Siouxsie Wiles
Award winning scientist and communicator Dr Siouxsie Wiles describes herself as a microbiologist and bioluminescence enthusiast, but, to others, she is “that pink-haired science lady”. Head of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, Siouxsie combines her twin passions to understand infectious diseases. In a nutshell, Siouxsie and her team make nasty bacteria glow in the dark. Siouxsie is also interested in demystifying science for the general public; she is a blogger, podcaster and radio commentator, and has teamed up with Australian graphic artist Luke Harris to make short animations describing nature’s amazing glowing creatures and the many uses of bioluminescence in science.
superbugslab.org
@SiouxsieW
ooooh worms, bacteria, vomit, corpse, carcus...
You've got me hooked!!!
Luciferin and Luciferase - from the Latin lucifer meaning 'light burning'
Injured soldiers with glowing wounds... much more likely to survive their injuries... angels glow! Wounds contaminated by photo....... from the soil - took hold and prevented gangrene.
Scientists like me... talking about nasty microbes... how can they kill people within a couple of days!
Ebola got her hooked on microbiology in her teenage years.
Ebola is the great white shark of microcrobe...
Our rates of infectious diseases is far too high!
Heart disease and cancer rates have gone up by around 7%.
Our rates of infectious diseases have gone up a scaring 50%.
Antibiotic resistant superbugs are everywhere - surgery and cancer therapy may become life threatening and deadly.
Making bacteria glow in the dark - able to measure by looking for light! Amazing use - light can travel through skin.
Flesh eating disease... Enzyme degrades flesh, muscle and heart...
Discovering new antibiotics, new fungis.
Microbes have the ability to change their make up and this is how they become resistant and new diseases develop.
Understanding how strains evolve - understanding over time!
We are in an arms raced against an enemy that can evolve so much faster than we can discover...
bioluminescence may show us the way.....
WOW
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