Hello and welcome to my blog! My name is Caroline and I am a PhD student at the University of Sheffield. My research project focuses on Striga - a genus of parasitic plants that devastates harvests by infecting food crops. I am exploring the defence reactions that can make host plants more resistant against Striga. Due to my ongoing battles with anorexia, I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked but I am determined to finish the course.


This blog charts the ups and downs of life in the lab, plus my dreams to become a science communicator and forays into public engagement and science policy....all while trying to keep my mental and physical health intact. Along the way, I'll also be sharing new plant science stories, and profiles of some of the researchers who inspire me on this journey. So whether you have a fascination for plants, are curious about what science research involves, or just wonder what exactly I do all day, read on - I hope you find it entertaining!


Saturday 31 May 2014

Exciting News!!!

I have just learned that I have been awarded an exciting Media and Communications Internship with the SEB ( Society of Experimental Biology)!!! This means that I will be their unofficial Press Officer for the main annual meeting, this year held in Manchester on 1st - 4 th July.  I greatly admire the society for promoting innovative and pioneering research across the whole spectrum of biology and it will be thrilling to have an inside view on how such an organisation operates. My duties will involve compiling advance Press Releases for journalists working in general media and fielding enquiries during the conference itself. Already I have been sent a book of abstracts to work my way through, so that I can highlight which scientists to try and interview before the conference. I have also had to book train tickets to visit the head office in London, research dictaphone models and start learning the schedule for the event itself. I was very pleased to be awarded this as the application process was very rigorous and involved submitting examples of written work , interviewing a researcher in my department and a phone interview. Previous interns have gone on to become news editors and science writers, so this could be a fantastic boost to my hopes to working in science communication! Watch this space, it's going to be a busy summer!


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