Norwich Research Park hosts one of the world’s largest clusters of microbiologists on a single site. Together they make up the Centre for Microbial Interactions, which was established last year and recently met for its inaugural conference.
The conference was an important milestone for the centre, as it was the first time all the members from more than 100 separate research groups had come together. The two-day conference gave them the chance to showcase their research, share ideas and thoughts with colleagues from different institutions, and to start conversations about future collaborations.
Microbiology at Norwich Research Park covers a huge variety of topics, addressing some of the major problems facing society today. Researchers presented work describing the development of new antibiotics, how microbes are impacting climate change, how microbes impact human and plant health, and how we can engineer microbes for biotechnology applications.
Much of the research presented was unpublished, so it was the first time most of the audience was exposed to it. More than 200 people attended each day of the conference.
Day one focused on research being conducted into human health and covered topics such as anti-microbial resistance (AMR), microbial communities, genomics and patient welfare.
Day two looked at the issues associated with climate change, agri-plants, the environment and engineering biology.
One of the sessions highlighted the opportunities that exist for people wanting a career in scientific support roles such as technical services, business development, operations and facility management.
Perhaps one of the most enlightening sessions was chaired by Roz Bird, CEO of Anglia Innovation Partnership, the campus management organisation at Norwich Research Park, called ‘Routes to Impact’, which showcased how the microbial-related research conducted at the park campus is having an impact in the ‘real world’.
The audience heard from Ros Campilongo, CEO and co-founder of PfBIO, and Kate Tibbles, strain engineer at Colorifix, about how microbiology is central to both their businesses.
Colorifix creates dyes for the fashion industry from pigments found in microorganisms and plants, replacing the use of harmful chemical-based dyes. The fashion industry uses nine trillion litres of water a year and is one of the world’s largest polluters.
Through microbiological expertise the scientists at Colorifix can extract the code for colour from the DNA of microorganisms and transform it into a dye. This process drastically reduces the amount of water used in the dyeing process and the pollution dyeing causes.
Colorifix has already worked successfully with fashion brands H&M, Vollebak and Pangaia as well as dye house Sagana.
PfBIO is developing microbial-based solutions to replace chemical pesticides in agriculture and provide a more sustainable alternative. There is a growing demand for these biocontrols and biostimulants as farmers look to lessen their dependence on synthetic products.
PfBIO has developed a process to identify the best biocontrols strains for specific crops. Starting with strawberries, it is currently testing its process in field trials and will look to introduce products specifically for onions, hops, lavender, tomatoes and potatoes in the future.
In addition, Beth Williams, a lecturer in microbiology at UEA, spoke about how she is working with local schools as part of an outreach programme to promote science, specifically microbiology, to students who are thinking of their future careers.
Beth is driven to create interest in microbiology because it has so many applications in our world, so is looking at things like downloadable lesson plans for teachers to use in class, gaming and student-led podcasts to build its profile.
he also believes that the establishment of the Centre for Microbial Interactions will help to grow awareness and provide a touchpoint and resource for those that are interested to gain a better understanding.
James Canham, who works at The Sainsbury Laboratory, set up non-profit organisation GetGenome to help scientists in less well-funded countries get access to genomics technology and genomics-related training.
Providing scientists with access to these technologies will empower them to independently tackle critical local challenges, driving progress in diverse regional contexts. GetGenome is supporting activities in more than 20 countries worldwide and has to date sequenced more than 500 genomes.
A good example of GetGenome’s work can be found in North Africa, where native plants harbour microbial allies that enhance crop resilience and growth. It has been working extensively with researchers in this region by providing access to state-of-the-art genome sequencing technology.
Some of these microbes may turn out to be sustainable alternatives to agrochemicals, offering solutions for food security in extreme environments, and they also have the potential to become powerful tools for climate-smart farming beyond the region.
Roz said: “I am very keen to showcase the impact that our community of microbiologists can have in the real world, whether that is through brilliant business ideas, outreach programmes with schools or not-for-profit work in areas of the world where inequity exists.
“This conference and the establishment of the Centre for Microbial Interactions is a really powerful platform to highlight the diversity of ground-breaking research being carried out right across Norwich Research Park’s campus.”
The importance of showing how microbiological research can have a positive impact on so many parts of society cannot be underplayed. It means that more funding can be attracted to carry out specific projects, and equally it demonstrates how publicly-funded research can make a real difference to many people across the globe.
In the main reception area of the conference there was a poster exhibition that showcased the work of many of the microbiology research groups from across the park. The idea for the posters was to give delegates a quick overview of the fields of research the groups are working in, the aims of the research, and the results and outcomes so far.
Prof Mark Webber, director of the Centre for Microbial Interactions and group leader at the Quadram Institute, said: “It’s really important that we are able to join together to share our cumulative knowledge and expertise, and to network, because collaboration is often the key to making breakthrough scientific discoveries in the field of microbiology.
“Microbiology touches all of our lives, from the food we eat to our health and the future of our planet. The Centre for Microbial Interactions was established to better promote and educate people about the value of microbiology and to provide a better platform for those of us at all the institutions based at Norwich Research Park to work together more closely, with the ultimate aim of delivering real world benefits.”
Sam Rowe, project manager for the Centre for Microbial Interactions, who organised the event, said: “It was fantastic to see our diverse and extensive community come together over the two days of the conference. The initial feedback I have received has been wholly positive.
“Having one of the largest groupings of microbiologists on one site anywhere in the world is a real advantage we have here at Norwich Research Park. We want to make the most of harnessing that power so that we can provide practical solutions to address some of the biggest challenges we face in food security, human health and climate change.”
