Bioscientist Magazine Issue 1

THE SALFORD BIOMEDICINE SOCIETY MAGAZINE DEC 2020 | ISSUE 1

PHEONIX FROM THE ASHES Cells damaged by tobacco smoking can reemerge as healthy cells

COWS AND COVID How might industrial animal agriculture increase the likelihood of pandemics?

CAREER STORIES: SALFORD We interview Dr Sara Namvar and Aimee Pinnington on the story so far

MORE INSIDE

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BIOSCIENTIST

II | Editors’ note 1 | Programme lead's update 2 | My journey to Salford One student’s story of overcoming challenges associated with his autism 3 | Science News The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine explained 6 | Changing Health in a Changing World Cows and COVID: how industrial animal agriculture is increasing the risk of pandemics 9 | Research spotlight Cells damaged by tobacco smoking can reemerge as healthy cells 10 | Careers advice Students talk to Salford Careers staff for advice to help springboard their careers 11 | Opportunity hub Learn where to find exciting vacancies 12 | Careers Hub launch Dr Greensmith reveals a new platform for career guidance and CV opportunities 13 | Career stories Salford staff and alumni share how they reached their career goals 17 | Wellbeing advice 'Coffee with Caroline' – Dr Topham answers your wellbeing queries 20 | Get involved in the society Learn about exciting events and activities within the society 30 | References

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On the cover: Caitlin Owen Heartblooms

Pg 23 | BioMedSoc BioArt Club Enter our art competition by 31st Jan 2021 to be in with a chance of winning vouchers up to £100 and a feature in our next issue!

EDITORS’ NOTE The past year has been all about change. In all aspects of our lives, from the way we interact with friends, to evolutions in the realm of biomedicine and healthcare. And so the theme for our first issue was born: Changing Health in a changing World.

It made sense that the first issue of a publication with an aim to be a resource for Bioscience students to navigate university life and beyond should acknowledge the changes we've all experienced, and how they may impact our future. Themes like climate change, scientific advancement, personal improvement and wellbeing all feature in this magazine, all of which were important to us as editors, and we hope they also hold significance for students and staff alike.

This publication originated as a casual thought in a society meeting one evening.

Many a "what if" and countless name

changes later, we are proud to say that this magazine is the result.

Amongst many other things, this magazine stands testament to the plethora of opportunities our Biomed Society provides for students to get involved and push the boundaries of their potential. This issue features details of events, clubs and activities hosted by the society as we approach the new year.

We would like to thank all the wonderful students who contributed in any way to all parts of this magazine, along with Dr Sara Namvar and Aimee Pinnington for their invaluable support throughout every stage in the process of planning and compilation. It wouldn't have been possible without you.

Caitlin Owen, Bruce Veloso and Nadia Patel CO-EDITORS

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PROGRAMME LEAD STATEMENT DR CAROLINE TOPHAM

I can’t believe it’s nearly the end of term already! To say this year has been a rollercoaster is an understatement, and we have all been challenged in ways we never expected. I’d like to use this opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our programme over the past year, and also to make space to recognise the incredibly difficult challenges we have faced.

When lockdown happened in March, we were all thrown into a washing machine of uncertainty, and it took a huge amount of dedication for everyone to keep going. For our students, the security and routine of coming to campus and being with your fellow students disappeared in a flash. For our staff, we had to find new ways of teaching overnight. Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of all of us for getting to this point.

There is light at the end of the tunnel now, but we still have a few months to get through before life will be anywhere near normal again, so remember we’re here to support you, and dig deep to keep yourself motivated with your studies.

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There have been many impacts from the pandemic on the health, lives and employment of ourselves and our loved ones. Please get in touch with your tutor or me if you are struggling with your studies in these circumstances, there are lots of ways we can help. I also want to encourage all of you to take a good break over the winter vacation, at least a few days but ideally a week where you leave your laptop alone and spend time doing things you enjoy.

With the promise of a vaccine we can start to think about the future again, and it is never too soon to start thinking about your career and building your CV. Explore the new BMS Careers Hub community on Blackboard and dare to dream; one day soon you will be walking through the doors on the first day of your graduate job! Having a goal in sight can help to get us through the hard times so, whatever your goal is, spend a few minutes thinking about that moment on your first day. How will it feel? Who will you meet? Where will it lead? We have everything in place to help you to get there, the rest is up to you!

BY CHARLES MIDDLETON My journey to Salford has not been an easy ride. There have been many challenges I have had to overcome, am yet to overcome and still face in everyday life. As we know, life is tough and struggles are a part of daily life. Maybe for some more than others.

So, I am a student on the autistic spectrum. Autism, for me, means that some things can bother me, even the littlest of things, that maybeothers do not think about often. It can be hard to socialise, particularly when I do not always pick up on body language and facial expressions. This has been tough during online lectures, but I am gaining confidence with getting opportunities to take part in extracurricular activities, such as the Biomed Society. Societies are a great way of socialising and practicing understanding social cues.

Sensory processing can also be a challenge for me, such as with loud noises and food textures.

Because of this, my journey to Salford has been a never-ending mountain of obstacles that I have had to tackle. Kind of like when you first learn to ride a bicycle and you fall off and get back up and try again, but continuously. It can be hard, trying to fit in, trying to succeed, trying to get to your destination.

Throughout my school years I found it difficult to make friends and mostly preferred being on my own. I wasn't like everyone else – I did't use much technology, I didn't do fashion trends, or have an interest in being part of a friendship group What I did do was have a routine, do extra studying at home and even a paper round job. These things helped me and still do.

What I did do was have a routine, do extra studying at home and even a paper round job. These things helped me and still do.

Being on the autistic spectrum can have some advantages too. For me, I am determined, I pay attention to close details and I am good at identifying patterns. In fact, autistic individuals have great attributes and qualities which can contribute to unique talents, ideas, and innovations. I tend to think outside the box, then outside again, and then further outside; I like to solve a problem when it arises, and I ensure that I am always prepared to. One thing I do enjoy is learning. However, I process things differently to some of my peers and see the world as something perhaps I do not understand, yet information processing is a a part of daily life and vital to academia.

I did not think I would get into college, or even get onto the course I am doing at Salford.

Throughout this year, I have had even more challenges throughout the pandemic. Not only with becoming a new student at Salford, but socialising. It can become lonely, stressful and tiring at times. Changes that I am not used to or are not part of my pre-planned routines have been a struggle. What helps is discussing these with my lecturers and support staff and doing my best to plan for any changes that will occur further along in the course.

What I am grateful for is how different my experience at Salford has been: I have been supported throughout my time here so far, have made some great friends who are understanding and patient, and most of all, I feel like I am part of a community.

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SCIENCE NEWS

BY NADIA PATEL With a variety of questions following its approval by regulatory bodies in the UK and US, many are focussed on communicating the precise mechanisms of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine to protect against COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2. This piece aims to explore the contents of the vaccine and its exact effects upon injection into the muscle of the upper arm.

The vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech is different from other pre-existing vaccines: rather than using weakened or inactivated forms of the pathogen (disease-causing particle), it contains genetic information in the form of mRNA. To account for the effects of this, it’s important to acknowledge the body’s cellular machinery and the effects that the invading virus has: All cells contain DNA. This is a very compact molecule that contains massive amounts of information encoded into its molecular structure. It contains instructions for your body on pretty much everything, from your eye or hair colour, to the exact details of chemical processes that take place in your digestive system.

In order to mobilise (read and use) instructions in DNA, the cells convert DNA into messenger RNA – mRNA - in a process called transcription.

This requires existing cell machinery called ribosomes to read the instructions in the mRNA molecules in a process called translation and use them to make proteins which are vital for all day-to-day function.

The virus takes advantage of the cells’ existing processes, hijacking the structures to reproduce its own genetic information (also in the form of mRNA) rather than that of the original, functional cell.

Viruses hijack healthy cells’ existing machinery to produce their own viral proteins which then go on to help produce more of the virus. This is what disrupts regular function and causes disease¹.

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So what’s inside the vaccine?

The vaccine also contains instructions (in the form of mRNA ) for proteins .

Mainly one small protein in particular: spike proteins .

These are often represented by protrusions on the surface of the viral particle, shown in red (left). RNA molecules are very unstable and often 'fall apart', so they are packaged within lipid (fatty) nanoparticles². The vaccine is designed to give the body a ‘headstart’ to protect against the virus³.

Figure 1, left: Creative rendition of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles. Note: not to scale.

Credit: NIAID

The vaccine particles interact with the body’s cells, fuse with them and release the spike mRNA into the cells. The cell then uses its own ribosomes to construct the spike proteins which, on their own, are relatively harmless. (Figure 2, below) The inserted mRNA is eventually destroyed by the cell, leaving no permanent trace .

What’s the effect of having SARS-Cov-2 spike proteins in the body’s cells?

Once they are constructed, spike proteins (and fragments of spike proteins) migrate to the surface of the cell and stick out tips. This is recognised by the body, specifically the body’s immune system, and generates an immune response ⁴ .

Figure 2, below: Creative rendition of interactions between vaccine particles and vaccinated cell. Shows how cellular machinery is used to synthesise spike proteins.

How does the immune system react once recognising the foreign protein fragments following vaccination?

Once the cell is recognised as foreign and infected, it is destroyed by the immune system, releasing its contents into its surroundings.

The released spike proteins and their fragments are then collected by and displayed on the surface of an immune cell called an antigen-presenting cell. This can have several effects (Figure 3) :

Protruding spikes

Ribosome translating viral mRNA continuously to synthesise spikes

Vaccine particles Display of spike protein fragments

Vaccinated cell Cell nucleus

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ANTIGENPRESENTING CELL

Antigen-presenting cell presenting spike protein fragments

KILLER T CELL

HELPER T CELL Helper T cell activating B cell B cell

Digesting proteins Secreted Antibodies

Activated Killer T cell begins to kill infected cell

Engulfing Spike

Debris from dead/destroyed cells

B CELL

INFECTED CELL Figure 3, above: Creative rendition of communications between immune cells involving antigen-presenting cells.

The antigen-presenting cell activates a type of immune cell called the helper Tcell. Helper T-cells detect the fragments of proteins presented by the antigenpresenting cell and communicate with the rest of the body’s immune system to help fight the infection.

Antigen-presenting cells also activate a type of immune cell called killer T-cells .

These then seek out and destroy infected cells displaying spike protein fragments on their surfaces.

Immune cells called B-cells then synthesise and secrete antibodies . These are protein molecules that the body produces in response to disease and uses to fight infections. Antibodies produced in response to the vaccine also have the ability to help fight SARS-CoV-2 ; they latch onto SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins, flagging them to the rest of the immune system to be destroyed. They also prevent further infection of other healthy cells by blocking the spikes from attaching to them (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Transmission electron microscope image shows SARSCoV-2, causing COVID-19, isolated from a patient. The spikes on the outer edge of the virus give coronaviruses their name (corona = crown). The spikes act as a target for both immune response in disease and potential therapies. Source: NIAID-RML

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two injections, given 21 days apart. It’s possible that in the months after vaccination, the number of antibodies and killer T-cells in the body will decrease, as researchers still aren’t sure exactly how long protection will last.

However, the instructions to construct the disease-fighting antibodies are stored in the body’s bespoke ‘disease database’ managed by immune cells called memory B-cells and memory T-cells¹.

The production of antibodies in response to vaccination gives the body’s immune system a much-needed ‘headstart’ in fighting a potential SARS-CoV-2 infection. This means that the body can recognise and fight the virus by producing antibodies much more quickly than if the vaccine was not given. On 18th November 2020, Pfizer and BioNTech reported that primary efficacy analysis of the BNT162b2 vaccine demonstrates 95% effectiveness against COVID-19 beginning 28 days after the first dose ⁵ .

Whilst the exact logistics of its use within healthcare systems are still being determined, it is certain that the use of an effective and safe vaccine will prove invaluable in the first stage of global recovery from the pandemic.

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Is animal agriculture increasing the risk of disease and pandemics?

BY CAITLIN OWEN

Zoonoses are diseases transmitted between humans and vertebrates.

These are relatively rare but potentially devastating events. About 60% of human infections are estimated to have originated from animals¹, and this phenomenon is becoming more frequent². 75% of new and emerging diseases are zoonotic³, and most pandemics are caused by zoonoses ⁴ .

Zoonotic diseases can emerge when a genetic change happens which allows pathogens to 'jump' from animals to humans.

Some pathogens may even combine genetic material with each other, allowing them to transfer advantageous mutations and the ability to infect animals and humans. This is thought to have occurred for the 2006 'swine flu' pandemic, caused by an H1N1 virus which features a mix of genetic sequences from various human, avian and swine influenza viruses ⁵ .

Increasing demand for animal agriculture may be increasing the risk of new zoonoses forming.

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SARS-CoV-2 (source: CDC)

Disease becomes more likely when large numbers of genetically similar animals of the same species are kept extremely close together⁴ .

Even “free-range” hens may be kept with ~13 birds per square metre in the UK ⁷ . In the US, they simply have to be outside ⁸ .

Livestock are prevented from moving around to prevent wasting of energy that could be spent on growth. Animals have also been selectively bred with genes that make them better products, causing much of livestock to be genetically similar in favour of bigger chicken breasts, or increased milk production ⁴ . Low genetic diversity in any population increases its overall susceptibility to certain diseases ⁹ , and when animals are kept close together¹ ⁰ , especially in poor welfare conditions where they cannot escape the waste of other animals¹¹, or are frequently injured, an ideal breeding ground is presented for pathogens to spread and mutate quickly.

One way that the industry has compensated for this is through mixing antibiotics into animal feed and water supplies, leading to overuse⁴⁺¹².

Antibiotics are antimicrobial agents produced naturally by bacteria to reduce the competition presented by other bacteria and it is natural for bacteria to develop resistance through genetic changes for this reason ⁴ . However, our use of antibiotics in modern medicine presents the need to prevent this from happening too often. We are now accustomed to the various campaigns to reduce antibiotic abuse in human healthcare, yet animal agriculture accounted for a third of UK antibiotic use in 2016¹³. Fortunately, many measures are now being taken to reduce the overuse of antibiotics in animals, but while global demand for animal products continues to rise ⁴ , the demand for antibiotics will too.

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Domesticated animals now account for 60% of the land vertebrate biomass of the planet, while wild animals only make up 4%¹⁴.

Humans are the other 36%.

This loss of bio-diversity is thought to increase the risk of new zoonoses in a few ways, though this concept is not yet fully understood ⁴ . One such example is in the spread of zoonotic viruses by mosquitos and ticks – where native vertebrate diversity is high, they feed from a greater variety of hosts, of which only a few are good reservoirs for the virus, leading to fewer infections¹ ⁵ .

Paradoxically, the Increasing demand for land for resource-intensive livestock is in turn increasing wild animal-human interface, which also increases the risk of zoonoses jumping species to humans⁴.

Our growing demand for land and resources forces us to further encroach on wild habitats. Cattle in particular require vast amounts of land and crops, which is driving deforestation in places like the Amazon¹ ⁶ . While habitats decline, wild animals are forced closer to human and livestock populations.

This increases contact between livestock, wild animals, and humans.

Many zoonoses are already found in animal agriculture as foodborne diseases, such as salmonella, listeria and campylobacter.

Animals are a major source of foodborne pathogens, even in plants after contamination with animal waste ⁴ . Animalsourced foods formed 35% of the global burden of foodborne disease in 2010¹ ⁷ , and 2018-19 saw the largest-ever outbreak of listeriosis after 1000 laboratory-confirmed cases in South Africa and over 200 deaths as a consequence.

So is animal agriculture increasing the risk of disease and pandemics? The UN seems to think so⁴ . In their 2020 report, ‘preventing the next pandemic’, increasing human demand for animal protein was listed as the first of 7 drivers of pandemics and as a contributing factor to other drivers listed, such as unsustainable agricultural intensification and climate change.

It should be noted that in in lesser-economically developed regions with poor food security, animal products serve as an important source of nutrition that goes some way towards maintaining a healthy immune system and thus reducing the burden of disease ⁴ . Therefore, the answer is not as simple as everyone simply dropping animal products from the diet right now.

However, as we are now well aware, diseases do not respect borders and pandemics are worldwide. If we hope to prevent disease in future, it will take global change in practices, and when both farming livestock and interacting with wild animals appears to increase the risk of disease, it seems ever-more likely that this will have to involve reducing our consumption of animal products.

4,000

skaerbtuo fo rebmuN

3,000

2,000

1,000

0

1980-85

1985-90

1990-95

1995-2000

2000-10

2010-15

Time period The number of outbreaks caused by zoonoses is rising, including relative to outbreaks caused by human-specific pathogens The total height of the bars represents the total number of outbreaks.of disease; red area show the proportion of outbreaks that were caused by zoonoses as opposed to pathogens limited to humans (blue area). Adapted from Smith et al., 2014²³ .

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RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Phoenix from the ashes: Lung tissue damaged by tobacco smoking may be able to regenerate

BY BRUCE VELOSO What if lung tissue could regenerate after smoking damage and become healthy again – like a phoenix rising from the ashes?

Surprising new research published by Nature ²⁴ suggests that this may be the case. It has been found that cells which escape damage have the ability to repair smoking-related damage inflicted on other cells in the lungs – but only if you stop smoking.

Hundreds of carcinogens are present in tobacco, which cause changes in DNA sequences of cells, resulting in the formation of cancerous cells over time. For years, it was thought that damage in the lungs caused by smoking was irreversible. and life-long with an unspoken rule which stated that lung cancer was soon to chase after and find ex-smokers. New research suggests that this may not necessarily be true. The results of quitting tobacco cause lungs to self-repair, noted in people who smoked at least a pack of cigarettes continuously for more than 30 years.

It was also observed that the lungs of past smokers were comparable to people who had never smoked before, because the healthy cells that where able to avoid tobacco-related mutations could replace the damaged cells. It was noted that the majority of cells taken from a smoker’s airway had suffered mutations, with cells displaying up to 10,000 genetic alterations. But to the researchers' surprise, a few cells managed to avoid damage to their DNA. How exactly, is as yet unknown. Nonetheless, after an individual stops smoking tobacco, those are the cells that repair the lungs by replacing the damaged cells.

"MAGICAL"

- Dr Campbell, of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, involved in the research²⁴

NHS Stop Smoking Services are free, local services providing a range of techniques to help you stop smoking. You can gain access to a stop smoking adviser via a GP referral or by contacting an adviser directly. To contact a stop smoking service in England, please call the free smoke-free national helpline: 0300 123 1044

Need a reason to quit smoking?

After you quit, your heart rate drops. In less than 12 hours, carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. In 2-12 weeks, your circulation and lung function improve. Within 1-9 months Coughing and shortness of breath decrease. After only 5-15 years, your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker, lung cancer death rate is about half of a smoker and risk of heart disease is that of a non-smoker. The longer you stay away from tobacco the more your health can improve – quitting can be challenging but it is possible.

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Prathyusha Viswanathan brings you advice from Salford Careers staff to help springboard your career.

BY PRATHYUSHA VISWANATHAN WITH ANNA-MARIE GRAYSON The achievement of completing a university degree is especially felt when you secure a good job. Even a small opportunity, especially as an undergraduate, can be considered valuable, as work experience will boost your career. Initially, career planning can make you feel daunted, but just as building the foundation is crucial for constructing a building, taking the essential correct steps at university plays an incredibly significant role in your journey to a career. You will be able to feel yourself developing and progressing with each of these steps you take. To start, our university's experienced career enterprise leader, Anna-Marie Grayson, has detailed some of the important steps students should aim to take at each level of their study. Question? Email SEEPlacements-Industry@salford.ac.uk

(A) Learn to develop a good rapport with your tutors or lecturers, their wide career network can help and guide you well.

(B) Join societies related to your field – this will allow you to interact with other students and volunteering here will develop team work and leadership skills.

(C) Draft a substantive C.V. and cover letter which can be updated when required.

(A) Consider joining a placement to gain work experience – apply with placement providers who would be essential to your programme of study and research the placement providers you are applying for.

(B) Make sure to attend the career fairs and workshops conducted on campus.

(C) Create and keep updating your LinkedIn profile.

(A) Ensure you have a PLANNER for the year.

(B) Focus on applying for graduate/postgraduate schemes applicable to your course and make sure you note deadlines.

(C) Update your CV. (D) Apply for Postgrad or PhD courses in good time, if you don’t wish to interrupt your studies.

(E) Ensure you are balancing your University workload with applications.

Apart from these useful tips, I must definitely stress that our university not only conducts career fairs and workshops on campus, but also provides students with exceptional support and guidance in approaching their career goals. A C.V is the tool to start your career search, a document which must be perfectly presented to employers. Our careers and employability team ensures students have an impressive C.V if you consult with them. Students can also book mock interviews with our career team experts via the platform Advantage, to help prepare them to exhibit a confident, professional attitude and overcome fear to ace any interview. It is highly advisable students take the utmost advantage of such accessible support services set up for them.

Remaining focused and vigilant always whilst pursuing your goals counts the most! I hope all of you ensure to adopt the right steps in your career search and wish you all the best to attain success in your desired career!

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HIGHLIGHTING OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCELERATING YOUR JOB SEARCH

BY PRATHYUSHA VISWANATHAN

Use these resources to find opportunities for work experience or work after you graduate. You may also find it useful to contact relevant people in your network and keep an eye on LinkedIn and social media for any, such as for job adverts. Don't be afraid to get in contact with opportunity providers like hospitals about how they specifically advertise opportunities and what they might have available.

Main provider of Biomedical Scientist jobs and Medical Laboratory or Associate Practitioner jobs in Pathology departments in NHS hospitals.

SCIENCE CAREERS

Known to provide excellent job opportunties in Biomedicine, translational research, preclinical development and health sciences in countries such as the UK, US, Europe and Asia

THE BIOMEDICAL SCIENTIST JOBS

Official job board of the Institute of Biomedical Science and exceptionally certified platform providing opportunities for all biomedical science disciplines as well as veterinary science and research. Featured recruiters include Spire Healthcare, NHS, Pure Healthcare Group

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NHS JOBS

STUDENT CIRCUS

Provides handpicked jobs, placements and internships in all UK sectors. Some jobs and employers referred by student circus also provides a Tier 2 VISA, which may be useful for international students

SES

A well-established platform and excellent guide for student internships or placements, if you want to gain work experience while studying. Also provides some graduate opportunities

GRADUATE RECRUITMENT BUREAU

Excellent platform for placements, internships and graduate jobs in the UK providing opportunities with recruiters such as AstraZeneca and Ashfield Healthcare

UNITEMPS

Recruitment service at Salford University House, providing employment services to job seekers across all profiles

BY DR DAVID GREENSMITH I’m sure that for most of you, to enter a career related to your degree and so realise your ambitions is of the upmost importance . Indeed, it’s probably why you chose your particular degree in the first place! In an increasingly competitive employment landscape, choosing a career path that is right for you, then making yourself as employable as possible, has never been as important.

To facilitate this, the Biomedicine leadership team has launched a brand new “Biomedicine Careers Hub” located within the communities section of Blackboard. It’s important to stress that the hub does not replace existing dedicated and personal mentorship schemes such as Biomed Soc, the Research Careers Working Group and GEMMS. Rather, it will support and expand those schemes by providing a permanent and centralised repository for resources related to careers and employability At the top of the hub’s landing page, you will see a video (see “Welcome to the Biomedicine Careers Hub”) that provides more general information but briefly, you can use the hub in two ways: (1) To research career options. On the hub, you will see activity spaces for fundamental career groups. We have kept those groups relatively high level (representing a considerable breadth of distinct pathways in some cases) and the list certainly isn’t exhaustive. Indeed, if you feel a certain career group isn’t represented, let us know. Nonetheless, you can casually browse the hub to get an idea of the sort of careers that are aligned to your degree. If you decide you wish to pursue a given career, the associated space will provide specific information that intends to help with your own endeavours.

For example; career-specific job advert sites, CV-enhancing opportunities and application / entry routes.

(2) To make yourself more employable. To facilitate entry into any career, the richer your CV the better; you must stand out from the crowd. To this end, we will also place CV-enhancing opportunities on the hub. If you engage with as many opportunities as you can, your CV will improve consequently.

As most opportunities have wide scope (i.e. will support many degree-related careers), they will appear in the “CV-enhancing opportunities (for all careers)” space. If an opportunity is career-specific, you will find it in the related career space. Remember, many opportunities are transient so you should check the hub frequently.

The hub is a highly dynamic resource. It will constantly grow and develop with new content so do access it on a regular basis to see what’s new. And remember that while we created this resource to help you research careers, enhance your CV then go for the jobs, all we can do is provide the opportunities. It is up to you to engage with as many of those as you can to make yourself as employable as possible! Enjoy the hub. Your programme team has invested a lot of effort in creating this for you, so we really hope you find it a useful resource. Feel free to send constructive feedback to: d.j.greensmith@salford.ac.uk

CAREER STORIES

SALFORD LECTURERS DR SARA NAMVAR AND AIMEE PINNINGTON IN CONVERSATION WITH CAITLIN OWEN DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY COLLEGE STUDENT TO NOW

FROM

SARA: “I'm a lecturer in biomedical sciences, but I didn't do a degree in that. I teach cell biology, physiology and anatomy. I come from a research focussed background, only coming into teaching two years ago.

"In college, I always wanted to do medicine. All my family went to university, but not to study medicine. I didn't go to private school, and I've always lived in an inner-city area, so there wasn't that mentor to support medicine applications.

“I didn't get into medicine, but neuroscience had caught my attention as a plan B. I got on to that. It was really hard core; I struggled and failed MANY modules! I resat the vast majority of my exams in first and second year. I think I had a lot of anxiety at the time but didn't realise it, so my sleep was all over the place.

“In the third year, I think I had more of a support network. I really improved and managed to pass my degree in the end with a 2:1 – that was a very steep trajectory!

“There was a more funding knocking about those days, so I ended up doing my final year project in a lab at the University of Manchester and then asked, ‘Can I do a PhD?’ It turned out there was one available. It was with AstraZeneca as well.

So, then I had a four-year funded studentship with significant industry contribution and extended placement. I had an excellent PhD supervisor who was so understanding – I was inexperienced, but the PhD made me. I spent a significant amount of time at AstraZeneca, and it was very regimented. They would pick me up if I made a mistake. I had to face a lot of red tape and telling off in the first year, but I think it helped me develop resilience – accepting all the tough feedback, crying about it if you need to, but then acting on it.

"I DIDN'T HAVE A CAREER PLAN... I JUST DECIDED TO FOCUS ON WHAT I WAS ENJOYING.” “I enjoyed every moment of my PhD. After that, I just knew I wanted to be a postdoc.

"A postdoc is somebody who is very heavily involved in a research project.

You're not a lecturer, you have some very small bits of teaching, but the major responsibility is research. You work on set big projects, spend a lot of time in the lab, and you're busy writing papers. It’s like a continuation of the PhD student role, but with more responsibility. I did, about seven or eight years of post-doctoral research at the University of Manchester.

“I considered a couple of times leaving academia because I can see there is this bottleneck in going from your degree to PhD, to actually securing a permanent post. It's an extremely slim chance of making that transition, and to be in a heavy research institution. I looked at a lot of other places to work. But finally, a job came up here at Salford. It went well, and I was offered the job that evening.

“I didn't have a career plan after I didn't get into medicine. I just decided to focus on what I was enjoying.”

Dr Sara Namvar photographed by @InzarVideo

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DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY COLLEGE STUDENT TO NOW

FROM

AIMEE: “I thought I wanted to do medicine, applied, got in everywhere. I was the first from both of my parents’ families to go to university, went to quite a rough, inner-city school, so no sort of support, like Sara talked about. But, because my parents both worked in a hospital, it was very easy for me to get work experience. I got placements everywhere. The GP even lived next door!

"But then the more work experience I did, the more I realised I hated it. My dad came home to me crying in the kitchen trying to get stuff ready for uni-versity. He said, ‘Aimee, you don't you don't have to go'.

“I said to him, ‘I think I want to be a scientist; I don't think I want to be a doctor’. I like all the theory, and I want to help people. But every time I came off a ward I was in tears, and all I could see trying to get sleep at night was whichever patients were treated that day, and death.

“We spoke to the head of course for Keele University and she said told me to come to her on clearing day. That's what I did, and I got in, at a university only about 30 minutes away from home, to do biomedical science.

“It was one of the best three years of my life,

"THE MORE I DID, THE MORE I REALISED I HATED IT" I loved it from start to finish. I did aplacement in my second year, but it wasn't a year out like at Salford: I worked through Easter and summer break. Then I graduated with a 1:1. With an IBMS certificate of competence already, I worked as a BMS immediately – but I was in the wrong speciality. I worked in anticoagulation, a subset of haematology. It's patient facing – a lot of community clinics.

Patients can think you're a doctor or nurse.

If you're a man doing clinics, they think you’re a doctor, as a woman, they thought I was a nurse. I wanted people to know I was a scientist, and that there are other health-care professionals involved in treatment.

"So I waited for jobs to come up in haematology and transfusion, where I really wanted to work… 6 months later, I got a BMS post there. I've been there since!

"I've done the specialist portfolio, and I did a masters in 2018. I did get on to do a funded master’s straight after my

undergraduate degree, which would have been great.

But when I got what I considered my dream job at Stoke, they said, ‘We can't give you the time off to go and do this master’s, so you choose: do the masters, or work with us.’ So, I gave up the masters and went to work with them instead.

“Later I did my masters at Chester University - I wouldn't recommend this full time while I was full time on shifts. I did it in a year and it was a bit intense, but it was great. That is what ended up getting me into this job at Salford, because I was asked to go back and do some guest lecturing, and I really enjoyed it.

Something I always enjoyed in the lab was training people and doing one-to-one sessions. I came home from a guest lecture at Chester and told my boyfriend, ‘That was great. I wish I could do more of that.’ He suggested looking online for jobs, and it was the closing date for one at Salford. I can be impulsive, but it works sometimes.

"A week later I came for the interview. I sweated my way through most of it I was so nervous. I assumed I haven't got it, because I heard nothing for two weeks. In the interview, they mentioned how I was younger and less experienced than other candidates, and didn’t live in Manchester.

“But when Lucy Smyth rang me and said, ‘Do want to work with us?’ That was that!

“Yeah, I felt quite daunted coming to work at the uni. I shouldn't have done, because it isn't that kind of environment. But one thing I think is funny is that in the online classrooms everyone is Dr. something, and I am just Aimee Pinnington, because I don't have a PhD, and some students pick up on it. But I think my advice to students would be to not feel limited by not perceiving yourself to be on the same level as others.”

Aimee at her graduation ceremony from her Master's degree.

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HAVE YOU EVER FELT PRESSURED BY SOCIETY INTO CERTAIN JOBS IF IT WASN'T NECESSARILY WHAT YOU WANTED – BECAUSE THERE’S SPECIFIC JOBS THAT ARE SEEN AS BEING EXTREMELY DESIRABLE? AP: "I don't think anyone put pressure on me apart from myself, but I think that comes from that societal pressure that you're talking about. Nobody had gone to university and in school I was straight Astars – without trying. I was just lucky.

When I went to college, that changed. I had to try really hard, and then I tried really hard with my degree.

My grandparents are from what would could be considered a lower-class background, and they were so ecstatic. I honestly thought, ‘Oh, my God they’ll be so let down if I don't do this’.

“When we had to apply for work experience in year 10, my teachers said I had to do the medicine ones. They were trying to encourage me, but I wanted somebody to say, ‘What do you want?"

"I DON'T REALLY RUN A CLASSICAL CAREER COURSE. BUT IT'S RIGHT FOR ME." I did go through quite a classic route until I finished my degree. I was 20. When I got my first BMS job, being one of the babies of the year, I haven't even hit 21.

Yet I was in what was perceived to be an extreme job, and I did really enjoy it. But then I started splintering off, doing my master’s later, and now I do this job split. I don't really run a classical career course.

But it's right for me.

“I want to stay working as a scientist.

And once you get to the lab management level – you rarely have on a lab coat. Their roles must be really challenging in other ways, but I want to stay working as a scientist.”

“But I also love the teaching. I taught all through university as a ballroom and latin dance teacher. I tried to stay doing that, did four nights a week teaching dance while at university, and I just missed it.”

"When I was younger, I used to quite regularly be full force, and then I'd have a week, where I literally couldn't get out of bed, and then I wouldn't learn from it.

Now that I'm older I'm more self-aware and I avoid the burnout better now.

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WHAT SORT OF SHIFTS WERE YOU WORKING BEFORE AIMEE, WHEN YOU WERE PURELY BMS? AP: “I used to work a 6am-2pm, 9am5.30pm, 12pm-8pm, 6pm-6am, or 6am6pm at the weekends. Every day in the week would be different, you could go from a night shift back to an early shift to back to a night shift. It was very random; you didn't do like a block of a week of each. And then in the mix of that you had on-call work as well. So, if I finished a core day, which was 09.00-17.30, I'd come home with a bleep, and I could be phoned any time until six o'clock the next morning to go back in.

IS IT IMPORTANT, THEN, TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION NOT JUST WHAT YOU ENJOY BUT ALSO THE ACTUAL WORKING LIFE, THE TASKS, THE HOURS YOU'LL WORK? AP: “Yeah, definitely. Even when I was there on nights, I still enjoyed my work.

And actually, in a way, I enjoyed that more because you work a lot more independently, you run the entire section on your own, so you know where everything is. You don't have to rely on anyone else.

SN: “As a comparison, and in terms of my life as a PhD student, it was very much 09.00-17.00 and then some bedtime reading. So, I'd have a research article – I loved, I still love, reading – so I would gladly read a handful of research articles, through the course of the week as my bedtime reading and at weekends. Then as a as a postdoc, I'd say that that pattern has continued in all my postdoctoral years. And there's travel involved. It's great going to conferences and that sort of thing.

“Now, as an academic, it's highly variable, you'll have a week where it's nine to five, and that's good enough, and you'll have other times where you're working 12 hours a day, and also getting up Sunday morning to do stuff. It comes in massive peaks, and then you have periods where it's actually calm, and it's a nine to five, normal job, and it's okay.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? AP: “I enjoy most having a direct impact on patients. That leukaemia that I found yesterday – there's about an hour, where I will be the only person who knows that that patient has leukaemia, and that's a really privileged position. How I deal that will directly affect the patient's chances. If I get that wrong, and they start them on treatment wrong for the patient, then that can be catastrophic, and now that I'm teaching at Salford, I know a lot of the students who I interact with will go away and do the same thing. I think that's a position of privilege and that's the bit that I love the most.”

SN: “I enjoy different things at different times.

Obviously, there's all the Biomed Soc and GEMMS stuff, I massively enjoy all of that, because you can see the students are enjoying it. I intermittently enjoy research.

Nothing can compare to when you get a positive result in the lab, a paper accepted or even a grant! But success in research is infrequent. Grants and papers get rejected and experiments fail.

THAT'S AN INTERESTING INSIGHT. IT SOUNDS A BIT LIKE, WITH RESEARCH, THAT THE HIGHS ARE HIGH, BUT PARTLY BECAUSE THE LOWS ARE LOW. SN: “That’s what it is. When you're a PhD student, and you're a postdoc, it's such a laugh in the lab, because there's loads of students, the radio is on and you're just having a real good time and following protocols that you're good at. Especially because you become quite technically excellent, and all PhDs and postdocs do, but when you become an independent academic, you become quite detached from that first-hand lab experience.

You pop your head in and you talk to research students, if you're lucky you train them. And so yeah, you kind of end up losing that kick when you become a lecturer. You don't really get that very often.

SEEMS LIKE YOU TOUCHED ON WHAT YOU WOULD WISH TO BE DIFFERENT THERE. AIMEE, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE? AP: "Being self-aware to the point where you do not feel like it's a bad thing to say, actually, what I really need is to have a break. I really need to just take this weekend off. I think that comes with a bit more awareness. Maybe as you get older, I'm not sure I would have had the capacity to do that at university.

“It's really interesting. As a teacher, I think a lot of the students are really amazing and do things that I definitely couldn't have done at their age or experience level. Which is strange because like I said, I'm 26, I'm not that much older than the students. But wow, there must have been a big change since I left University in my own development, to spot those things.

"Sometimes, with external pressures, all the pressure we put on ourselves, we don't listen. I think all of us should do more to listen to ourselves. you know what's right for yourself, don't you?”

"NOTHING CAN COMPARE TO WHEN YOU GET A POSITIVE RESULT IN THE LAB... BUT SUCCESS IN RESEARCH IS INFREQUENT" AP: “I feel more optimistic, to be honest, having done this interview. Doing things like this, it does make you think that 'this is why we do it'.

SN: “A bit of self-reflection.”

Want to know more about our academics?

The Biomed Society will be organising live interview sessions with academic staff and other professionals to learn more about their experiences.

Join the society and follow us on social media for updates. https://www.salfordstudents.com/groups /biomedical-science-9e9d

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WELLBEING

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Our Student Progression Administrator (SPA), Del: See-Spa@salford.ac.uk Wellbeing and Counselling at Salford: https://www.salford.ac.uk/askus/support/wellbeing-and-counselling Information about PMC process: https://www.salford.ac.uk/askus/adminessentials/personal-mitigating-circumstances

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If you would like to contribute to the next issue, we would love to hear from you!

We are always looking for researchers and writers to join the team. Below are some desired pieces: short piece on new and interesting external research to add to research spotlight section Research relevant

to

biosciences

currently underway at Salford Highlighting upcoming workshops and seminars useful to students, such as by

the Physiological Society, IBMS or Uni of Salford.

If you would like to write about an area of Bioscience you are passionate about, or are a researcher at Salford who would like to write about their work, please get in touch.

To place your request, please contact Dr Sara Namvar at s.namvar@salford.ac.uk or Aimee Pinnington at a.pinnington@salford.ac.uk with your proposed article title and a short pitch (100 words maximum).

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BioArt Club | Biomed Book Club | Bioscientist Magazine | Graduate Entry Medicine, Dentistry and Physician Associate Mentoring at Salford (GEMMS) | Events and socials Join the society at https://www.salfordstudents.com/groups/biomedical-science-9e9d

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MEGAN PHILLIPS AND MARTA HOLOWINA

The BioMed Society have launched their very own book club , and we’d love you to get involved! We’re looking for students of all literary abilities to join us.

Every month you will be tasked with reading a thought-provoking, general interest book to discuss at the next group meeting, where we will explore new ideas, themes, and ways of thinking. Six exciting book titles with varied themes have been selected – these can be found on the club flyer.

We hope that by joining our club, we can create a fun community for everyone to get involved in!

The club is open to members of the Biomed Society. If you haven’t already joined the society, you can do this by searching for 'Biomed Society' on the Student Union website, and completing a membership form. Once you’re part of the society you will be added to the Microsoft Teams group, where you will be able to access our video meetings and group chat.

Our first meeting

Last month, the book club discussed 'When Breath Becomes Air' by Paul Kalanithi. We talked about the pressures of medicine, whether life begins at conception and what is truly valuable in life and death.

Get ready for some discussion, debate and reflection! We hope to see you soon!

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Our Next book title is ‘Just F***ing do it’, by Noor Hibbert. This book focuses on true personal development using an approach which combines psychological rigour and spiritual power. It will show you how to stop thinking small, make positive changes and live the life you deserve.

Our next group meeting will be held mid-February 2021 via Microsoft Teams.

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CAITLIN OWEN AND PROFESSOR NIROSHINI NIRMALAN

The Biomed Society will be launching its BioArt Club in the new year!

We have exciting things in store and to kick things off, we are hosting an exciting art competition, BioArt 2020.

Be as creative as you want! Don’t be afraid to be out of the box, and remember that this competition is open to all artistic abilities – a good idea executed with care is more important than being skilled with a pencil or paintbrush, so don’t be afraid to enter. All media welcome!

Art can be relaxing – good as downtime from study. It can also teach you a lot!

If you draw the anatomical structure of the heart a lot, you might find you learn it off by heart too.

If you're stuck for ideas and inspiration, please visit the Biomed Society Pinterest account: @BiomedSocBioArtClub To submit, download the Padlet app on your mobile and sign up using your Salford email address. Follow the link or QR code on the next page, click yes to open in the app and upload your art!

Ensure that you also email your submission to Professor Nirmalan at N.J.Nirmalan@salford.ac.uk.

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NADIA PATEL HOSTED BY DR GEMMA LACE-COSTIGAN

The Salford Biomedicine #BioBakes competition has allowed students and staff at Salford to don their aprons and show off their culinary skills by making bioscience themed treats during the lockdown period. Brain biscuits, cellular cookies and cardiac cakes - all bio-themed bakes are being considered for the grand prize, sweet or savoury!

Left: Biomedical Science showcase, submitted by student Aden Hussain Tanveer L4 Below: Red cell cupcakes, submitted by staff member Aimee Pinnington

Biomedicine Prize The best submission from the Biomedicine programmes will recieve a hamper of goodies including some bio-themed delights. Their submission will also be entered into the Bake off competition organised by SEE (School of Science Engineering and environment).

The SEE Bake off finale The programme level winners will be judged by a VIP panel that includes Makbul Patel (shown right), a contestant from this years 'The Great British Bake Off ' show, aired on Channel 4.

The Grand Prize The Grand prize includes a Bake Off Cookbook signed by this years contestants , as well as an array of other treats.

Baking is good for the soul!

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Above: Makbul Patel, contestant on GBBO 2020, will be a VIP judge

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REFERENCES PAGE 3 | PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE EXPLAINED

1. Sadava, David, et al. Life: The science of Biology.

11th. Sunderland, MA : Sinauer Associates, 2016.

2. mRNA vaccine delivery using lipid nanoparticles.

Reichmuth AM, Oberli MA, Jaklenec A, Langer R, Blankschtein D. 5, 2016, Vol. 7.

3. Developing mRNA-vaccine technologies.

Schlake T, Thess A, Fotin-Mleczek M, Kallen KJ . 11, 2012, Vol. 9.

4. Pierce, Benjamin A. Genetics: A Conceptual Approach . 6th. New York, NY : W. H. Freeman and Company, 2017.

5. Pfizer and BioNTech. Pfizer. [Online] 2020.

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PAGE 6 | IS ANIMAL AGRICULTURE INCREASING THE RISK OF DISEASE AND PANDEMICS?

1. Host range and emerging and reemerging pathogens. Woolhouse, MEJ and GowtageSequeria, S. 2005, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol. 11, pp. 1842–1847. Doi: 10.3201/eid1112.050997.

2. Emerging diseases go global. Woolhouse, Mark E. J. 2008, Nature, Vol. 451, pp. 898–899.

Doi.org/10.1038/451898a.

3. Risk factors for human disease emergence .

Taylor, LH, Latham, SM and Woolhouse, MEJ. 1411, s.l. : 2001, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 356, pp. 983–989.

Doi: 10.1098/ rstb.2001.0888.

4. United Nations Environment Programme and International Livestock Research Institute.

Preventing the Next Pandemic: Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission. Nairobi, Kenya. : United Nations Environment Programme, 2020. ISBN No: 978-92-807-3792-9.

5. Origins of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic in swine in Mexico . Mena, Ignacio, et al. 2016, eLife, Vol. 5, p. e16777. Doi: 10.7554/eLife.16777.

6. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

FAOSTAT: Data.

[Online] http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data.

7. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs . Code of practice for the welfare of meat chickens and meat breeding chickens. [Online] 2018. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/u ploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/694013/ meat-chicken-code-march2018.pdf.

8. United States Department of Agriculture. Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms.

[Online] 2015. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/foodsafety-education/get-answers/food-safety-factsheets/food-labeling/meat-and-poultry-labelingterms/meat-and-poultry-labelingterms/!ut/p/a1/jZFRb4IwEMc_DYlx3AG90ZIFmUTZsxm5WUpehSS0pK2jrhPP9wyExed9 p569.

9. Does genetic diversity limit disease spread in natural host populations? King, K. C. and Lively, C. M. 4, 2012, Heredity, Vol. 109, pp. 199–203. Doi: 10.1038/hdy.2012.33.

10. Investigation of risk factors for Salmonella on commercial egg-laying farms in Great Britain, 20042005. Snow, L C, et al. 19, 2010, British Veterinary Association, Vol. 166, pp. 579-86. Doi: 10.1136/vr.b4801.

11. The animal-human interface and infectious disease in industrial food animal production: rethinking biosecurity and biocontainment. Graham, J. P., et al. 3, 2008, Public Health Reports, Vol. 123, pp. 282–299. Doi: 10.1177/003335490812300309 12. Antibiotic Abuse in Animal Agriculture: Exacerbating Drug Resistance in Human Pathogens.

Goldman, Emanuel. 1, 2004, Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, Vol. 10, pp. 121-134.

Doi: 10.1080/10807030490281016.

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[Online] 2018. researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk%2Fdocuments%2FP OST-PN-0588%2FPOST-PN0588.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2I1wEWBrrsqTAVI2.

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Ostfeld, RS. Suppl 1, 2009, Clinical microbiology and infection, Vol. 15, pp. 40-43. Doi: 10.1111/j.14690691.2008.02691.x.

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Smith, Katherine F., et al. 2014, Journal of the Royal Society, Vol. 11, p. 20140950. Doi: 10.1098/rsif.2014.0950.19.

PAGE 9 | PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES: LUNG TISSUE DAMAGED BY TOBACCO SMOKING MAY BE ABLE TO REGENERATE

1. Tobacco smoking and somatic mutations in human bronchial epithelium. Yoshida, K., et al. 7794, 2020, Nature, Vol. 578, pp. 266-272. Doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-19611.

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EDITORS / CAITLIN OWEN, BRUCE VELOSO, NADIA PATEL DIRECTORS / AIMEE PINNINGTON AND DR SARA NAMVAR GRAPHIC DESIGN / CAITLIN OWEN, BRUCE VELOSO AND NADIA PATEL COVER ART / CAITLIN OWEN WRITERS / CAITLIN OWEN, BRUCE VELOSO, NADIA PATEL, CHARLES MIDDLETON, PRATHYUSHA VISWANATHAN, DR CAROLINE TOPHAM, DR DAVID GREENSMITH, MEGAN PHILLIPS, MARTA HOLOWINA CONTRIUBTORS / ANNA-MARIE GRAYSON, AIMEE PINNINGTON, DR SARA NAMVAR FLYERS / MEGAN PHILLIPS, MARTA HOLOWINA, PROFESSOR NIROSHINI NIRMALAN, CAITLIN OWEN, NALIK EDIRISINGHE, MUHAMMED AMLA, ALIA BODA, SALMA BIBI RESEARCH ASSISTANTS / SALMA BIBI, ADEN HUSSAIN TANVEER

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