Collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University & UCC
Click Picture to Enlarge
Collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University & UCC
28.10.2010

A recent presentation of the doctoral work of Saranna Fanning during a visit by Professor Aaron P. Mitchell, formerly of Columbia University, NY, USA and now at Carnegie Mellon University, PA, USA, highlighted the collaborative doctoral research work between the research groups of Professor Douwe van Sinderen at UCC and that of Professor Aaron Mitchell.

This collaborative work was performed and presented by Saranna Fanning, UCC. Funded by an NUI Travelling Studentship, Saranna availed of the research knowledge and expertise in the area of bifidobacteria at UCC and yeast genetics expertise at Professor Mitchell's lab to explore two distinct research topics as part of her PhD thesis.

Saranna’s doctoral research in the lab of Professor Douwe van Sinderen focussed on bacteria thought to be important within the human host. She focused on Bifidobacterium breve and how exopolysaccharides are produced by the bacteria and their role in interactions between the bacteria and the human host.

Her research in Professor Aaron Mitchell’s labs at Columbia University, New York and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh concentrated on the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans.  As part of her doctoral research Saranna analysed genes which have important signalling and responding roles and interactions between these genes which enable Candida to survive within the human host.

 “The collaborative endeavour has been an extremely productive and positive experience and has facilitated advances in our knowledge in the fields of both Bifidobacterium breve and Candida albicans”.  Saranna will continue her research in this area and take up a postdoctoral position in the USA.

Further information on the NUI Travelling Studentships can be found at http://www.nui.ie/awards/postgraduates.asp

Picture:  Professor Aaron Mitchell, Carnegie Mellon; Professor Douwe van Sinderen, APC, UCC and Saranna Fanning, APC, UCC.



<<Previous ItemNext Item>>

« Back to 2010 Press Releases