Of The Birds and The Bugs: Looking at the world from a different perspective

Come with me to delve into the fascinating world of ancient DNA preserved in paleofeces (ancient human excrement) and dental calculus (calcified plaque on teeth). These unique sources provide valuable insights into the diets, health, and lifestyles of past human populations. By extracting and analyzing ancient DNA from these samples, researchers can uncover details about the microbiota, or microbial communities, living inside our ancestors. By unlocking the secrets hidden within paleofeces and dental calculus, we gain valuable insights into our shared human history and the intricate relationships between humans and their microbial companions across time."

The Irish government set a target of 7GW of power generated by offshore wind by 2030 (that's a lot!). Many new developments are planned in Irish waters but little is know on their potential impacts on the marine environment. Seabirds can be affected by offshore wind farms (OWF) through direct collision or displacement (the avoidance of the area which results in habitat loss). My job is to fit breeding seabirds such as puffins and terns with mini GPS trackers to see where they forage at sea. The goal is to identify the risks specific to our beloved Irish seabird species and try to mitigate these before the construction of offshore wind farms.

Global awareness of the societal challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has grown in recent years. However, the path forward in addressing these challenges remains uncertain. Deciphering the languages and dialects used by microscopic organisms could enable us to communicate our way out of the ever-increasing storm posed by a lack of effective antibiotics. This seminar will discuss how the languages bacteria use can be explored and harnessed to offer a new route forward in infection control, providing an alternative context to the antimicrobial resistance challenge and awakening new bioactive potential for a sustainable future.