THE PHAGE RESEARCH PODCAST
We are aiming to bring you knowledge around phage-related topics, in small pills in the form of a Podcast.
Topics from phage therapy, to the use of phages in biotechnology, veterinary medicine, ecology, protocols,etc. So that you can get some food for thought, whether you are an experienced researcher, starting off your career in the phage field or just curious about different science related topics.
Image by Emily Brown: 'Phage' by Dr Graham Beards, and 'Bxz2_Plaque' by Deborah Jacobs-Sera and Graham Hatfull.
We, Maria, Alex and David, are all PhD students, members of the Azeredo Lab at the University of Minho in Portugal.
Maria Sequeira Lopes
“My first contact with phages happened during my master's thesis in Nottingham, The UK. At that time, this incredible world and the potential of this virus were presented to me through the isolation and characterisation of Clostridium difficile phages from piglets. After that, I felt that I wanted to continue my scientific journey by studying phages, so now I'm doing my PhD research in Portugal at the Azeredo Lab, working with Staphylococcus epidermidis phages.”
My motivation to make Phagecast: One of the most effective techniques, in my opinion, for sharing science is communication. Therefore, a podcast is the best way to introduce all researchers to the world of phages so that knowledge can progress more quickly. I particularly like that one of the objectives of this project is to increase awareness of both well-known figures and emerging voices.
Maria Sequeira Lopes
David Sáez.
David Sáez Moreno
“ ****I got introduced to phages for the first time during my MSc, when I did an exchange in WULS in Poland and got to work with a wonderful team developing phage therapy for treating APEC in animal farming.
Like most of the people in the field, I got incredibly hooked and continued working with phages ever since!
I found my place as a researcher for almost two years in PhagoMed, a Biopharma company that was developing phage therapy for treatment of chronic infections. One year ago, I moved to the Azeredo Lab as a PhD student in the center of Biological Engineering in Braga, Portugal.”
My motivation to make Phagecast: I believe in the potential of phages not only against the antibiotic resistance crisis but as biotechnological tools. I am always trying to find ways to learn more about them without having to stare at a screen and I was missing this format, so why not be the ones creating it?
Alexandre Lima
“I first got in touch with phages during my MSc in the Azeredo lab at the university of Minho, Portugal. I began my journey with these viruses in a completely different context from the majority of my colleagues as I explored the chemical and genetic manipulation of phages for the detection of early Alzheimer´s disease. This introduction to the phage world allowed me to see its versatility and opportunities and from that moment on I knew I wanted to continue exploring phages in the next steps of my scientific journey. With that in mind, I focused on gaining experience with phages in different applications and finally, at the beginning of this year I initiated my PhD.”
My motivation to make Phagecast: Sharing experience and results has always been at the core of scientific development. I believe that podcasts can make the learning process more convenient, engaging and personal. This format allow us to share not only the results but also a first person perspective throughout the whole discovery process.
Alexandre Lima
PHAGECAST EPISODES AND GUESTS:
Episode 0: OUR WHY
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0bQf8COjIRBlBZBgLJ8Rdq?si=e352cecb290b4832
Episode 1: Joana Azeredo- Phages against biofilms.
https://open.spotify.com/show/7fOF5O2StmOkTqyJtVLnqC
Episode 2: Martin J. Loessner - Natural resistance to phages and endolysins, L-forms.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0E5DTpQPWBgrMtdvIq0pNm?si=8739a968c9484ebc
Episode 3: Rob Lavigne - Uncovering unknown genes in P. aeruginosa phages.