Using Viruses To Stop Superbugs

Using Viruses To Stop Superbugs

“Fighting Fire With Fire” A Winning Talk

John Dolan, Evening Echo, Tom Sutton, Winner, School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland and Lisa Murphy, MC, School Applied Psychology, UCC.

Tom Sutton of APC Microbiome Ireland and the School of Microbiology won this year’s UCC Science for All competition for his talk “Fighting fire with fire: Using viruses to stop superbugs!”.

Tom Sutton’s research aims to find novel treatments for disease by exploring viruses of the human gut.  Tom hopes to travel and continue his research abroad once he has completed his PhD.  Outside of science he enjoys music and plays guitar with the Cork-based band, “Goosefat”.

The UCC Science for All science communication competition, now in its 14th year, challenges young scientists to share the excitement of their research with the general public in an easily understandable manner, without using jargon. Other topics on the night included how seabirds behave, how psychotropic drugs are affected by your gut bacteria, how seals interact with the fishing industry, how Irish food research can help malnourished children and how artificial intelligence can be used in factories.

The panel of judges was chaired by Mr John Dolan, Features Editor, Evening Echo, and also included Ms Liz Dooley, Director Operations (Biologics) Janssen, Mr Ian O’Connor, Director of Professional Services-OVH US and Ms Donna O’Driscoll, Director of Marketing & Communications, UCC. MC for the evening was Ms Lisa Murphy, winner of the Irish national final of Famelab and organiser of the annual PsychSlam competition for secondary schools. Snatch Comedy provided a dose of their fabulous unpredictable Improv-sketches for the intermission.

The competition is organised jointly by APC Microbiome Ireland, UCC College of Science, Engineering and Food Science and the Irish Photonics Integration Centre.

Programme of talks:

• Cian Luck, SFI Research Centre MaREI  & School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UCC
• Giving Irish fisheries the seal of approval
• Ashley Bennison, SFI Research Centre MaREI  & School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UCC

Going with the flow: Why are Irish puffins better than most?

• Sofia Cussotto, SFI Research Centre APC Microbiome Ireland & Dept. Anatomy & Neuroscience, UCC

Psychotropics and the Chamber of Secrets… Our Gut!

• Ashwini Shevade, Teagasc Moorepark Food Research Centre & School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, UCC

Development of Fortified Blended Foods for Malnourished Children

• Tom Sutton, SFI Research Centre APC Microbiome Ireland & School of Microbiology, UCC

Fighting fire with fire: Using viruses to stop superbugs!

• Andrea Visentin,  SFI Research Centre Insight &  Dept. Computer Science, UCC

Smarter and faster! Why a computer can be better at decision-making than you and steal your job!