Industry comment: Science is answering farm problems

As a research fellow in molecular epidemiology at Fera Science Limited - the science facility that you pass as you drive along the A64 between York and Malton - the focus of my job is using DNA sequencing techniques to better understand the spread of food-borne bacteria such as E.coli, Listeria and Salmonella.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Sep 2016, 07:00 BST
Updated 15th Sep 2016, 16:34 BST
Edwards work has helped to reduce infection risk in bees.Edwards work has helped to reduce infection risk in bees.
Edwards work has helped to reduce infection risk in bees.

I was born and raised in Warwickshire and my first degree was in biological sciences at Oxford University, which I undertook because I was fascinated with trying to understand how organisms and ecosystems work.

During my studies my main interests became ecology, conservation biology and the study of infectious diseases. I applied these interests while working for the Malaria Atlas Project, which attempted to better map the distribution of malaria-carrying mosquitoes around the world.

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My PhD project was co-hosted by York University and Fera, looking at the spread of an important disease of honey bees called European Foulbrood. During the course of the project I was able to use DNA sequencing techniques to develop a method of tracking the location of the bacteria around the country. This method of distinguishing between different strains of the pathogen is still used today by the National Bee Unit at Fera - the fact that I developed something that is helping beekeepers and bee farmers to reduce the risk of infection gives me great satisfaction.

Following my PhD, I took up a position at Fera where I use similar, more advanced DNA sequencing techniques to try and understand the spread of food-borne pathogens of humans. These sorts of techniques can also be applied to crop and livestock diseases, meaning they can be used to trace agriculturally important diseases to their source and prevent future infections.

Outside my immediate area of work, I’ve also been involved in projects that attempt to develop in-field testing for fungicide resistance - which could quickly tell farmers which fungicides would or wouldn’t work on their infected crops - as well as using DNA sequencing to understand microbial communities which could have positive impacts on areas such as soil health.

These are just a few examples of the research being carried out at Fera that’s helping UK farmers and it’s really rewarding to be a small part of the team here. Having close relationships between researchers and farmers is vital and that’s why it is so useful to be a part of the Future Farmers of Yorkshire group, supported by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, where I can hear about the challenges that farmers face, first hand.

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My advice to young budding scientists is to read around the subjects you’re interested in and keep an open mind.

Edward is a member of Future Farmers of Yorkshire, a group set up by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society to bring together younger farmers, vets and industry supporters.

Related topics:ScienceYorkA64MaltonSalmonella