Women in Science

University of Manchester. Will undertake research into the fate of toxic and radioactive metals. She will use state of the art imaging to discover the role these bacteria have in real-world environments, leading to a greater understanding of how we might remediate against toxic and radioactive metals and ultimately impact policy on how we treat environmental contamination such as nuclear or arsenic contamination.

University of Oxford. Will undertake research into the adaptation of oxygen- sensing enzymes in times of stress. Her research investigates how these oxygen- sensing enzymes function normally, how they are damaged in cancer cells and, most importantly in terms of cancer treatment, how this damage might be prevented by antioxidants such as vitamin C.

University of Oxford. Will undertake research into gene loop structures associated with convergent genes in genetic diseases. She has shown that the intergene space between two genes, which face each other in the DNA structure, is looped. Cohesin is situated in these intergene regions so she plans to establish how this loop structure is related to cohesin and cell division.

University of Bristol. Will undertake research into the ecological relevance of blue leaf iridescence in plants. The function of this iridescence is currently unknown but could have many functions including increasing photosynthesis or deterring herbivores and her research will establish the relevance.