It's the first time UWL has hosted this conference which is actually in its 23rd year, and it was sponsored by industry partners in life sciences including Shimadzu, Bruker UK Ltd and New England Biolabs, MicrobesNG and Ramanomics,”

UWL Professor of Microbiology Hermine Mkrtchyan explained.

We had talks from experts in the field and entrepreneurs, including the deputy head of the Oxford University Innovation and CEO of Ramanomics Ltd, who spoke on how to go from an idea in the lab to spinout and launching a viable business.”

With so many international countries present, global issues really came to the fore, Hermine explained:

The event’s focus was on cutting edge technologies and how they revolutionised molecular characterisation of pathogens which cause infectious diseases and microbial resistance. These pathogens evolve and become resistant to multiple antibiotics, limiting treatment options, a burden for healthcare systems.

We moved from a single component identification to microbiomes and ecosystems. We now need to innovate and try to answer questions that are global problems because, as we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic, we can impose lockdowns in the UK, but pathogens and microorganisms are not going to ask us if they can come in – they will just come.”

Hermine, who together with Professor Haroun Shah (who is an Honorary Professor at UWL) has been involved in organising this conference since 2016. She was delighted to see so many non-academic organisations represented:

UKHSA is the most important public health body in the UK, and we had two speakers from them. We also heard from industry partners who were keen to work with us on projects using cutting edge technologies and approaches.”

In recent years the biomedical sector has developed a range of technologies aimed at solving public health issues. Events like this conference are a great way to bring people together to consider the problems and the best way we can solve them, Hermine adds:

The networks, and working groups that have been developed as a result of workshops held before the conference will feedback directly to policymakers.”

The conference saw several delegates and speakers from Latin America, who were impressed with the work being done by UWL’s School of Medicine and Biosciences and therefore proposed a scheme called a ‘double PhD’, that will enable exchange between UWL’s and their PhD students.

Our PhD students and Early Career Researchers were helping out during the event, and it was amazing to see their energy and engagement with the event. What better way to get working on a global approach to public health?”

Hermine added.

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