Profile

My particular project is looking at the DNA differences between Mycobacterium tuberculosis (the cause of tuberculosis (TB) in humans) and Mycobacterium bovis (the cause of TB in cows). Here, I’m trying to figure out what the effect of these single (and sometimes big) differences have on the bacteria and if they can help us defeat these nasty bugs.

I do lots of experiments, such as making mutant versions of M. tuberculosis, putting genes from one bacterium into another and PCR.

I also try to do lots of bioinformatics, which involves looking at all DNA sequences on the computer and running the data through special programs to find things, recently I’ve been looking at single DNA changes in +5,000 M. tuberculosis genomes!

Most work I do though is in the main laboratory, mostly molecular microbiology, like PCR and altering the genes of other bacteria (mutagenesis). This is what my lab bench looks like most days…

My lab bench on a typical day

Sometimes, once or twice a week, because I work on a high containment pathogen (meaning it can make you sick easily if you come into contact with it), we have to go into the containment level 3 (CL3)/biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratory. Here, the laboratory is under negative pressure to stop the bacteria escaping out and we have to wear more personal protection – gown up in a different style of lab coat, wear 2 layers of gloves, some oversleeves and some dashing blue shoe covers.

The CL3/BSL3 lab – which is currently down for maintenance. This is where we work with all the dangerous pathogens.

Me and the post-doc Amanda on our first day of training in the CL3 lab. Check out our terrible blue overshoes…

This is the inside of the containment lab (when it is down for maintenance, hence being able to take my phone in!). It is entirely separate from the main lab, the only bit connecting the main lab is either a 30 cm thick window or 2 big heavy metal doors. Here, we work on all the nasty pathogens, but because Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis grow so slowly (usually takes a month), we are only in here once or twice a week.