Maynooth University Biology postgraduate student to represent Ireland in Young Microbiologist Award Competition.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014 - 00:00

Mr. Fred McMahon, a third year postgraduate student in the Department of Biology, will represent Ireland in the final of the Young Microbiologist of the Year Award competition organised by the Society for General Microbiology in London in September 2014. Fred won the Irish semi-final in September 2013 for a talk on his project entitled, “Analysis of the role of Bacillus protein in the induction of corneal damage in ocular rosacea”.
 
Ocular rosacea is a common condition characterized by corneal scarring and inflammation which, in severe cases, can lead to loss of vision.  The objective of Fred’s project is to elucidate the role of bacteria in the induction of this condition so that more effective therapies can be formulated. Fred is supervised by Dr. Kevin Kavanagh and he works closely with Dr. Finbarr O’Sullivan (DCU) and Dr. Emer Reeves (RCSI). His project is supported by funding through the BioAt programme as part of PRTLI- V.
 
Further details on the award can be found on the Society for General Microbiology website.