Bacterial survival, top marks for maths and a mystery solved: News from Imperial

From the crossbow-like tactics used by bacteria, to top marks for homework and a research mystery solved, here is some quick-read news from Imperial.

Bacterial survival tactics

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Bacteria constantly compete with other bacteria for space and nutrients, often by killing others. Researchers from Imperial, Kiel University and the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology analysed the DNA of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen responsible for 600,000 deaths annually.

Their findings, published in Nature Communications, revealed significant variation in type VI secretion system (T6SS) effector genes, which enable nutrient uptake or bacterial combat.

Dr Luke Allsopp, from Imperial's National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI), explains, "The T6SS acts like a crossbow, firing toxic protein ‘arrows’ to kill competitors or manipulate their environment."

Effector genes for nutrient uptake were found in all p.aeruginosa strains, while those for bacterial competition varied due to horizontal gene transfer – a process allowing bacteria to exchange DNA - shedding light on how bacterial diversity emerges within a species. P. aeruginosa causes infections in the urinary tract, respiratory tract and open wounds, with rising antibiotic resistance making these infections increasingly difficult to treat.

Read the paper here

Maths Homework Club wins national award

An Imperial-run Maths Homework Club for young people in White City has won a HELOA Award for Best Small or Low Budget Initiative.

The Outreach team and Dr Phil Ramsden (Department of Mathematics) lead the club, which supports local 13–16-year-olds at both ends of the ability spectrum with their maths homework.

On winning the award, Dr Ramsden said, “This shows that a prestigious organisation like Imperial, an actor on the world stage, can also be a force for good in our local community."

"Our wonderful Student Ambassadors are the key to that; it’s a delight to see the care and sensitivity they bring to the task of supporting the young people on the programme, for some of whom the Homework Club is the first experience of engaging with a university environment. I’m proud of both Ambassadors and beneficiaries, and glad the programme has been able to bring them together.”

Read more about Imperial’s 50 years of schools outreach.

Missing enzyme finally identified

Gram positive_Bacillus WT and pgpP mutant — Gram positive *Bacillus* WT and pgpP mutant

A sought-after enzyme in gram-positive bacteria has finally been identified by researchers in the Department of Infectious Disease.

Professor Angelika Gründling made the discovery while re-analysing results from a student course during a 1-year sabbatical leave conducted at Harvard Medical School with Professors Rudner and Bernhardt and funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

Lipid synthesis in bacteria requires a series of enzymes crucial to the formation of the membrane barrier.

Researchers have been looking for the enzyme that catalases the final step in producing the lipid phosphatidylglycerol, in gram- positive bacteria for decades.

The enzyme PgpP was found in Bacillus subtilis, one of the most-studied bacteria in the world, but it is likely to exist in many other bacteria.

Professor Gründling said: “I have been looking for this enzyme since joining Imperial in 2007. It shows that sabbaticals are absolutely worthwhile as they provide a breathing space that sparks a different way of thinking.“

The results were published in PNAS on January 27th.

Health impacts of starting work

Woman yawning — The research found sleep was affected by starting work

Young adults entering the workforce see an increase in their physical activity which soon drops off, according to a study of more than 3,000 people (aged 16–30) beginning their careers.

Starting work was linked to an increase equivalent to 28 minutes of cycling per day, but this decreased gradually each year. Working from home, however, was linked to an initial decrease in activity.

New workers also showed a drop in average sleep time of about ten minutes.

The findings offer insights into how the transition into working life may have potential and lasting impacts on health.

Dr Eleanor Winpenny, from Imperial’s School of Public Health, who carried out the work while at the University of Cambridge, believes workplaces could help by supporting better diet, physical activity and healthy sleep. “This could result in healthier employees and fewer sick days in the immediate term, but also have long-term benefits, helping prevent health issues in later life,” she explains.

Read the full findings in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

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