Podcast appearances and mentions of jennifer gardy

You can't see it. But it's there. Coursing through your bloodstream just waiting to pounce...on unsuspecting microbes. Yep, it's your immune system. Weird, misunderstood and probably my favourite perk of being human, aside from your gut of course. Here to chat everything immunity, is my friend Dr. Jennifer Gardy—a gifted science communicator, brilliant infectious disease epidemiologist, and the author of the incredible new book for preteens It Takes Guts: How the body turns food into fuel (and poop)! About Dr Jennifer Gardy: By day, Dr. Jennifer Gardy works in infectious disease epidemiology. After a ten-year career using DNA analysis to track disease outbreaks at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, she took a senior leadership role at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where, since 2019, she's been leading the Foundation's work on malaria epidemiology. When not tracking infectious disease around the world, Jennifer is a noted science communicator, hosting many episodes of CBC TV's The Nature of Things and authoring two childrens' science books. On this episode we chat about: How Jenn got interested in infectious diseases, germs, and vaccinations at a very young age What actually goes on at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation What the fight against malaria looks like What is public health practice, anyways? The degree to which ALL aspects of health are intertwined and the social determinants of health Why Jenn swallowed a camera for science! How clean your colon really is! Hint: there are no old cells or bits of food we need to “cleanse” out... The rundown on one of our body's most complex networks: our immune system! How it works, what cells are involved and what you need to know Does your gut health really have anything to do with your immune system? Learned something new? Have questions? Keep the conversation going on Instagram! Screenshot this episode and tag us @theallsortpod @jennifergardy with your questions and/or comments! Thanks for supporting our little pod! You can help us spread the word by rating, reviewing, or subscribing to us on your fave podcast app! Connect with Jenn: Instagram: @jennifergardy Twitter: @jennifergardy Website: www.jennifergardy.com Book: It's Catching, The Infectious World of Germs and Microbes and It Takes Guts: How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (and Poop) Jenn's Recommendations: Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders

The pressure to win a grant and chasing the next funding source is stressful for all researchers. Besides, finding success in funding often requires sacrificing private time and overcoming the frustrations about being rejected. In this episode, we asked our guests, Dr. Nicki Tiffin and Dr. Jennifer Gardy, what key skills to have and develop to apply for grant funding. Join us and listen to our guests' experiences of how funding opportunities impacted their careers, how they took the step to launch their research independently and how they stayed motivated to achieve it. Guest informationDr Nicki Tiffin is a Zimbabwean, living in South Africa, with a Ph D in molecular genetics and a Masters in Public Health (epidemiology). I have worked in South Africa, the UK and the USA,  in lab science and as a bioinformaticist in human health genomics research, as well as in health informatics in the public health sector. Connect with Nicki on LinkedIn Dr Jennifer Gardy is the Deputy Director for Surveillance, Data, & Epidemiology on the Gates Foundation's Malaria team, where she oversees work related to routine malaria surveillance, parasite and vector genomic epidemiology, and geospatial and mathematical modeling. Connect with Jennifer on Twitter @jennifergardy. More about Jennifer's work https://www.gatesfoundation.org/our-work/programs/global-health/malariaAcknowledgementsEditing by Mariana Vaz, https://www.marianacpvaz.com/Research: Alice MatimbaProducers: Christine Boinett (Creator and Executive producer), Alice Matimba (Senior Producer), Isabela Malta (Producer and Research Lead), Emmanuela Oppong (Producer), Nagehan Ramazanoglu (Producer), Catherine Holmes (Marketing Lead).Host: Alice MatimbaMedia and Marketing: Catherine HolmeMusic: https://freesound.org/s/477388/ Contact usEmail: enquiries@yourdigimentor.net Twitter: @mentor_podcast SupportWCS: https://www.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/WSI: https://www.sanger.ac.ukSESH: https://www.seshglobal.org/OR for simplecastSupport:Wellcome Connecting SciencesWellcome Sanger InstituteSocial Entrepreneurship to Spur Health

This jam-packed episode features the best gems from Get Real Health Episodes 1-10. You'll get practical advice on healthy choices, insights into how science really works, and personal stories from the scientific front-lines.   These conversations were recorded from March 2020 to Aug 2020 - a unique time to witness science in action. Topics and guests: Ep. 001: COVID-19: What to do and why (w/ Dr. Jennifer Gardy, Gates Foundation) Ep. 002: Building a Healthy Gut Microbiome (w/ Dr. Brett Finlay, University of British Columbia) Ep. 003: Toxicology Basics & Healthy Food Choices (w/ Dr. Alison Bernstein) Ep. 004: Which diet is best? It depends! (w/ Dr. Christopher Gardner, Stanford University) Ep. 005: The science of COVID-19 - Strains, testing and transmission (w/ Dr. Bronwyn MacInnis, Harvard University and MIT) Ep. 006: Evidence-based health entertainment (w/ Dr. Maya Adam, Stanford University) Ep. 007: Vaccines- Informed choices save lives (w/ Dr. Yvonne "Bonnie" Maldonado, Stanford University) Ep. 008: How To Be Happier: Science-Based Tips and Insights (w/ Prof. Elizabeth Dunn, University of British Columbia) Ep. 009: Exercise For Better Health - How? Who? When? (w/ Dr. Rachele Pojednic, Simmons University ) Ep. 010: COVID-19 - Know your risk (w/ Dr. Caroline Buckee, Harvard School of Public Health) ---------- ABOUT THE HOST   Get Real Health is hosted by Dr. Chana Davis, a scientist with a PhD in genetics from Stanford University who loves helping others make informed choices using science.   Dr. Davis interviews leading experts who share practical, science-based insights and bust common myths. Topics include all aspects of health including food (nutrition, toxicology, weight loss), exercise, infectious diseases (microbiome, COVID-19), public health (vaccines), and mental wellbeing.   See more of Dr. Davis' work on her website: https://fueledbyscience.com or on social @fueledbyscience (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter)

Opening Session from the WSC 2021. Featuring Christopher Murray, Jeremy Hunt, Jennifer Gardy, Hans Kluge, Keith Martin, and Pauline Paterson, moderated by Tex Kissoon. More info: worldsepsiscongress.org

"When we interact with nature there are  unpredictable and weird mechanisms by which pathogens might be able to move between the species." -Tony GoldbergThere’s a lot we don’t know about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus but there is a consensus that it came from animals. This is called zoonosis. HIV, Zika, and Ebola were all viruses in animals before jumping to humans. This is a serious problem. Most new or emerging infectious diseases are the result of zoonotic transmission and we’re seeing more zoonotic diseases appear at a faster rate than ever before. In this episode of EPIDEMIC, we speak to some of the scientists looking for the next potential pandemic virus and what could be done to reduce the risk of spillover events in the future.#SARSCoV2 #COVID19 #COVID #coronavirus

[NOTE: THIS INTERVIEW WAS RECORDED ON MARCH 11, 2020 AND REFLECTS A MUCH LESS SEVERE OUTBREAK STATUS AT THAT TIME] Dr. Jennifer Gardy gets real with Dr. Chana Davis about COVID-19 and shares insights into the science of epidemiology.

We’ve all seen a movie where there is a group of scientists trying to control a major outbreak of a disease to save the human race and we know that real life isn’t always exactly like the movies. Or is it? In this episode, we learn from world-renowned genetic epidemiologist Dr. Jennifer Gardy. Not only has Dr. Gardy been at the forefront of studying the spread of disease and has recently taken on the role of Deputy Director of the malaria team for the Gates Foundation. Dr. Gardy’s incredible energy and insight will take have you thinking about what actions you can take to help impact global health and how she is actively fighting mankind's smallest and most formidable enemy. Be sure to follow Dr. Gardy’s work via Twitter @jennifergardy. Continue the conversation online by following @fdesignschool or searching #FutureX.

On our tenth episode of The Fear of Science we talk about viruses with virus expert Jennifer Gardy from the CDC (who is better then a book) and the podcast Dark Poutine. We find out that everything Scott knows about Ebola is wrong and if viruses can be used to murder!

On the first ever episode of The Fear of Science we talk about Zombies with Jennifer Gardy who is the Assistant Professor at UBC's School of Population and Public Health, a Canada Research Chair in Public Health Genomics, and a Senior Scientist at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control. We also have comedian Ed Hill bringing our supernatural converstations back down to earth. We tackle such pressing questions like "Do Zombies Poo?". 

Science communication experts discuss creative ways (like variations of escape-the-room, the Up-Goer Five Challenge, or edible learning aids) to get people to interact with science. Jennifer Gardy, Kathryn (KT) Elliott, and Dave Westenberg discuss the inspiration for their creative approaches and tips for other who want to improve their scicomm skills.

Science communication experts discuss creative ways (like variations of escape-the-room, the Up-Goer Five Challenge, or edible learning aids) to get people to interact with science. Jennifer Gardy, Kathryn (KT) Elliott, and Dave Westenberg discuss the inspiration for their creative approaches and tips for other who want to improve their scicomm skills.

CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat has extensive experience in global health and science advocacy. Jennifer Gardy interviews Schuchat about emerging disease threats and what advice for early-career scientists Schuchat can offer. Schuchat talks about translating disease detective work into policies that decrease infection rates, citing the successes in decreasing group B Streptococcus infections, developing group A meningococcal vaccines, and halting the recent West African Ebola outbreak. Schuchat talks about her road from an Emerging Infectious Disease fellow to her role in preparing for emerging disease as Deputy Director, and her vision for a future of interdisciplinary collaboration for the greater benefit of global public health.

CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat has extensive experience in global health and science advocacy. Jennifer Gardy interviews Schuchat about emerging disease threats and what advice for early-career scientists Schuchat can offer. Schuchat talks about translating disease detective work into policies that decrease infection rates, citing the successes in decreasing group B Streptococcus infections, developing group A meningococcal vaccines, and halting the recent West African Ebola outbreak. Schuchat talks about her road from an Emerging Infectious Disease fellow to her role in preparing for emerging disease as Deputy Director, and her vision for a future of interdisciplinary collaboration for the greater benefit of global public health.

Jennifer Gardy talks about whole-genome sequencing as a technique to address public health issues using genomic epidemiology. She talks about her research on TB and new DNA sequencing technologies, including her vision for microbial genetic sequencing as one piece of the puzzle in the future of public health. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Whole-genome sequencing technologies are replacing older DNA technologies to identify relatedness between microbial isolates. The genome sequences help to identify epidemiological questions such as the origins of an outbreak. A pathogen’s genome being passed person-to-person accrues small changes, similar to children playing telephone - except those children are scattered around the room, and you have to logically deduce the order in which the information was passed. DNA sequencing has moved forward faster than the upstream genomic preparation and downstream sequence analysis areas; Gardy expects advances in these ‘bookend’ areas to be breakthroughs of the future. The Ebola and Zika outbreaks were test cases for portable DNA sequencing technologies, but informative based on the different disease presentation: Ebola patients have high viral loads and thus a lot of genomic material, but Zika patients have much lower viral loads and it was much harder to get samples. Based on pathogen characteristics, DNA sequencing can identify the end of an outbreak. Gardy used sequencing to find that patients with TB, which can take years to develop into fulminant disease, had been infected years previous, and was able to see that transmission was no longer ongoing. Featured Quotes: “Genomics is really cool because instead of interviewing people about what happened in an outbreak, we’re interviewing the pathogen!” “[Working at BCCDC] is a really nice ecosystem, where you can really see the results of your research changing public care policy and practice in real time, and that is incredibly rewarding.” “The only prediction you can make about DNA sequencing is there’s always going to be something new and different.” “Depending on your use-case, sometimes you need to go after the whole genome and other times a targeted approach is more than enough.” “I’m excited to see how this [microbial DNA sequencing] work fits in into an overall public health landscape. It’s cool to sequence genomes and make some reports about transmission networks, but that’s just one small part of a very big public health system that is trying to keep populations healthy. It requires so many different people, from nurses and doctors on the frontline to policy makers behind the scenes to social scientists who are interacting with patients or care providers to people that are understanding the economics of these things... when you start to see how these different pieces of the puzzle fit together, I think there’s a lot of opportunities in the future for making microbial genomics just one piece of a large interdisciplinary puzzle of people that are working together across different fields to address a disease from multiple different angles.” Links for This Episode: Jennifer Gardy’s website Jennifer Gardy at UBC Nanopore Minion Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science Banff Science Communications HOM Tidbit: Albrecht Kossel, a Biographical Sketch

ProMetic Life Science hits two significant clinical milestones, Antibe Therapeutics reports promising Phase 2 results, In BC researchers, take a closer look at the DNA of the world’s greatest wines, and using genomics to treat and track tuberculosis We have this and more on this week’s Biotechnology Focus Podcast! Welcome to Biotechnology Focus Podcast. I’m your host Shawn Lawrence. Story 1 We start this week’s show in beautiful British Columbia, highlighting two local projects with an international flavor. The first story sees UBC researchers Dan Durall and Mansak (Ben) Tantikachornkiat getting ever closer to identifying the biological personalities of the world’s greatest wines. In a recent study, published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology , the duo developed a technique that combines a process to identify the full spectrum of DNA in yeast and bacteria samples with a technique that distinguishes between live and dead micro-organisms. As Durall, an associate professor of biology at UBC’s Okanagan campus, explains, since only live micro-organisms are relevant in the various stages of fermentation as they relate to the senses, this study provides some of the important tools that will be necessary to determine why different types of wine taste and smell as they do. Their findings could also lead to the identification and elimination of micro-organisms that are responsible for spoilage. In undertaking the study, the pair used a number of different kinds of yeast and bacteria specimens, including those typically found in wine fermentations. Key in the development of the new scientific technique was the use of a light-sensitive dye, propidium monoazide, which binds to dead DNA and prevents it from being detected. This allows scientists to identify and focus on the more relevant aspects of a test sample. According to Tantikachornkiat, this technique has allowed them to quickly and accurately monitor in one experiment what previously could have taken multiple experiments and months of trial and error. The next stages of their research will focus this technique on different types of wine making methods to see how they change micro-organisms that affect the final wine product. Story 2 Our second BC story focuses on a new collaborative project involving the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), Oxford University and Public Health England (PHE). Together they are working to build data-sharing capacity between eachother to accelerate the use of genomics as a tool for the diagnosis, treatment and tracking of tuberculosis (TB). Led by Dr. Jennifer Gardy at BCCDC and Dr. Derrick Crook, University of Oxford and PHE, the research project is exploring how to communicate the complex data from a genomics-based test in a simple and effective laboratory report allowing clinicians, many of whom have not worked with genomic data before, to quickly and easily find the information and get the interpretation they need to ensure a direct benefit for patients. Funded in part by Genome BC, the project also supports PHE and BCCDC’s efforts to validate the use of a genomic platform in a clinical setting through developing user-friendly reports to assist doctors in faster and more effective diagnosis and treatment. The use of genomics in the clinic means patients will have access to the most effective treatment several weeks earlier. Through a previous collaboration, the researchers have already demonstrated that using genomics to diagnose and characterize TB infections can reduce the time to diagnose and fully characterize an infection from an average of 31 days to just five days. Genomics also provides important information on the drug resistance profile of the tuberculosis strain, which helps doctors to identify the best treatment and avoid using antibiotics that will not be effective. Valued at $168,000, the initiative called SMAC: Sharing Mycobacterial Analytic Capacity will use techniques from the field of information visualization to design the better laboratory reporting form. Through a series of online surveys and iterative designs, the researchers hope to develop a simple, two-page report that describes a patient’s diagnosis, the antibiotics that are predicted to work to treat the infection, and whether or not the patient is part of an outbreak. As part of SMAC, the UK and Canadian teams are also sharing resources and expertise in TB genomics and bioinformatics in order to accelerate the clinical validation and implementation of genomics-based TB diagnostics, first in the UK, and ultimately in BC. The partnership is a product of a MOU signed by Genome British Columbia and Genomics England last year to improve diagnostic capability and outcomes for patients with cancer, rare diseases and infectious diseases. Story 3 In Atlanta, Georgia, Toronto based med tech company Synaptive Medical has launched a revolutionary brain surgery technology at Emory University Hospital. The technology, called BrightMatter™ is an innovative neurosurgery solution that offers advanced imaging, surgical planning and navigation through robotic visualization. Synaptive’s technology shares a common imaging hub, which analyzes and assesses the quality of imaging scans in real-time prior to surgical planning and creates the foundation for a clinically-integrated imaging informatics research platform. Using an imaging method called diffusion tensor imaging, or DTI, BrightMatter enhances MRI images of the entire brain’s pathways, allowing physicians to consider approaches for navigating around critical structures in neurological surgery. Synaptive’s integrated imaging and navigation systems allow physicians to see details that can’t be seen with the naked eye or a standard MRI, and may allow access to brain locations previously deemed inoperable. The automatic positioning system with an attached camera follows the physician’s tools, showing an image of the patient’s anatomy with unprecedented detail. This robotic arm includes a hands-free optical visualization system that allows for better surgical ergonomics, facilitates collaboration with operating room staff, and consumes less surgical time without the need to manipulate cumbersome optics. Dr. Gustavo Pradilla, an Emory assistant professor of Neurosurgery, and chief of neurosurgery for Grady, co-director of the Grady Skull Base Center, and director of the Cerebrovascular Research Laboratory said that acquiring Synaptive’s platform will bring innovative neurosurgical treatments that are the next technological frontier in intraoperative navigation, robotic-assisted visualization, corridor-based neurosurgery and clinical informatics. He adds that the technology will expand the hospitals ability to treat previously inoperable lesions in delicate areas of the brain, leading to safer and more efficient procedures, smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays. Story 4 In clinical trial news, Toronto’s Antibe Therapeutics Inc. has posted positive results from its Phase 2 clinical trial of ATB-346 in osteoarthritis (OA). ATB-346, is an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), and a hydrogen sulfide-releasing derivative of naproxen, the most-prescribed NSAID in North America. As part of the trial, 12 patients with OA of the knee were treated once daily for 10 days with the drug at a dose of 250 mg. The dose contains one-sixth of the typical daily dose of naproxen for treating OA. According to the company, the lower dose was found to be very effective at reducing pain, and equal to or better than naproxen or celecoxib in comparable studies. The drug was also found to be safe and well-tolerated. As part of the trial, patients recorded their level of pain one day prior to starting treatment and again on days four and 10 of treatment. The “WOMAC pain scale”, the gold standard in arthritis clinical trials, was used as the measure of beneficial effect. The enhanced effectiveness of ATB-346 as compared to the market-leading drugs for osteoarthritis was a pleasant surprise, particularly considering the low dose of ATB-346 that was used said both the company’s chief science officer John Wallace and the company’s CEO Dan Legault. Legault added that the company plans to expeditiously perform additional clinical trials to confirm the results seen in this phase 2 study, and explore the effectiveness of even lower doses of ATB-346. The Phase 2 clinical trial was carried out in Toronto, Canada by Topstone Research Ltd. Story 5 A research team at the Krembil Research Institute has discovered a pair of tissue biomarkers that directly contribute to the harmful joint degeneration associated with spine osteoarthritis. In a study study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, the researchers were able to show that elevated levels of both of these biomarkers cause inflammation, cartilage destruction and collagen depletion. Osteoarthritis affects about three million Canadians and is characterized by a breakdown of the protective cartilage found in the body’s spine, hand, knee and hip joints. There is no known cure. The study involved tissue biopsies from 55 patients undergoing decompression or discectomy at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre at Toronto Western Hospital. As part of the study, the research team – led by Dr. Mohit Kapoor at the Krembil Research Institute and comprising Dr. Akihiro Nakamura, a post-doctoral fellow, and Dr. Y. Raja Rampersaud, a clinical expert and spine surgeon – explored the role, function and signaling mechanisms of two tissue biomarkers: microRNA-181a-5p and microRNA-4454. The study screened 2,100 microRNAs and found that measuring the levels of these two specific biomarkers can help clinicians determine the stage to which the disease has progressed, and provide a tool for determining the degree of cartilage destruction. Dr. Kapoor discusses his team’s discovery of the pair of tissue biomarkers in the following audio provided by (Video: UHN From 0:26-1:09,1:30-2:02). The discovery represents the end of the first stage of research. The team is now investigating whether these biomarkers can be detected in the blood – which would help clinicians more simply determine the stage of spine osteoarthritis – and whether further studying the biomarkers will allow researchers to halt and reverse spine degeneration. Story 6 It’s been a week filled with successful milestones for Laval, QC’s ProMetic Life Sciences. A developer of products used in the purification of biologics, drug development, proteomics and the removal of pathogens, the company announced on August 9th it had completed enrollment of the adult patient cohort for its pivotal intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) Phase3 clinical trial for the treatment of primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDD). The company also announced on August 11 that it had completed patients enrolment of the congenital plasminogen deficient patients in its pivotal phase 2/3 clinical trial required for the accelerated regulatory approval pathway with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration In terms of the Phase 3 trial, completion of enrollment for the adult patient population is five months ahead of schedule and puts the company on the fast track to becoming the first Canadian-based company to locally produce IVIG. It’s also a further indication of the near-term commercial prospect of what will be the company’s second plasma protein. According to company CEO and president Pierre Laurin, Canadian patients are amongst the largest consumers of IVIG on a per capita basis worldwide and the demand continues to grow at a rapid pace. He believes that the manufacturing advantages provided by the company’s proprietary PPPS™ technology can help alleviate Canada’s current dependence on foreign plasma derived therapeutics. IVIG is a preparation of antibodies purified from plasma donations from normal individuals. It is indicated for the maintenance treatment of patients with primary immunodeficiencies including common variable immunodeficiency, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, severe combined immunodeficiency and as a treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). It is also used for the treatment of many other autoimmune diseases, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, Kawasaki disease. The Phase 3 trial is an open label, single arm, two-cohort multicenter study investigating the safety, tolerability, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of ProMetic’s plasma derived IVIG in a total of 75 patients suffering from PIDD, and the adult cohort includes the 50 enrolled adults (cohort 1) and will also include 25 children (cohort 2). ProMetic anticipates the completion of enrollment for cohort 2 to go quickly with completion of the IVIG Phase 3 clinical trial expected in the second half of 2017. As for the second trial, the FDA has agreed to an accelerated regulatory approval pathway, given the rarity of the condition and the related unmet medical need. To secure an accelerated pathway approval, a drug must treat a serious condition, provide a meaningful advantage over available therapies and demonstrate an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. Dr John Moran, Chief Medical Officer of ProMetic commented that the ongoing clinical trial has enabled ProMetic to meet the primary end-point of achieving the targeted increase in plasma concentration of plasminogen and to define the optimal treatment regimen. Plasminogen is a naturally occurring protein that is synthesized by the liver and circulates in the blood. Activated plasminogen, plasmin, is a fundamental component of the fibrinolytic system and is the main enzyme involved in the lysis of blood clots and clearance of extravasated fibrin. Plasminogen is therefore vital in wound healing, cell migration, tissue remodeling, angiogenesis and embryogenesis. ProMetic's Plasminogen has received an Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA and the European Commission for the US and the European markets respectively. ProMetic also received a Fast Track Designation by the FDA, a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite review of drugs and biologics intended to treat serious or life-threatening conditions and that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs. With that we’ve come to the end of this week’s program. We hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to Laskey Hart our production manager. You can find us online at www.biotechnologyfocus.ca and we’re always looking for your feedback, story ideas and suggestions so we’d love to hear from you. Simply reach out to us on twitter: @BiotechFocus . For all of us here at Biotechnology Focus, thank you for listening.

Last month, the Society held its Annual Conference, which was held in Birmingham this year. It was a great event: over a thousand delegates attended, presenting hundreds of talks and posters. We spoke to some of the attendees about their work for this month’s podcast. Firstly, we chatted with Dr Jennifer Gardy from the BC Centre for Disease Control in Canada, who told us about her role in the Society’s new journal Microbial Genomics and about the field of genomics in general. Next up was Professor David Minnikin from the University of Birmingham, who is researching the origins of tuberculosis, which appears to have begun as an infection of ancient animals in the Pleistocene era. Dr Nick Loman, also from the University of Birmingham, who told us about his work using a seriously tiny DNA sequencing machine. Finally, Karl Dunne from, you guessed it, the University of Birmingham, talked about his PhD research, which has seen him sequence the first sample of E. coli bacteria, isolated by Theodor Escherich. Image credit: Bob Hall on Flickr under CC BY-SA 2.0

Using genomic technologies we are learning to combat pathogens and use beneficial microbes as our allies. Jennifer Gardy explains how whole-genome DNA sequencing is being used to reconstruct the spread of killer diseases such as tuberculosis and how this could revolutionize infectious outbreak control. Then, Lisa Buddrus and Mike Bushell talk about generating electricity from bacteria and the future of microbial fuel cells.