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The Don Whitley Scientific (DWS) Travel Grant was recently awarded to Luke Acton, Research Fellow from Professor Lindsay Hall’s Lab at the University of Birmingham. Luke used the travel grant to attend the Microbiology Society Annual Conference, held in Liverpool between 31 March – 3 April 2025. At the conference, he presented his research, 'Pumping Iron: Exploring a Novel Iron Transporter in the Early Life Microbiota Member Bifidobacterium'.
We asked Luke to share more about his research and experience at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference:
“My research focuses on the investigation and characterisation of a novel iron uptake system in Bifidobacterium, a key gut commensal bacterium. Bifidobacterium plays a vital role as one of the earliest colonisers of the infant gastrointestinal tract. It contributes significantly to the digestion of complex carbohydrates found in breast milk, supports the development of a healthy immune system, and helps protect against colonisation by harmful pathogens.
A growing body of research has linked a reduction or absence of Bifidobacterium in early life to a range of adverse health outcomes, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), allergic conditions, and obesity. Understanding the biology of this important microbe is therefore essential for improving infant health and potentially developing new therapeutic approaches.
Despite its importance, Bifidobacterium is not considered a traditional model organism, and working with it in the laboratory presents several technical challenges. Most notably, it is an obligate anaerobe—unable to grow in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. This makes it highly dependent on specialised equipment for successful cultivation and experimentation.
The Whitley A45 Anaerobic Workstation has been instrumental in enabling our research. This equipment provides the precise anaerobic conditions required for the growth and manipulation of Bifidobacterium, allowing us to conduct experiments that would not be feasible using standard laboratory methods.
I would like to thank DWS for their generous travel award, which supported my attendance at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference. This opportunity allowed me to present my work to peers, gain valuable feedback, and engage in discussions that will undoubtedly help shape the future direction of my research.”
We're delighted that we could help facilitate such research and give Luke the opportunity to share his work with his peers. If you're interested in the DWS Travel Grant and would like to see whether you're eligible, please click here.
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