8 Aug 2013
Emily Preedy received a Rideal Travel Bursary to attend the 14th European Student Colloid Conference at the Max Planck Institute in Germany from 10 - 13 June 2013. Here she reports on her experiences:
The title of my poster was Curli expression genes influence on spatial distribution of forces of adhesion on the cell surface of E.coli. The Main points covered included MG1655 csgD E.coli strain produced the highest adhesion forces, which corresponds to the over expression of curli, contributing to the physic-chemical characteristics of adhesion and not just the mechanical aspects associated with adhesion.
There were 8 main presenters as the conference on the day I attended. I was very much intrigued by the Marangoni effect described by one of the speaker Hans Riegler, with his demonstration of this phenomenon via video. Also, the presentation by Helmuth Mӧhwald enlightened the notion of encapsulation and the number of aspects affecting/controlling the processes needed for numerous applications associated with encapsulation.
I was able to approach other young scientists at the conference about suggestions on how to improve certain techniques that I have or will be using in my own research. It also gave me an opportunity to establish relationships with international students with potential future collaborations. Also, it was an honour to meet and put a face to the names of the authors of articles/journals that I have read.
There were a number of analysis tools and techniques shared at the conference that may be of benefit to some in my research group which I will share.
This was the first international conference and first conference outside of my academic school that I have attended; as I am only in the first year of my PhD. However, I found the experience of great benefit to me personally, as it allowed me to put my own work into perspective; as well as allowing me to view the progress of others. The whole experience allowed me to meet other people and to form international friendships and connections allowing me to progress in my work and as an individual, it also opened my eyes into the type of research that it happening here and now. I feel the experience was refreshing to see so many young scientists like myself aiming to improve the future of generations to come, from looking into biofuels to targeted drug delivery. It was inspiring!
Emily Preedy
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