April WIP Seminar (date changed)
Please note the change of date from 21-Apr-25 to 14-April-25 due to the Easter break.
Chair: Ms Caitlin Greenland-Bews, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK
Speaker 1: Dr Robert Alexander, University of Bristol – coughs and sneezes spread diseases: the replication and modelling of infectious respiratory aerosol
Aerosol science plays a crucial role in virology, particularly in understanding the airborne transmission of pathogenic viruses. Tiny respiratory droplets and particulates exhaled during normal respiratory activities can act as vectors for viral transmission, including potential future pathogens, e.g., novel coronaviruses, “Pathogen X”, or avian influenza (H5N1). Robert’s research focuses on the dynamics of airborne viral transmission, specializing in single-particle levitation measurements. His work investigates how aerosol evaporation, internal droplet microphysics, and atmospheric conditions influence viral viability.
He completed his PhD at the University of Bristol through the Aerosol Science Centre for Doctoral Training. His research on infectious respiratory droplets has significantly contributed to the field, leading to three high-impact publications on coronavirus aerostability:
These studies provide critical insights into how respiratory aerosols behave and how airborne pathogens can be mitigated in public health settings.
Speaker 2: Isobel Webb, University of Bristol: Characterising the localisation and interactome of FLAG-tagged SARS-CoV-2 membrane protein during infection.
Isobel began working on an avian coronavirus, infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), as an undergraduate placement student at The Pirbright Institute in 2016. This project was carried out in the Bickerton lab and used reverse genetics to generate fluorescent IBV particles. In 2018, she returned to The Pirbright Institute and started her PhD project on the IBV envelope (E) protein. During her PhD, Isobel used reverse genetics to modify the E protein; the resulting viruses were used to investigate the role of the E protein in viral replication and pathogenesis.
Currently, she works as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Bristol in the Davidson lab. Her research focuses on SARS-CoV-2 reverse genetics as part of the Genotype to Phenotype National Virology Consortium.