Poster display in the Forum.

Exeter's horn of plenty… ExeBioCon 2015

Proposed, planned and executed by postgraduates, the success of ExeBioCon 2015 puts it on a sure footing for an annual appearance.

On the 16th of June, the Forum played host for the day to the work of over 40 postgraduate researchers through a series of oral and poster presentations. The aim was to showcase the variety and quality of research going on within the Biosciences department; an aim that was reached and then passed- in style.

Four sessions across the day spanned the diverse biological topics that form the focus of postgraduate research within the department: from fish toxicity to saving species, and pathogens in plants to those which affect us. Not only were a range of disciplines on show, but also a thorough representation of students at all stages of their PhD. This allowed attendees to see not only work that is coming to fruition, but also the planning and preparation of projects to come. This was a chance for postgraduate researchers to experience the work of those around them, that can otherwise seem distant, and also to see where collaborations could be made in the future.

On top of all the presentations, discussions and handy chances for feedback, prizes at the end of the day for both posters and presentations were generously provided by Eppendorf, Sigma-Aldrich, New England BioLabs and ThermoFisher. First prize winner of the oral presentations, Richard Lindsay, collected £100 for his fascinating and engaging presentation on “Pathogen social interactions and targeting virulence for disease management by ‘Hamiltonian medicine’”. When asked to comment on the success of the day, he summed up the general consensus from the event, saying “it's great to have the chance to present our research and hear what other Post-grads are up to in the department. There were many great presentations at ExeBioCon2015 and it's always nice to be recognised for the work we do”.

We can only hope to see more of these events in the future, the hard work and dedication of the organisers demonstrating the potential for such student led initiatives to prove invaluable for the postgraduate community here in Biosciences

Date: 9 July 2015

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