RESILIENCE STEM Outreach Conference Takes Place at UCL East

Dr Bernice Wright showcased their summer (July 2024) lab placement results in a keynote lecture that she used to describe the key purpose of the RESILIENCE training initiative as a future proofing strategy for developing the UK medicines manufacturing workforce.

Dr Beatrice Melinek delivered a talk about her research on cell-free approaches for manufacturing DNA, which was a great example of applied bioprocess research for the students. Andalucia Theodore Evans, one of the PhD students in the Department of Biochemical Engineering, talked to students about her doctoral research in Professor Darren Nesbeth’s lab. Some of the students currently work on T-level study programmes so they were very interested in the T-level work placement programme that the VaxHub will provide (Apr-Aug 2025) in collaboration with RESILIENCE. The Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub (Vax-Hub) is an academic collaboration led by UCL Biochemical Engineering and the University of Oxford.The Vax-Hub whose mission is to make the UK the global centre for integrated discovery through to the bioprocess manufacture of next-generation vaccines.

Other students asked questions about apprenticeship degrees that are supported by RESILIENCE. The students also enjoyed the STEM careers talks delivered by the gene therapy start-up AviadoBio. They followed this up with questions about working as an academic researcher and in industry. The virtual reality experience featuring FourPlus Immersive simulations, as well as the cell culture lab tour, were highlights of the conference.

Find out more

• The Scotsman newspaper article on the RESILIENCE project
• RESILIENCE website
• The Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub (VaxHub)