“In human health, organs have their microbiomes. The gut microbiome is the most well-known but there are lots of other microbiomes in the human body too.

I’m particularly interested in the microbiome of the prostate and how microbiomes are associated with prostate cancer. My goal is to develop mathematical models to see how microbes and the human body interact.

My research is a collaboration with Professor Colin Cooper and Professor Daniel Brewer from the Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia (UEA). Their research has shown that there is an association between a specific type of bacteria and progressive prostate cancer.

Metabolic modelling the prostate cancer environment

My idea is to develop mathematical models to look at prostate microbiome metabolism and prostate cancer cells’ metabolism together to see what metabolites are exchanged. Metabolism is the process where chemical reactions in cells change food into energy. I’m looking at whether the microbial cells feed the cancer cells, or the cancer cells feed the microbial cells, or both happen at the same time.

I’ll be using whole genome sequencing data from both microbial and prostate cancer cells. From the genome sequence we can identify the proteins encoded by the genome. Proteins act like tiny machines, and some of them are enzymes that control the chemical reactions happening inside the cells. By understanding these enzymes, we can build a map, called a metabolic network that shows how each group uses resources for energy.

I’ll have a metabolic network from the bacterial cells and a metabolic network of the prostate cancer cells. Then I’ll simulate them together and see which metabolites are exchanged between these two networks.

Path to fellowship

My research background is in mathematical modelling of metabolism.

The mathematical modelling technique I’ll be using in my fellowship is the same but now I’ll apply the technique more widely, moving from a single organism to looking at the microbiome, and including human cells too. I will be increasing the model size and complexity to understand the prostate cancer environment.

I got the idea for my fellowship when I attended a talk given by Professor Colin Cooper here at the Quadram Institute. I was so fascinated by his talk; I approached him to see if we could collaborate. It shows the importance of going to scientific talks outside of the area you are working in.

As part of the application process, I had an interview with five panel members. It was an interesting learning process because I got to hear the interviewer’s perspective.

I was delighted to get the fellowship. I think what helped me was to bring in the bigger picture my application, how you can bring aspects of different areas of research together to understand something new.

The fellowship is a three-year position. It gives you more independence and responsibility for research and writing grants.

Originally, I’m from Nepal. I did my undergraduate degree in Biotechnology, then I moved to India to do my master’s in bioinformatics. Then I worked for IBM for a year before becoming Marie Curie Fellow at Oxford Brookes University for my PhD.

My PhD was a perfect opportunity for me to learn about mathematical models. After my PhD I moved to Dusseldorf in Germany for a postdoc.

I joined Quadram in 2018 for the beginning of the institute strategic research programme to work on metabolic modelling of Camplyobacter with the University of Cambridge and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, looking at how it can survive throughout the food chain.

After being at the Quadram Institute for five years, I was already on the path to independence. As a postdoc I’ve been supervised by Professor John Wain. John gave me the opportunity to gain independence and good exposure of how to lead research.

Using maths to understand biology

During my time at the Quadram Institute I’ve gained experience of writing grant applications, for example being involved with AI in the Biosciences network (AIBIO-UK).

I am on the management team for AIBIO-UK. This experience has pushed me to think from a broader perspective, fostering valuable leadership skills.

Being part of AIBIO-UK’s network also offers a significant benefit for my fellowship. Through these connections, I have the opportunity to learn from other experts in the field, further strengthening my research foundation.

Mathematical modelling is effective in helping us to understand fundamental biology. Biological systems are so complex with so many components, having these mathematical models helps to bring all these components together. In the case of my fellowship, mathematical metabolic models will hopefully help us understand more about the development of prostate cancer.”

• Applications are currently open for the Quadram Early Career Fellowship, closing 7 June 2024