Dr Billy Ferrara, Teaching Fellow, works on molecular and genetic research and teaches these techniques to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
As part of his work, Billy uses a qPCR machine – the kind used in Covid testing – to see if genes respond to novel plant derived drugs and to look for potential sequence mutations.
He said: “I set the experiment up, run the reactions and the computer produces a reading on a graph, which is then translated into higher or lower gene response. The genes are colour coded and the ones closer to the left of the graph have the higher response, compared to those on the right.
“I then send the samples to be sequenced. This data can also tell us if there are any mutations or variations in our samples.”
Dr Abigail Rickard, head of biology, added: “From molecular biology, to genetics, climate change and more, students who take biology at the university can tailor their course to what interests them most. The career opportunities are endless.”
