MSE Webinar Series
Challenges in Antimicrobial Resistance
The challenge that will be discussed in this session is:
Engineering Smart Surfaces: From The Laboratory Towards Real Life Use
Join us for this informal webinar with Prof Nicholas Harrison, Prof Daryl Williams and Dr Gerald Larrouy-Maumus. There will be an opportunity for question and answer after the presentation. To join this webinar you must register in advance and you will be emailed the joining instructions for the webinar.
Biography
Professor Nicholas Harrison
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Chair of Computational Materials Science
Professor Harrison is co director of the Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering head of the Computational Materials Science Group in the Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London.
Professor Harrison’s has worked on the development an efficient computational implementation of quantum mechanical theories of condensed matter for over 20 years. His current research is aimed at the use of computer simulations to aid the discovery and optimisation of advanced materials. Particular areas of interest include:
- Molecular and organic magnetic materials for flexible electronics
- The theory of excited states in condensed matter
- Materials for solar energy conversion
- Optimising catalysts for use in solid oxide fuel cells
- Materials ageing through wear and corrosion
Professor Daryl Williams
Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering
Professor Willams’ current research interests focuses on the particulate materials and material surfaces and their role in product manufacture including both biological and non-biological materials. He has developed a number of novel and leading edge methods for determining a range of surface and bulk physicochemical properties of powders and particulate materials including mechanical, topographical, chromatographic and surface properties.
Recent studies have included studies of protein aggregation, protein crystallisation and freeze drying. The group has world leading expertise in gravimetric charactisation methods as well as inverse chromatographic methods, having pioneered many of these approaches. For example, the water sorption characterisation of many classes of materials, especially pharmaceuticals, biomataterials and biopharmaceutical is an area of significant interest. Current and new project areas include:
- Protein crystallisation using nanotemplates
- Surface energy mapping of complex organic powders
- Micromechanics of agglomerates and cellular entities
- Physical stability of bioformulations
- Second virial coefficents and protein-protein aggregation behaviour
- Freeze drying of therapeutics
- Surfaces and Particle Engineering Laboratory
- SMS – UK Surface Measurement Systems
Dr Gerald Larrouy-Maumus
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences , Senior Lecturer
Knowing that the mycobacterial cell envelope is one of the first links in the host-pathogen cross-talk, Dr Gerald Larrouy-Maumus did a Ph.D, in Toulouse (France), in order to study the biogenesis of the mycobacterial cell wall, especially the identification of the glycosyltransferases potentially involved in the biosynthesis of (lipo) polysaccharides which constitute the Achilles’ hill of the mycobacterial cell-envelope.
As a lecturer in Molecular Microbiology at the MRC-CMBI, Imperial College, his laboratory explores deciphering the environmental adaptation of Mtb within the host. Mainly Metabolomics, and Transcriptomics, Proteomics, and Lipidomics are used as tools for the read-out of the first steps in this adaptation. Effectively, the success of Mtb as a pathogen partially results from its capacity to invade, survive and persist within intracellular phagosomes and extracellular sites in many host tissues. Throughout the cycle of infection, Mtb encounters and survives in a variety of harsh environments in the human body including nutrient-poor, acidic, oxidative, nitrosative and hypoxic niches. Very little is known about the molecular mechanism and kinetics of adaptation of Mtb during the first stages of infection within the host. Deciphering these mechanisms in such defined environments is crucial to understanding the physiology of Mtb within the host and can also inform on us why Mtb is such an efficient intracellular pathogen. The findings will potentially lead to the discovery of new drug targets and have a better understanding on resistant bacteria in context of the host.
If you have any questions about accessibility requirements please email Leah Adamson (IMSE Events Officer) on l.adamson@imperial.ac.uk
More webinars in the Antimicrobial Resistance Webinar series:
- 30 April 14.00 Viral Interferon Inhibiting Proteins and Self-Amplifying RNA Vaccines presented by Dr Anna Blakney
- 7 May 14.00 Studying Ratcheting Complexity in Evolution presented by Dr Morgan Beeby
- 14 May 14.00 Engineering Smart Surfaces: From The Laboratory Towards Real Life Use presented by Professor Nicholas Harrison, Professor Daryl Williams and Dr Gerald Larrouy-Maumus
- 21 May 14.00 How Artificial Gut Systems Show How Gut Microbiota Protect from Infection presented by Dr Julie McDonald
- 28 May 14.00 Synthetic Biology in Yeast for Sensing Pathogens Secreting Antimicrobials presented by Professor Tom Ellis
- 11 June 14.00 An Emerging Low-Cost Bacteria Adhesive Surfaces presented by Dr Pavani Cherukupally
- 18 June 14.00 Low Cost Polymeric Materials with Anti-Microbial Properties presented by Professor Daryl Williams
- 25 June 14.00 Lymphatic System Transport and Vaccine Adjuvants presented by Professor James Moore.
- 2 July 14.00 Microchip Technology enabling rapid diagnostics : from AMR – COVID-19 presented by Dr Pantelis Georgiou
For more information about IMSE involvement with surfaces to combat Antimicrobial Resistance please read our briefing paper Smart Surfaces to Tackle Infection and Anti Microbial Resistance