I’m Rebecca, a second year PhD student part of the medical research foundation national training programme in antimicrobial resistance. I am a member of the Condliffe group, looking at the interaction of bacteria with immune products in low oxygen conditions.
While bacteria are establishing an infection within the human body, they are fighting against multiple pressures. The bacteria are exposed to low oxygen conditions and a multitude of immune products found at sites of infections. I am looking to see if these conditions are driving the evolution of bacteria and if being in these conditions is linked to characteristics of challenging infections found in the clinic. I will assess this by evolving bacteria and then looking for genetic changes through whole genome sequencing. I will also compare how the bacteria are killed by immune cells and antibiotics.
I am currently carrying out an evolution experiment, growing the bacteria in stresses found in the human body. In the next few months I should be able to see if the bacteria are able to overcome the stresses I am exposing them to.
While bacteria are establishing an infection within the human body, they are fighting against multiple pressures. The bacteria are exposed to low oxygen conditions and a multitude of immune products found at sites of infections. I am looking to see if these conditions are driving the evolution of bacteria and if being in these conditions is linked to characteristics of challenging infections found in the clinic. I will assess this by evolving bacteria and then looking for genetic changes through whole genome sequencing. I will also compare how the bacteria are killed by immune cells and antibiotics.
I am currently carrying out an evolution experiment, growing the bacteria in stresses found in the human body. In the next few months I should be able to see if the bacteria are able to overcome the stresses I am exposing them to.
