Dr Chris Cooper Will Be Attending the Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2022
The Microbiology Society Annual Conference
The Microbiology Society Annual Conference this year will take place in Belfast between 4th to the 7th of April, where Peak Proteins’ Director of Protein Science Dr Chris Cooper has co-organised two sessions at the conference on prokaryotic microbiology, and will be also be co-chairing them.
Microbiology Society
Chris has been a member of the Microbiology Society since his PhD studies on archaeal microbiology and biochemistry, at the University of Oxford. Chris commented, “I remained a member of the Microbiology Society throughout my academic life and now into my industrial career, as I’ve had continual interests in microbial protein expression systems. I began co-organising the conference sessions whilst I was still a Principal Investigator at the University of Huddersfield, and the sessions are particularly applicable to Peak Proteins’ work in microbial cell culture. My move to Peak Proteins is also very relevant to my membership of the Society’s Industry Working Group, as we hope to support increased Society engagement with members working in industrial microbiology and biotechnology”.
The Conference Sessions
The sessions Chris has co-organised include how bacteria and archaea are invaded by external genetic elements (horizontal gene transfer/HGT) and defend against it. ‘CRISPR’ is one such prokaryotic ‘immune system’ and is key to understanding the flow of genes in the environment, including the spread of antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria. Applications of CRISPR are also becoming of increased importance to microbial genetic engineering and studies of human diseases, and this session also addresses the fundamental biochemistry and mechanisms of CRISPR. The second session is a forum on general microbial molecular biology, physiology and metabolism, where early-career researchers in particular are encouraged to present their research via oral or poster presentations. The full programme for the meeting can be found here.
The Prokaryotic Division
Chris is also current Chair-Elect of the Society’s Prokaryotic Division and will succeed the current Chair Dr Martin Welch of the University of Cambridge in 2024. The Prokaryotic Division focuses on the major areas of bacterial and archaeal microbiology, developing symposia topics for future Society meetings to help exchange knowledge and advance understanding of prokaryotes across multiple disciplines.
