Welcome to the Department of Microbiology

The Department of Microbiology strives to enhance the vision of its benefactor Grania Guinness of an academic institute committed to exploration of the interactions between microbial pathogens and their hosts and to advancement of knowledge likely to impact positively on the development of vaccines, diagnostic tools and novel preventive and therapeutic treatments to combat and control infectious and communicable diseases affecting mankind and domestic animals worldwide.

LASTEST NEWS

Congratulations Fleming Group

Mohamed Alhussain, Postgraduate student pictured with Dr. Alastair Fleming (PI) awarded best poster presentation by the Irish Fungal Society. The conference was hosted by Maynooth University, June 2018. Read More

Microbiology Senior Sophister Class of 2017-18

The Department would like to congratulate the Microbiology Senior Sophister class of 2017-18 who celebrated their moderatorship classifications on Friday, June 1st. A reception was held to mark the occasion with Fellow Emeritus Professor Cyril Smith presenting his "Cyrils" to great amusement and laughter. 1/06/18 Read More

The Festival of Research in Microbiology 2018

The Festival of Research was held in the Moyne Institute for Preventive Medicine on Wednesday, March 14th. The Senior Sophister students presented the results of their research projects to staff and students at the poster session, which was also attended by parents and friends of the Senior Sophister class. Read More

In Memory of the Late Grania Maeve Rosaura, Dowager Marchioness of Normanby (Grania Guinness)

Department of Microbiology hosts DAPI Symposium

The eighth annual symposium of the Dublin Academy of Pathogenomics and Infection Biology (DAPI) was held on Friday 12th January 2018. The Academy, established in 2010, strives to enhance synergy in research and teaching between microbiologists based at Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (UCD). Read More 12/01/18

The new  Undergraduate Science Programme  launches in September 2018!  

Choose the TR060 Biological and Biomedical Sciences stream to study Microbiology at Trinity.

Congratulations to Professor Tim Foster, on receiving the overall lifetime achievement award, Trinity Innovation Awards 2017

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Fellow Emeritus, Professor Tim Foster at the School of Genetics and Microbiology, Read More 28/11/17

Congratulations to the Senior Sophister Class of 2017 Who Graduated on Thursday, November 2nd

The Department of Microbiology congratulates the Senior Sophister Class of 2017.   We wish them every future success in the wide diversity of careers to which they are now headed. Read More 06/11/17

Congratulations to Laura O'Connell, winner of the Microbiology Society Award

Congratulations to Laura O'Connell, winner of the Microbiology Society award for the highest Junior Sophister mark in 2016-17. Below (L to R) is Dr Alastair Fleming, Head of Department, Laura O'Connell and Dr Joan Geoghegan, JS Co-Ordinator. Read More Sept 2017

Positions Available:

Project AROMAGENESIS aims to train the next generation of researchers in the biochemistry and genetics of flavour production in yeasts used in wine and beer fermentations, to generate new strains of yeasts with improved or more varied flavour profiles and to develop novel approaches to expanding flavour profiles through co-fermentation of different yeast and/or bacterial species. Read more

• Announcing 14 Early Stage Research (PhD) positions, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action, Innovative Training Network, AROMAGENESIS H2020-MSCA-ITN-764364 Read more
• 2 Early Stage Research (PhD) positions Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action, Innovative Training Network AROMAGENESIS H2020-MSCA-ITN-764364 Read more

Trinity Microbiologists Discover How to Prevent Infections Spreading on Medical Devices

Microbiologists at Trinity College Dublin have discovered a new way to prevent bacteria from growing on medical devices such as hip replacements or heart valves implanted in the human body. The discovery is a step towards developing new preventive strategies that could have a direct impact on the recovery of patients in the immediate aftermath of a surgical operation. Read More 21/03/17

Dr Joan Geoghegan and Leanne Hays' work may pave the way to new optionsfor surgeons that reduce the risk of bacterial infection for patients.

Brewing up a storm: quiescent yeast cells are not so quiet

It has been estimated that many cells spend the majority of their lifetime in a non-dividing, or quiescent state. During quiescence (or G0), these cells are often considered as ‘resting', whereby metabolic activity and gene expression are reduced. Another key characteristic of quiescence is that this state is reversible, and cells can re-enter the cell cycle to resume growth when specific conditions occur.

Numerous cells in the human body persist in this non-dividing state, including neurons and muscle cells. Stem cells also form quiescent populations which, for example, can re-enter the cell cycle in response to tissue damage to aid repair. Furthermore it is now known that cancer cells can become quiescent, during which time they are more resistant to drug treatments. However, research into this so-called ‘inactive' cellular state has often been over-looked, and the mechanisms that regulate quiescence are poorly understood.

A collaboration between Dr Alastair Fleming (Department of Microbiology), Dr Karsten Hokamp (Department of Genetics) and Prof Mary Ann Osley at the University of New Mexico, USA, has used the humble brewer's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , as a model organism in which to study cellular quiescence. The study mapped and compared the gene transcription machinery, and distinct chromosomal modifications that are associated with gene activity, across the entire genomes of actively-growing and quiescent yeast cells. Surprisingly, the study revealed that the genomes of the ‘inactive' quiescent cells retained many of the chromosomal signatures that are normally associated with actively growing cells, despite their shut-down in cellular activity. Furthermore the transcription machinery, although inactive, remained associated with most genes across the quiescent cell genome. Together, the study revealed that quiescent yeast cells are not inert, but are highly poised to resume growth and proliferation when the environment becomes favourable. Read More 13/02/17

Shoebox Appeal - DU Microbiological Society

Staff and students of the Department of Microbiology generously put together shoeboxes for the Inner City Helping Homeless Christmas appeal. These shoeboxes included essentials such as gloves, hats, socks, clothes as well as chocolates, books and other small gifts which will be donated to the homeless community and to those in emergency accommodation. Read more 21/12/16

College Open Day 2016, Saturday 10th December

The Department would like to thank all our volunteers at the Microbiology stand for the College Open Day. 10/12/16