Dr. Erin Corbett
AMSPARE, University of the West of Scotland
Hi everyone! I’m Erin, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of the West of Scotland working on the AMSPARE project. AMSPARE is investigating the relationships between anthropogenic contamination, microbial ecosystems, and environmental AMR, in order to try and understand how different factors drive the spread of antibiotic resistance. My work includes chemical analysis like ion chromatography and ICP-OES/MS, as well as microbiology including isolating amoebae and carrying out antibiotic susceptibility tests.
I completed my undergraduate degree in Biotechnology and my MSc in Synthetic Biology & Biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh. My MSc dissertation was a team-based project as part of the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, investigating the use of bacteriophages to re-sensitise antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
During my PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Strathclyde, I researched the chemistry and microbiology of urban stormwater and its treatment in rain gardens, a type of sustainable urban drainage system. I needed to collect a lot of water samples in the rain, so Glasgow was the perfect place!
Outside of the lab, I enjoy cryptic crosswords, video games, quiz shows, and chocolate in all its forms!