Posts

First Research Meeting

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Hey All! The SSPC side of the CDT threw their first research meeting at UCD last Friday! First of all UCD is beyond huge. Like the place has 2 lakes on campus and I later discovered that UCD in fact, has 3 lakes. UCC, unfortunately, has none :( I presented on my research project to date and got the opportunity to hear what my peers have been up to. It was nice to get the chance to meet everyone outside UCC for the first time also. If anyone hasn't been I would highly recommend the tagliatelle from Dunne and Crescenzi and heading to to Kennedys Pub if you're ever in Dublin. Both really good spots to go to for a nice meal and a drink   

RSB Ambassador!

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I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago, probably longer, about how the CDT got accreditation by the RSB, RSC and IoP because of the bespoke training program the CDT offers its students. Well, what I didn't include in that post was the fact that the operations team had developed a list mentors for the students who wished to ascertain a membership. The list had contact info for a range of academic and industry mentors that are affiliated with each institute and if we (the students) wanted to get in touch for advice or help we could! I chose Prof. Kim Hardie (https://sites.google.com/site/hardieresearch/) as my mentor and had a fantastic meeting where I explained my love for outreach and goal to reach chartered status with the society. Luckily for me, Dr Hardie is an active member of the RSB and was able to direct me to the RSB Ambassador page on the RSB website. Basically, to quote the page, "RSB ambassadors are enthusiastic, active and engaged members of the Royal Society of Biol

Bad Nail Fungus!! Go Away

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Nail fungus is better prevented than treated. Here's some advice on how to prevent fungal infections: Keep your toenails trimmed short, smooth edges and file down thickened areas. Sanitize your nail clippers. If you must wear socks, choose ones that wick moisture away from your skin. Choose shoes made of materials that breathe. Alternate your shoes regularly. Never wear someone else’s shoes or share nail clippers. Avoid going barefoot in public facilities. If you go to a nail salon for a pedicure, look around to make sure that staff are sanitizing tools.  If you notice a problem with your nails, consult your doctor . Figure 1: Fungal infections of the Nail and Skin. Image created with Biorender.com. 

Bad Nail Fungus!! What to do?

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Ringworm of the nail occurs when the fungi penetrates through the skin or nail. Figure 1: Healthy nail vs fungal infected nail. Image created using Biorender.com. With a fungal nail Infection, the nails are often thickened, discolored and may crumble when cut. The infection can cause pain and swelling in the skin around the nail. A fungal nail infection is usually caused by the same fungus as Athlete’s foot and can be contracted the same way through locker rooms, communal showers and pool areas or in similar damp environments.  Figure 2: Fungal nail infection also known as onychomycosis. Fungal nail infections are common infections of the fingernails or toenails that can cause the nail to become discolored, thick, and more likely to crack and break. Infections are more common in toenails than fingernails. Image created using Biorender.com. Wearing artificial nails has a greater risk of infection because the surface of the nail is often scraped and prepped. The infection spreads quite

CDT Accreditation!

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What is the CDT Trans Pharm Tech? The  Centre for Doctoral Training in Transformative Pharmaceutical Technologies ( CDT) is a partnership between the Schools of Pharmacy at  the University of Nottingham and  University College London and the SSPC, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals. The SSPC, which is hosted in the University of Limerick (UL) has a number of collaborative institutes which include Dublin City University (DCU), Maynooth University (MU), NUI Galway (NUIG), Royal College of Surgeons (RSCI), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Univeristy College Dublin (UCD), Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and University College Cork (UCC). Currently participating in the CDT is UCC, UCD and TCD.  The CDT is funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Council and Science Foundation Ireland and a number of industry partners.  Big News! The bespoke training programme designed for the CDT in Trans Pharm Tech was recently  accredited by a number of Societies ea

The Whats, The Hows and The Whys of Protein Adsorption

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Proteins can bind to a variety of surfaces that we use in everyday life, including most plastics, glass, metals, and even in the body and as medicines. This phenomenon has some desirable applications for example, immunological testing; however, it does have unintended consequences such as loss of expensive protein medicines and impaired function of medical devices. This article provides a brief explanation of what this phenomenon is, how it occurs and why scientists are trying to decrease the risk of adsorption and  minimize  the consequences. Figure 1: Relevant examples of everyday applications that are influenced by protein adsorption. Created with BioRender.com. Proteins are large complex molecules that have both water-liking (hydrophilic) and water-hating (hydrophobic) groups. In addition, they carry positive and negative charges in their structures. It is these groups that interact and quite often, irreversibly with our everyday materials. Protein adsorption to a surface is

A Little Bit About Me.....

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Hello, my name is John! I joined the EPSRC-SFI Centre for Doctoral Training in Transformative Pharmaceutical Technologies as a PhD student of the SSPC back in 2020. I joined the Pharmaceutics Research Group in University College Cork and I'm supervised by Dr Katie Ryan and Prof. Abina Crean. We are currently investigating the effect of different material properties on protein/peptide adsorption behavior and the consequent impact on protein functional behavior and stability.  However, before getting to the PhD level I completed  a BSc in Biochemistry and a Research MSc in Chemistry from University College Cork. Yes, I've really been here for 6 years 😏 For my BSc I synthesized and characterized 6 multi-functional cell permeable probes based on phosphorescent Pt-porphyrin dyes via thiol click chemistry and tested them for their cell-staining ability on a live-cell confocal microscope displaying high brightness, photostability, uniform biodistribution and good cell penetration. Fo