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Valerija Parthala, a PhD student in Microbiology at the University of Hertfordshire, was recently awarded the Don Whitley Scientific (DWS) Travel Grant which she used to attend the 8th International C. difficile Symposium in Bled Lake, Slovenia. Here, she presented her research entitled ‘Membrane vesicle and phage interactions in Clostridiodes difficile’.
We asked Valerija to share more about her work and her experience in Bled:
“Clostridioides difficile is an anaerobic, Gram-positive, toxin producing, sporulating bacterium associated with C. difficile infection (CDI). C. difficile is also found in animals and the environment; such strains harbouring antimicrobial resistance genes and mobile genetic elements (e.g., phages) could be a source of transmission to human isolates through gene transfer agents such as phages (bacterial viruses) and membrane vesicles (MVs). Phages infect, kill bacteria, and could confer genetic traits to bacterial hosts. MVs are known to contain different biological molecules and have diverse biological functions. There is limited knowledge on C. difficile MVs and phage-MV interactions. My project aims to examine C. difficile membrane vesicles, their interactions with phages and role, if any, in fitness and pathogenicity.
A key part of my work involves the use of a Whitley A35 HEPA and a DG250 Anaerobic Workstation, which are instrumental in culturing C. difficile and isolating MVs, and conducting experiments with phages and MVs. This equipment is essential in achieving my experimental objectives, including characterising MVs and exploring MV-mediated phage sensitisation in C. difficile.
I was honoured to present my findings at the 8th International C. difficile Symposium in Bled Lake, Slovenia. As the only student working specifically on C. difficile MVs at the symposium, my worked garnered significant interest. I had a fantastic experience sharing my research with leading experts and fellow scientists, and I was inspired by the latest advancements in the field. This event also allowed me to expand my professional network within the C. difficile community and explore potential collaborations. On a personal level, I also formed meaningful friendships across the globe.
Overall, the experience was unforgettable, and I am sincerely thankful to my primary supervisor, research team and technical team at the University of Hertfordshire for their constant support and encouragement. I am also extremely grateful to DWS, the University of Hertfordshire Student Trust and the MoDDDResearch Centre for supporting my attendance at the conference.”
You too could have the chance of presenting your work to your peers. If you are interested in applying for one of our travel grants, please find more details on the DWS Travel Grant page. For more information on our Anaerobic Workstation range please see the products below or email us at sales@dwscientific.co.uk
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