ePortfolio of Kathryn Maskew
My name is Kathryn Maskew, and I am a first year PhD student, funded by the BBSRC. I am studying for my PhD at the School of Life Sciences as part of the Roper Group, supervised by Dr David Roper and Dr Adrian Lloyd. I am currently studying methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as part of the MIBTP 'Food Security' theme. Staphylococcus aureus is a major causative agent of infectious disease, such as agricultural livestock mastitis. Furthermore, the threat posed by this pathogen is magnified by the emergence of methicillin resistance following the acquisition of MecA, a penicillin-binding protein that inhibits the antimicrobial action of beta-lactam antibiotics, such as methicillin.
Before starting my PhD, I obtained an MBio Masters of Biological Sciences in Biomedical Sciences (First Class Honours) from the University of Warwick. My fourth year research project with Dr Elizabeth Fullam involved the investigation of an essential enzyme needed for cell wall synthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
MIBTP Year 1
Mini-project 1 - Development and immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana, with Dr Vardis Ntoukakis (Warwick)
PIP - University of Warwick School of Life Sciences Outreach, with Prof. Kevin Moffat and Dr Leanne Williams
Mini-project 2 - Investigating type IV pili produced by the predatory bacteria Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, with Dr Andrew Lovering (Birmingham)
Presentations
- Molecular Mechanisms, (Presentation, 2016) - "MRSA and peptidoglycan biosynthesis".
- MIBTP Research Symposium, (Poster, 2016) - "The investigation of type IV pilins produced by Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus".
- MBio Student Research Symposium, (Presentation, 2015) - "The purification and characterisation of an essential enzyme involved in carbohydrate metabolism from Mycobacterium tuberculosis".
- Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (URSS) Symposium, (Poster, 2013) - "The pneumococcal interface between cell wall and protein synthesis".
Teaching and Outreach
I am passionate about making science accessible and exciting to all age groups and abilities, and I take part in many outreach and internal teaching activities. For example;
- Demonstrator for UG laboratories, University of Warwick (Structural Molecular Biology, Biochemistry)
- 3 month placement with Outreach, School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick (All age groups from KS1-KS5, as well as teacher training
Societies
- Associate Member of the Royal Society of Biology, AMRSB
