Dr Allen’s talk is aimed at the students of St John’s International School but the public is welcome to attend.
Dr Mike Allen is a Virologist, Microbiologist, Molecular Biologist and Biochemist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory. More recently, people have begun to call him a Biotechnologist and an Engineer. Whatever he is, Mike is certain he is most definitely suffering from Impostor Syndrome. His symptoms are varied and encompass both blue skies and applied research topics, mixed with a propensity to seek out funding anywhere he can find it. Blue skies ailments focus mainly on understanding the role of viruses in the ocean using genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches. Applied research focuses on biocatalysis, bioremediation, biotransformation, bioprocessing and technology development. Mike’s current academic research projects include co-evolution of coccolithophores and coccolithoviruses, phytoplankton ecology, sphingolipid biosynthesis, novel protein expression, and characterisation of giant viruses. Applied projects cover synthetic biology, biofuel production and processing, water sanitation, high throughput liquid processing and the development of novel photobioreactor technologies for promoting microalgae growth. Current and recent funding sources include The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Roddenberry Foundation, Innovate UK, NERC and BBSRC. This talk will cover some of the weird and wonderful projects Mike is currently involved in.
Venue: St John’s International School, Broadway, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 8RG
Free.