Meet the Sir Howard Dalton Young Microbiologist of the Year Finalists: Clodagh Carr

Clodagh Carr: PhD Student, University College Cork, Ireland

What is the title of your talk?

Identification and expression of a putative polyesterase enzyme from deep-sea sponge-derived Brachybacterium sp. isolate, with potential use in polyester plastic hydrolysis

What are your current research interests?

Environmental microbiology and biotechnology. My current focus is on marine bacteria and using their enzymes to catalyse chemical reactions, but I am generally interested in making use of microbes to help reduce environmental problems and create more sustainable processes.

How would you explain your research to a GCSE student?

When we think of marine life, we usually think of the creatures we can see – fish, turtles, dolphins, and whales. As it turns out, bacteria and other micro-organisms make up 90% of the life in our oceans. In a single drop of seawater, you will find a million bacterial cells. Marine bacteria often live on or inside other marine life, where they benefit each other. These bacteria release energy from large molecules in the marine environment using specialised proteins called enzymes. In our lab, we work with bacteria that were originally living within sea sponges. While investigating their enzyme activities, we found bacteria from a deep-sea sponge with the potential to break down polyester plastic.

If you weren’t a microbiologist what would you be?

I would be exploring my options – I like work that involves people, nature, and solving problems, with room for creativity.