline of this process. In this talk, we’ll reveal how donated tissue becomes data, how samples are safeguarded, and why this quiet, meticulous work is vital to developing better diagnostics and treatments. This is the unseen engine behind modern cancer research.

When you think of fungal infections, you might think of athlete’s foot or ringworm. But some infections are far more dangerous. Aspergillosis is a serious infection of the lungs caused by breathing in tiny bits of mould. We rely on a handful of drugs to treat these infections, but fungi are fighting back. They are becoming resistant because the same chemicals used in medicine are also used to protect crops from fungi. This talk will explore how this “dual-use” is driving a global health threat, and how research at Manchester is supporting policy change to keep our life-saving medicines working