Mary corcoran

Mary Corcoran

mary.corcorannuigalway.ie

PhD Student

Mary was born in Castlebar, Co. Mayo but has been living in Galway for the past 7 years while studying at National University of Ireland, Galway. Mary graduated with an honours B.Sc. Degree in Science (Microbiology) in 2008. Throughout Mary’s undergraduate degree she had an interest in microbiology and the impact on human health, this interest was heightened during completion of her thesis on antimicrobial resistance in clinical settings entitled “Phenotypic & Genotypic Characterisation of Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) Producing Enterobacteriaceae.” 

After receiving her degree in June 2008, Mary completed an internship with the World Health Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland. As part of the World Alliance for Patient Safety, Mary was also involved in the development of an analytical surveillance tool for measuring healthcare workers compliance with hand hygiene practice in healthcare institutes worldwide. This project involved liaising with experts including epidemiologists, clinical microbiologists, medical doctors and infection control personnel at a global level. Mary also worked in Coca-Cola in 2009 which involved working efficiently as part of a large evolving team in the tightly controlled Quality Control System, synonymous to the ISO accreditation standards. Mary is an active member of Galway University Hospitals Infection Control Committee.

Mary commenced her PhD in Bacteriology in October 2009. She is currently in her 3^rd year of her PhD and would aim to be finished by September 2012.

PhD project

The main area of her research is to investigate the pathogenicity, phenotypic and genotypic characterisation of a specific clonal group of Salmonella Agona that was responsible for a large foodbourne outbreak in 2008, with a total of 163 cases of S. Agona identified from 10 countries over a ten month period. This research has involved comparing the outbreak strain to other serovars of Salmonella in their ability to form a biofilm using CDC Biofilm reactor method. Other aspects of her project have involved studying the efficacy of biocides against Salmonella biofilms. The final part of Mary’s project will involve using genomic analysis to elucidate if this S. Agona (relative to other  clonal lineages of S. Agona and other Salmonella serovars) has any known genetic determinants of virulence (e.g pathogenicity islands) that contribute to the virulence of this variant of S. Agona. Mary will also Characterise genes or proteins that may have contributed to the variation of growth rates on varied surfaces (e.g. are adhesins or extracellular polymeric substances responsible for the increased growth rate on tile and concrete).

Presentations/Publications

• Salmonella enterica biofilm: older biofilms are different.
  Poster Presentation at Federation of Infections Society – November 2011 Manchester, UK.
• How to kill a Salmonella Biofilm
  Oral Presentation at British Society of British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Workshop on Antimicrobial,Resistance Mechanisms - November -2011 Birmingham, UK 
  Received a grand by the organisers to attend and present at the workshop.
• Variation in Salmonella enterica Serovars Ability to Establish a Biofilm
  Poster Presentation at American Society for Microbiology - May 2011  New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
  Received Travel grant worth $500 US Dollars for travelling to conference. Award based on interest on Abstract as voted on by ASM committee members. 
• Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis biofilm formation on 5 surfaces found in food processing environments. 
  Oral Presentation at Society of General Microbiology - April 2011, Queens University Belfast, UK. 
• Differences in the biofilm properties of laboratory adapted and recent isolates of Salmonella enterica.
  Poster Presentation at Society for General Microbiology - April 2011  International Conference Centre, Harrogate, UK.
• Establishing a Laboratory model of Salmonella enterica biofilm.
  Poster Presentation at Society for General Microbiology - April 2010,  NUI, Galway. 
• Differences in the ability of contact materials to support Salmonella enterica biofilm formation.
  Oral Presentation at International Association of Food Protection - June 2010, University College Dublin. 
• The ability of Salmonella enterica to form a biofilm on food contact surfaces.
  Oral Presentation at Society of General Microbiology - September 2010.  Nottingham University, UK.
  Received Travel grant worth £320 sterling.
• Working in CSI-Galway.
  Invited speaker at the ECI-Youth Outreach Open Day - November 2009. Environmental Change Institute, NUI, Galway.

Some interesting links