Dr Katharine Seton and Dr Eleftheria Trampari are attending Parliament to present their biosciences research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of STEM for BRITAIN on Monday 6^th March.

Katharine is investigating the immune response to gut microbes as a consequence of a leaky gut in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) patients.

Eleftheria is exploring the potential use of beneficial microbes to prevent fresh produce contamination by human pathogens.

Both were shortlisted from hundreds of applicants to appear in Parliament. They will present posters on their research, which will be judged against dozens of other scientists’ research in the only national competition of its kind.

On presenting her research in Parliament, Eleftheria said, “This is a unique opportunity to present this work to policymakers and explain why changes in current farming practices are essential to protect food security.”

Katharine said “I was excited by the opportunity to speak to MPs to both raise awareness of this debilitating condition and also to promote the ME research being undertaken at the Quadram Institute in Norwich. I’m hoping that by raising awareness, MPs will be encouraged to help pursue more public funding for ME research in the UK and in setting up the Norwich Research Park as a Centre for Excellence in ME research.”

Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said:

“This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers.

“These early career engineers, mathematicians and scientists are the architects of our future and STEM for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”

Eleftheria and Katharine’s research has been entered into the biosciences session of the competition, which will end in a gold, silver and bronze prize-giving ceremony.

Judged by leading academics, each winner will receive a cash prize with a medal for the gold recipient.

The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society, the Nutrition Society and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, with sponsorship from Dyson Ltd, Clay Mathematics Institute, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, Warwick Manufacturing Group, AWE, British In Vitro Diagnostics Association, the Society of Chemical Industry, Institute of Biomedical Science, the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research, and the Biochemical Society