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Day 1 - British Science Week 2020!

6/3/2020

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The Florey Institute, we will be celebrating British Science Week 2020 with a series of blog posts written by our PhD students, highlighting some of the exciting work that we do.

​​Inspired by the work of Sir Howard Florey, the main aim of the Florey Institute is to investigate infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance by looking at the interaction between pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi) and their hosts. This research is an interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists from across the University of Sheffield, with members from the MBB, APS, IICD, Chemistry and Physics departments as well as clinicians from the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

Keep revisiting this page each day over the course of the event to find out more about the research that our scientists do, as well as introductions to some of our research groups and other exciting news!

Follow the event on Twitter with #BSW20
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Seed Project Funding in Antimicrobial Resistance

31/1/2020

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The Florey Institute has been awarded a Capital Equipment grant from the NIHR to underpin our work in AMR.  

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As part of the award, we are pleased to announce the availability of seed funding to bring together researchers from across the broad AMR portfolio at the University of Sheffield and associated Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. To promote our interdisciplinary approaches, each project will have at least 1 clinical and 1 non-clinical investigator. 
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Deadline for applications - 4 pm Friday 7th February  
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more information can be found on this website: 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScADlThW2xSrF_a7RiDTc5dZ-WtRzfXsjKWRHOGV1ZaY0L_PA/viewform

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Dr Rebecca Corrigan successfully renews of her Sir Henry Dale Fellowship

13/12/2019

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Congratulations to Dr Rebecca Corrigan for the successful renewal of her Sir Henry Dale Fellowship for an additional 3 years. She hopes her project entitled "Dissecting the role of (p)ppGpp in S. aureus stress survival" will help us understand more about how bacteria can overcome antibiotic treatments.

Rebecca is a molecular microbiologist interested in the study of the cell-signalling and virulence mechanisms of the Gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Her recent work has led to the development of a genome-wide approach to analyse nucleotide-protein interactions. Rebecca aims to use this methodology, in conjunction with biochemical assays, to identify binding targets for (p)ppGpp, nucleotides that are involved in promoting persistent and recurrent infections. The mapping of the (p)ppGpp signalling network will provide a greater understanding of how S. aureus can persist in the human host, enabling rational drug design.
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Read more about the work of the Corrigan lab HERE
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Archive capturing the stories of pioneering medical scientists is donated to the University of Sheffield

5/12/2019

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PictureEstablishing the Frank Ryan archive: Laura Smith-Brown, Dr Andrew Fenton, Dr Frank Ryan, Dr Paul Collini and Professor Simon Foster at the archives donation

The University of Sheffield has received a collection of materials that offer a unique insight into the lives and methods of the early antibiotic pioneers who worked to develop effective treatments for tuberculosis (TB) in the early nineteenth century. 

​The collection, assembled and donated by Sheffield Medical School alumnus, emeritus consultant physician and Honorary Sheffield Medical School Senior Lecturer, Dr Frank Ryan, paints a very real account of early drug discovery which will now be preserved in the University Library Special Collections. Once catalogued, this will allow students and researchers to learn more about the history of medicine and the impact new antibiotics had on the treatment of TB.

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​Link to full article here:
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mbb/news/donation-offering-insight-into-development-of-effective-treatments-for-tuberculosis-1.875337

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Catherine Yu shares her experience of the the International Internship Program program at the Florey.

9/8/2019

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This week, Catherine Yu shares her  experiences of working at the University of Sheffield MBB department and the Florey Institute over the summer as part of Princeton University's the International Internship Program. 
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​This summer, I have had the immense pleasure of interning at the University of Sheffield for eight weeks, through a joint effort between the Florey Institute and the Princeton University IIP (International Internship Program). Under the mentorship of Dr. Joseph Kirk, I have been studying the antibiotic resistant pathogen, Clostridium difficile, and attempting to understand its molecular structure and function in the context of host-pathogen interactions.                                                                           Me enjoying  chips on the Brighton pier 

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This topic has been personally interesting to me because even before the start of my internship, I was aware of C. diff's notorious reputation in U.S. hospitals and the topic had been briefly covered in my molecular genetics course at Princeton. My project centered on studying a putative peptidoglycan deacetylase that has yet to be characterized, but is known to have altered expression in C. diff strains with mutant S-layers. I mostly worked on creating a C. diff lacking the CD 2679 gene, in order to study its effects in both a wild-type and S-layer mutant C. diff strain. Additionally, I worked on cloning a fluorescent tag to CD 2679 in order to study sub-cellular localization. 
Taking a walk on the London Tower Bridge

Outside of the lab, I have been fortunate to have the time to travel on the weekends with my fellow intern, Julia Edgar, who was working in the Dr Turner's lab. Throughout our 8-week placement, we made trips to Dublin, the Peak District National Park, London, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, and Brighton and Hove. While most of our trips were quite brief, spanning only the time of the two days of a weekend, I feel immensely grateful for the experience to travel to such a variety of places. Although I have since returned home to the states, I will always look backfondly on these 8 weeks and am especially grateful to Dr. Rebecca Corrigan and Princeton University for making it happen.    

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  Exploring the Howth Cliff Walk, just outside of Dublin city center. 
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A Farewell and Thank You to our International Intern Students from Princeton University.

2/8/2019

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​The Florey Institute at the University of Sheffield has been hosting students from the International Internship Program over the summer months. This program is an opportunity for students from Princeton University to take part in internships across the world. Our students have been working hard and Julia Edgar has taken some time to tell us about her experiences of the UK.
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It’s hard to believe that 8 weeks have already whizzed by from my time here in Sheffield. This was my first time traveling to the UK and I was very excited to start a new adventure in a country high on my bucket list. This summer I had the fortunate opportunity to work in Dr. Claire Turner’s research lab at the University of Sheffield, a part of The Florey Institute. The small but close-knit lab group were all so welcoming. I can’t be more thankful for their time and kindness they have showed while teaching me about their work and numerous new laboratory techniques. I have throughly enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside PhD student, Alex Remmington, on a project looking at a dynamic phage-like chromosomal island in Group A Streptococcus pyogenes.

There was never a dull moment spent in the lab conducting various experiments thanks to Alex’s eclectic playlists of Stevie Nicks, Celine Dion and Bollywood hits. I know I will dearly miss the office chats, group debrief moments when experiments go awry, and the Krebs Cafe cookies. I have learned an abundance of practical and conceptual knowledge and gained a new confidence in the lab all thanks to the absolute wonderful people of the Turner Lab. I am excited to apply all that I’ve learned to my own third year project and senior thesis back at Princeton.

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Away from the lab I have enjoyed living with the other two Princeton students also in Sheffield and doing a bit of traveling. Our gracious Air BnB host has made the experience much closer to a homestay with weekly group grocery store trips, a traditional Sunday roast and evening chats about our home countries’ similarities and contrasts. My weekends have been busy as I’ve had the chance to travel to various near-by cities to visit other friends and discover new places! The trips have included a coastal hike outside of Dublin, afternoon tea in London, castle exploring in Edinburgh, seaside strolls in Brighton, and all The Royal Family connections I could fit in! When I have stayed in Sheffield I spent time exploring the city centre and hiking in the Peak District.
As I reflect back on my experience I am extremely grateful for all the kind people I have met, cities I’ve seen, and newly possessed knowledge I can take with me as I return for my third year at Princeton. Before it has even ended I have begun to miss this summer of a lifetime. Thank you very much to the Turner Lab and all that made this experience possible.
 
Julia

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First Group A Streptococcal Collaborator Meeting in The Gambia

12/7/2019

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Last month, Florey Institute members Dr Claire Turner and Dr Thushan de Silva travelled to the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM for the first collaborators meeting and symposium for group A Streptococcus in West Africa. 

​They were joined by Dr Annette Erhart, Prof Martin Antonio, Dr Abdul Karim Sesay, Prof. Beate Kampmann, Dr. Anna Roca and Dr Edwin Armitage from the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, Prof Pierre Smeesters from Universite libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, Dr. Soumeya Ouangraoua from Centre Muraz, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso and Dr. Abdallah Sonko from Hôpital pour enfants Albert Royer, Dakar, Senegal. This was the first face-to-face meeting of all those involved in the GCRF ODA, University of Sheffield funded project on group A Streptococcal Pyoderma in The Gambia ‘SpyDERM’ and the MRC BactiVac Network funded project Molecular Epidemiology of Group A Streptococcus in West Africa (MEGAS).


​RHD is a significant cause of cardiac morbidity and mortality in The Gambia with group A Streptococcus (GAS) being the trigger for this post-infection immune sequelae. Skin infections (pyoderma) may be more commonly associated with RHD in this region compared to pharyngitis in other countries. There is remarkably little data on the molecular epidemiology of GAS isolates from West Africa, which makes assessing regional suitability of vaccines in development extremely difficult. Through the collaborations that have now been formed between the Florey Institute in Sheffield, Belgium, The Gambia, Burkina Faso and Senegal, we will be providing crucial epidemiology and molecular insight into GAS disease in West Africa, supporting the development of a desperately needed vaccine.
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​​The meeting provided project updates and inspiring research presentations and discussions. The week ended with a workshop on Bioinformatics hosted by Dr Claire Turner and Saikou Bah. Saikou is a Gambian post-doctoral scientist and bioinformatician, who will be joining the University of Sheffield in July as a GCRF post-doctoral fellow working with Claire and Thushan to explore the pathogenesis of GAS isolates from The Gambia and UK. 
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MRC Festival of Medical Research Outreach Event

25/6/2019

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The Florey Institute is delighted to have been featured at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Festival of Medical Research in Sheffield. The event took place on 15th and 16th of June, in the Winter Gardens and Norfolk Heritage Park respectively. The theme of the festival was ‘Fighting the good fight: how medical research helps us combat disease', and it aimed to showcase the diversity and latest medical research at the University of Sheffield.
 
A team of students from the Florey Institute, led by Yin Xin Ho, Dan Bennison and Dr. Daria Shamarina introduced you to the concept of the microbiome and immune system through various activities. We demonstrated this with a display of face microbiome from different volunteers. To explain the immune system and how it helps us fight infections, we prepared microscopic slides with white blood cells such as neutrophils containing S. aureus. We also discussed about the research in the Florey Institute, and how researchers with different backgrounds such as biology and physics work together to understand and fight against infections.
 
To know more about our research, please feel free to visit our website and to follow us on Twitter.  If you took part in our microbiome plate activity then you can find all the pictures by following the link below, just look for the number we gave you on your ticket!  

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1e97JWKQwXoU_bJoO3AcZ2UrKaBSQZaz8
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Inverness Science Festival

17/5/2019

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​Last weekend, the Florey Institute visited the Inverness Science Festival and we hope you had as much fun as we did. In conjunction with The Microbiology Society, our volunteers took along a number of engaging and illuminating activities, geared around getting you up close and personal with your very own microbiome.

The team, led by Dr. Daria Shamarina, introduced you to the concept of your skin as a living, breathing protective barrier. We showed you how it can become damaged, and crucially, how commensal (or ‘helpful’) bacteria and fungi play a fundamental role as foot soldiers protecting this defensive perimeter. Informed by recently published research carried out here at The Florey Institute, we also discussed how the distinction between organisms that are desirable to have on and within our bodies, and those that are not, is often far from clear, and that not all microorganisms come in peace!

With this in mind, we encouraged festivalgoers to have a go at propagating their microbiomes on pre-prepared agar plates, which we then transported back to the University of Sheffield and incubated - many of these are very beautiful and we encourage you all to check out them out at www.floreyinstitute.com/invisible-worlds-2019.html 

“Our research has shown that the ‘normal’ human microbiome can even help the opportunistic disease causing bacterium Staphylococcus aureus establish infection. The interaction between our microbiome, potentially dangerous organisms and our bodies is complex and far-reaching. It is fantastic to be able to bring it to life and show people in this way!” – Dr. Daria Shamarina

If you’ve got a passion for microbiology or if you enjoyed our activities at this event and would like to know more, check out our website, our research, and be sure to follow us on social media. If you’re really keen, you could even consider becoming a member of the Microbiology Society, who offer reduced rates for students.


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New superantigens discovered in S. pyogenes

3/5/2019

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The bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes is a common cause of sore throat and tonsillitis. It is also currently causing an unprecedented upsurge in scarlet fever infections in the UK. During infection, S. pyogenes can release superantigen toxins that aid the bacteria in causing disease and lead to the symptoms of scarlet fever. Superantigens work by bypassing the normal immune response to trigger an increase in the blood immune “T” cells, leading to inflammation that can be harmful to the patient. S. pyogenes can produce different combinations of different superantigen types, which may contribute to disease in slightly different 
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Florey Institute member Dr Claire Turner and colleagues Dr Mark Reglinski and Prof Shiranee Sriskandan at Imperial College London recently identified two new superantigen genes in S. pyogenes, which they termed speQ and speR.  This work was published in the Journal of Infection. 
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“Only by knowing about all of the different superantigens released by Streptococcus pyogenes can we fully understand how they function and how they contribute to diseases upsurges such as we are currently experiencing in the UK”   - Dr Claire Turner
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Weekly scarlet fever notifications in England, 2012/13 onwards. There is an ongoing increase in scarlet fever cases since 2012/2013 with an even bigger increase during 2017/18. Figure taken from Health Protection Report, Vol 12, No. 13 April 2018 (published by Public Health England). 
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​Reglinski et al. identified these genes initially in the genomes of two S. pyogenes isolates originally cultured from patients back in the 1930s. After searching the genomes of over 4000 other S. pyogenes isolates, they found these genes in other strain types of S. pyogenes too. Reglinski et al. confirmed that these new superantigens function in a similar way to other superantigens. 
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Unlike a normal antigen (green), a superantigen (red) binds to the receptor on the antigen presenting cell and to the
​T cell receptor in a different way. This binding then triggers an increase in
​T cells, resulting in inflammation and the symptoms of diseases like scarlet fever. 

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