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After 7 years, I have finally been able to step down from a big role at the university, and can start putting that time towards more research. So, here is my first medium sized purchase, a new set of Finnpipette F1s #LabChristmas

After a glitch mysteriously rectified itself, I have final been able to submit our PCR cycling paper. A nice little study from one of my undergraduate dissertation project students who put a lot of effort in.

Giving a proactive summer student from University of Surrey a little bit of extra lab experience. Nice to see little details and practices that they learnt during their placement at Porton Down are the same as those I put in place in my lab.

Quick screen of some of our isolates against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Those are some huge zones!

For those interested in yesterday's isolates active against S. aureus, here are the same ones agaist E. faecalis. Fewer active isolates, but still some decent zones of inhibition.

It's sweetcorn harvest time! One of my favourite things to grow.

Thanks to the Drake’s Island custodian for granting permission to collect a couple of samples while I was on the Island for the British Fireworks Championship. One sample produced three interesting antibiotic producing bacteria that appear to kill MRSA, that I will follow up on.

Planted 5 small Maris Piper potatoes from the supermarket earlier this year as they'd been in the cupboard for ages. Not expecting much, but pulled them today and got back 4.5kg.

First day back after the Christmas break to find three emails in my inbox. 1) Invited to review a manuscript that was sent on 25th December. 2) Reminder email to review said manuscript sent on 30th December 3) Withdrawal of the request first thing on 2nd January. Seriously..

Here’s a really interesting example of two articles, 26 years apart, describing how to cut down PCR run time and power usage by ~50% with standard equipment and reagents by optimizing your PCR program and trimming down denaturing and extension times to the bare minimum. This

Big test today. Lots of plates with a very engaged MSc student.

Really happy to have won a small grant through the Seale Hayne Educational Trust to continue my Plantimicrobials project searching for novel antibiotics with The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Really happy to announce that I've been promoted to associate professor! Here's to more research (hopefully).

Great to be involved in this collaboration led by Dr Lee Hutt, with Mat Upton, JazminConway and others, plus some productive University of Plymouth undergraduate students examining bacteria within the Roman Baths The Roman Baths for potential novel antibiotics. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Nice token of appreciation from one of my dissertation students working on novel antimicrobials for their project. Good taste too!

Decent activity from some of these isolates on their preliminary screen today. Two huge zones in particular!

Tried to buy a packet of prawn cocktail crisps at my local craft beer place (Vessel Beer Shop) only to be told that someone has already reserved the last two packets....for their dog! Apparently it expects them.

Had to conquer an irrational fear today. It's still a fear.