The study of microbial interactions is recognised as an essential ingredient for research into plant and crop health, food security, human health and the environment.
That’s why the University of East Anglia (UEA), located at Norwich Research Park, not only runs a dedicated microbiology undergraduate degree course but also includes the study of microbes as an important pillar in many other courses including ecology, medicine, chemistry, pharmacy, biomedical science, environmental science and genetics.
We spoke to some of the teaching staff at UEA to understand the importance of microbial interactions and what students can gain from studying microbiology here.
Prof Kay Yeoman is Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education Systems and Technologies. She said, “I think the first thing to state is that, from a human perspective, we have more microbial cells in our body than we have human cells. That means there’s got to be a massive interplay between microbes and our own cells.”
Dr Beth Williams, a lecturer in Microbiology, added, “It’s not just on a human level but on a planetary level. Microbes are in every corner of every niche and they are involved in almost every process that happens on the planet. Microbes can adapt to different environments and survive despite everything. As life gets more extreme on this planet, understanding those adaptions will help us navigate what the future has in store for us.”
Beth continued, “We’ve got quite a few students who are really interested in Astrobiology, for example. Studying microbes in extreme environments on this planet might lead to new understandings in space travel and how extreme environments here might mimic those on other planets.”
Dr Anthony Blake, Associate Professor in Biological Sciences, said, “So much of human innovation has come from our use of microbes and so much of what we know about health and modern drugs is derived from them. If you go even further back, we wouldn’t even have bread without microbes!
There are so many processes that rely on microbiology and, now that we have a better understanding of it, we can enhance these processes to improve things like food production. Microbiology can have a really important role in fixing food security.”
The darker side of microbes is the fact that they’re one of the biggest threats to human survival. By 2050, it is predicted that 10 million deaths will be caused by antibiotic resistance and microbes are also a major risk to our food systems.
However, new antibiotics and a lot of other major drugs can be derived from microbes. Statins, which are probably the most lifestyle-prescribed drug in the world, have microbial origins, but are now synthetically manufactured.
Beth recalled that a group in the US recently used AI to filter through hundreds and thousands of potential antibiotics to select the best ones to test. This massively narrowed down their work so that they could focus resources on those with the most promise and fast-track their production.
But it’s not just a 21st century fascination with microbes. Much of our folklore, that has been passed down through the ages, can be traced back to microbial interactions.
Kay explained, “There is a really fascinating side to some of the medieval doctrines that used to be followed, like the use of natural products, the connection with nature and woodland and how the gut microbiome communicates with your body enabling you to eat a diversity of foods. We’re able to eat so many different things because we have microbes in our guts to digest them.”
Beth expanded, “Talking about the gut-brain axis; there is a scientific basis to how your gut communicates with you. We’re understanding so much more about microbes that live inside us. They don’t just exist, they communicate with us and there’s even evidence of links to mental health and depression.”
The answer is to get more people involved in studying and researching all the different aspects of microbiology so that solutions can be found to the major global challenges in food security, nutrition and climate change.
One of the main reasons that UEA is a great place to study is that its location at Norwich Research Park provides access to one of the highest concentration of microbiologists in the world. Researchers here have a breadth of expertise and have built strong connections across the different institutions to share skills and knowledge on research projects. They regularly deliver guest lectures at UEA and can even offer opportunities to work in their laboratories.
Anthony said, “There is a massive breadth of opportunity here at UEA because whichever area of microbiology you are interested in there is somebody at Norwich Research Park studying it. That gives you the opportunity to participate in projects, get internships and eventually study for a Masters or PhD if you want to continue your learning. It really enables you to make connections and build your network.”
Beth added, “We have that ease of access to people here because they’re all on the same campus. People have always been happy to teach but are now more willing to foster those relationships under the Centre for Microbial Interactions’ umbrella.”
Beth summed up why studying microbiology is so attractive, “It’s humbling to see the scale of humanity within microbes. They are so much bigger than us conceptually in terms of what they do or what they affect. So, if you’ve got an interest, the potential at UEA is unlimited.”
It was while Katie was working as a technician at a Sixth Form school in Lowestoft that her interest in microbiology began. She participated in a microbiology project and was so hooked that she signed up for a course with the Teacher Scientist Network so that she would be qualified to deliver it herself in school.
That interest led her to undertake a Microbiology degree at UEA, which she started in 2022 and has now progressed to a PhD.
Katie said, “Microbes are pretty much at the root of everything and learning about molecular biology made me realise that we could not be here without them. That fascinated me and led to me signing up for a degree. I am now doing my doctorate in plant biology, specifically how osmolytes protect cell structures against things like temperature.
As a mature student, I really appreciate the depth of quality and diversity of teaching here at UEA, with its direct links to the research institutes and university hospital based at Norwich Research Park.
We are fortunate that many of our lectures are given by active researchers so we are getting the most up-to-date insights from the professionals, which is really exciting. Plus, you also get the chance to visit their labs and get involved in some of their research projects. Not many universities in this country can offer that opportunity.”
Katie has another three years of her PhD to complete and will then have the opportunity to choose what sort of career she would like – whether that’s the research or teaching route.
She said, “I haven’t decided yet what I will end up doing. The John Innes Centre, Quadram Institute and The Sainsbury Laboratory conduct a lot of really ground-breaking research that would interest me. Equally, having come to higher education later than most, I really see the value of teaching and lecturing so helping to nurture the next generation of microbiologists is something that I find attractive too.
Having had first-hand experience of working alongside some of the world’s leading microbiology researchers, it really has made me determined to help people with their health, diets, nutrition and the way we grow crops.
Based on my own experiences, I can highly recommend studying Microbiology at UEA, not only for the course itself but also the wealth of related opportunities there are across the Norwich Research Park campus and future career prospects. In my opinion, it’s second to none.”
In addition to Masters and PhD courses, there are a lots of job opportunities at Norwich Research Park. Along with UEA, the four world-leading research institutes – the John Innes Centre, The Sainsbury Laboratory, Quadram Institute and Earlham Institute – plus the university hospital are all significant employers. In addition, there are growing opportunities for roles in new start-up, spin-out and spin-in companies that are emerging across the campus.
Norwich Research Park is a large regional employer and it’s only going to get bigger as new companies emerge that will need staff with microbiology backgrounds. In terms of scale, it’s only built on an eighth of the land that it’s got planning consent for so over the next couple of decades it could expand significantly.
The UK Government, through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has recently committed to long term spending on both the research projects being undertaken here and the building of brand new facilities. The Next Generation Infrastructure project will provide key platforms for ground-breaking discovery research at the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory in state-of-the-art lab, office and greenhouse spaces.
Norwich itself, including the wider business and residential communities, is very welcoming of science, with high-profile annual events such as the Norwich Science Festival and Royal Norfolk Show.
UEA has one of the highest retention rates in the UK for graduates who decide to live and work in the city once they have completed their studies. There are also plenty of employment options outside of science in renewable energy, tech and even tourism where a microbiology background can be beneficial.