This year at Norwich Science Festival there will be a “Microbe Zoo”. In the Microbe Zoo visitors will be transported into a world usually invisible to the naked eye, one inhabited by bacteria, fungi, viruses and algae.

The activity has been developed by the Centre for Microbial Interactions and The SAW Trust, and built at the arts organisation Original Projects.

A team of “Microbe Zookeepers” from across Norwich Research Park will guide the public through different habitats, to discover what these tiny creatures do, and how they keep plants, people, and the planet healthy.

Here we catch up with some of our “Microbe Zookeepers” from the Quadram Institute to find out more.

Hannah Summers

“Being a Microbe Zookeeper in the lab involves knowing the needs of your animals, in our case microbes, including what they need to grow, be happy and multiply.

I work on different projects using metagenomics for multiple applications, one using sequencing to look for infections in blood, the other is a project looking at the microbial profile of food products across the production line.

I’m excited to take part in the Microbe Zoo at Norwich Science Festival as outreach is incredibly important to educate more people about all things microbiology and install passion in the future generation of scientists. If I can use my knowledge to positively impact others then why would you not!”

Katharine Cox

“I’ve previously been involved in outreach activities aimed at children and families and I found them really fun. It’s great to see how engaged the kids (and adults!) get and what sort of questions they have.

I’m also somewhat new to Norwich, having moved down from Nottingham in September 2025 to start my PhD. I’m excited to get involved in the community and get to know the other scientists involved in the Zoo.

I work with Campylobacter (Campy for short!), a bacteria found mostly in chickens which can make you very sick if you eat undercooked meat.

Campy is one of the pickier organisms, requiring very specific conditions to be able to grow in the lab. Despite this, the bacteria manages to survive each stage of the poultry meat production process – from living in the chicken gut to its detection on raw chicken products in supermarkets. My project investigates why they are able to survive this process.

Being a Microbe Zookeeper in the lab is about making your microbe as happy as it can be. Providing it with the right nutrients, temperature, atmosphere and even giving it sunlight or darkness! How easy this depends on the organism. Some bacteria, like E. coli, grow really well under a range of different conditions. Others are a bit pickier and won’t grow if they don’t get exactly what they need.”

Dr Heather Felgate

“I love all things bacteria. I love to educate people about the good deeds bacteria achieve everyday without us noticing . Bacteria are our friends.

I work with bacteria that are able to stick metals to their membrane. I am using this naturally occurring skill and trying to make it more efficient so that we can use these bacteria to recycle metals from waste .

As a Microbe Zookeeper at the science festival we’ll be listening to peoples questions and curiosities.”

Haider Al-Khanaq

“In the lab I work on mixed- species biofilms and their evolution overtime.

I decided to take part in the Microbe Zoo as I wanted to share my enthusiasm for accessible science, bridging labs to everyday life for those who rarely encounter it.

As Microbe Zookeepers, we will guide the audience through different habitats, letting them discover what bacteria, fungi, viruses, and algae are involved in various aspects of life.

Events like the Microbe Zoo are essential to bridge the science-public gap and enhance trust in research. It helps early-career researchers build social justice awareness, making research highly rewarding beyond lab work. It is such a great pleasure to take a part and promote our research.”