Microbe Talk - Dr Beth Mills and Akpan Friday on international collaboration and mentorship

Posted on May 28, 2025   by Adam Scales

In this episode, Adam discovers how two microbiologists from opposite sides of the world formed a collaboration and mentorship that has greatly benefited them both.
When in-person classes were suspended during the 2020 lockdown, Akpan Friday, a student from Nigeria, reached out on social media seeking support to continue his and his classmates’ learning. Dr Beth Mills from the University of Edinburgh responded to the call and began delivering free online lectures to the students.
Although they have yet to meet in person, their relationship has developed into a mentor–mentee partnership, and both were delighted to share their story.

Music: Instant Crush – Corbyn Kites

Download an auto generated transcript of the podcast here.