• Question: what kind of diseases do you work with?

    Asked by diggerlack to Rory, Rosie on 12 Mar 2014.
    • Photo: Rory Miles

      Rory Miles answered on 12 Mar 2014:

      In my work, I deal with a particularly wide range of different diseases. My lab specialises in diseases caused by bacteria and viruses that are really uncommon in the UK and also those that may be bought into the country when people go on holiday. My latest project focused on a particular bacteria that people can catch from rivers. This is becoming more common because a lot more people are now participating in things like kayaking. Don’t let this put you off doing these, there’s only 300 cases a year in the UK!

    • Photo: Rosie Coates

      Rosie Coates answered on 12 Mar 2014:

      Hi @diggerlack!

      In the past I have worked with Neisseria meningitidis, which is one of the kinds of bacteria that can cause meningitis and I sometimes work Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus is the bacteria that makes people ill with MRSA, an infection that people sometimes get after they have had an operation.

      I know it seems funny to think of but I actually work the sort of bacteria that live on our skin without causing any problems, and can even help us stay healthy. The bacteria on our skin can help us to stay healthy by making it harder for bad bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus, to spend time on our skin so it’s less likely to get into our bodies and make us ill.

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