Spotlight on Undergraduate Researcher: Conor Dennehy

17 Sep 2025

This summer, third-year microbiology student Conor Dennehy took part in the Undergraduate Research Experience in Microbiology Programme at the School of Microbiology. 

Conor joined Professor Douwe van Sinderen’s Research Lab, working under the supervision of Keith Coughlan, on a project entitled “Isolation and characterisation of Bifidobacteria from infant fecal samples.”

Conor’s journey highlights how undergraduate research can offer students not only technical skills, but also the confidence and inspiration to see themselves as scientists. His experience shows what’s possible when students step into the lab and take on real-world scientific challenges.

Reflecting on his time in the lab, Conor shared: “Taking part in scientific research with the Bifidobacteria group in Professor Douwe van Sinderen’s Research Lab was an incredibly exciting and rewarding experience. Over my eight-week placement, I became confident in a research laboratory environment, learned new techniques, and deepened my interest in the gut microbiome. It was a privilege to contribute to ongoing research and to work in such a welcoming and supportive group.”

Keith Coughlan, PhD candidate supervised by Professor Douwe van Sinderen and Dr Francesca Bottacini, from MTU, praised Conor’s contribution, noting: “For the duration of the project, Conor worked on the isolation of Bifidobacterial strains from previously cultivated fecal samples. This project was a subproject of a much larger project aimed at characterising the modulatory effects of Bifidophages within the human gut microbiome. Conor’s work will be used for further experimentation in this and other projects.”

Professor Douwe van Sinderen also commended Conor’s dedication: “Conor showed real enthusiasm and a strong willingness to learn throughout his placement. He quickly adapted to the demands of a research environment and contributed meaningfully to our group’s ongoing work. Experiences like these are invaluable in nurturing the next generation of microbiologists, and it was a pleasure to have Conor on our team.”