School of Biological Sciences QUB

27/08/2026

We're buzzing about this news!

Our researchers have uncovered how the humble hoverfly is impacting the food we eat, such as apples and strawberries, through their unique pollination process.

By measuring the weight and fertilised seed count after a marmalade hoverfly visited a strawberry flower, our experts were able to test how their behaviour affected pollination success.

The findings underscore the vital role these insects play in supporting food security, especially considering their abundance and wide distribution throughout the island of Ireland and Europe.

Want to learn more? Click here ➡️ https://ow.ly/MVhr50ZFErM

21/08/2026

📅 Save the date!

Join us next week for another fascinating seminar, where Dr David Sünderhauf will present 'An engineered Pseudomonas aeruginosa host for phage engineering and production of efficient ‘bypass phage’ to improve phage therapy outcomes.'

And don't forget our PGR symposium and social, starting at the end of the month. Come along and explore the breadth of research taking place across the school, discover new ideas, methods and findings, while connecting with fellow postgraduate researchers!

➡️ View all the details here: https://ow.ly/LBnC50ZxHTp

18/08/2026

What happens when evolutionary biology meets artificial intelligence?

PhD student James McCabe is combining the two to better understand the human immune system, and explore new ways of treating diseases including viral infections, cancer and autoimmune conditions. As James explains:

"Genome sequencing has now captured the evolutionary history of the immune system across the whole tree of life, and AI has finally become powerful enough to read that history at scale."

"Yet almost all cytokine-based medicines are still designed from human and mouse data alone, ignoring what is arguably the most underused resource in molecular medicine: the natural experiment in which evolution has already tested every immune protein in thousands of species over hundreds of millions of years. That record tells us which residues a protein can't afford to change, which its receptors depend on, and which sites pathogens attack."

"If we can teach AI to read evolution, we can design immune therapies that are more selective, more durable, and less prone to unwanted effects."

He hopes to create an openly available genome-scale map of the immune system, helping researchers better understand disease-causing mutations, prioritise drug targets and guide the design of future therapies.

"Ultimately I would like this to help shift drug discovery away from trial and error and towards reading the answers evolution has already worked out."

🔗 Discover more about James's research, and current PhD opportunities: https://ow.ly/JrfI50ZxK13

13/08/2026

Today’s the day! A massive well done to everyone receiving their A-Level results 🎉

We can’t wait to see you all in September! Or if you're still exploring your options, learn more about our degrees available through : https://ow.ly/lKvx50ZxGA9

10/08/2026

📢 Exciting project news!

Queen's University Belfast is leading a new €4.8 million project to advance sustainable ruminant agriculture.

Rumen-Innovate will bring together 11 institutions and 19 industry and research partners across Europe to train the next generation of ruminant microbiome scientists and develop approaches to improving animal health, feed efficiency and reducing agricultural methane emissions.

The Queen’s team, led by Professor Chris Creevey alongside Professor Sharon Huws and Dr Katerina Theodoridou from our school and Institute for Global Food Security, will play a key role in delivering the project.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofBiologicalSciences/News/Newprojecttotransformsustainablelivestockfarming.html

07/08/2026

Congratulations to Dr Susan Doherty on being awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by Advance HE, one of the UK's most prestigious honours for excellence in higher education teaching and learning 🎉

As Programme Director for the BSc and MSci Food Science and Nutrition degrees and Athena Swan Co-Champion, Dr Doherty has made a significant contribution to enhancing the student experience through innovative approaches to curriculum design, teaching and support.

Her dedication to educational excellence has helped Food Science continue to be recognised as one of the UK's leading programmes, ranking second in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2027.

A very well-deserved recognition of Dr Doherty’s commitment to students, colleagues and the wider higher education community👏

Congratulations to all of this year’s Advance HE award winners on this outstanding achievement!

We're celebrating another outstanding year of national recognition for educational excellence at the Advance HE Awards.

🔴 Dr Paul McCague from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's University Belfast and Dr Susan Doherty from the School of Biological Sciences QUB were each awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in recognition of their sustained commitment to educational excellence, innovation and leadership.

🔴 The Co-Designed Dementia Education Collaborative received the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence. The award acknowledges the way dementia learning at Queen’s has been transformed through co-design, partnership and meaningful engagement with people with lived experience, and also celebrates the outstanding contributions of QUB School of Nursing and Midwifery staff: Professor Christine Brown Wilson, Dr Gary Mitchell and Dr Steph Craig.

“I know the passion, expertise and commitment that each of them brings to their work, and it is wonderful to see that recognised through the highest honours for teaching and learning in UK higher education.

“These awards celebrate colleagues who continually challenge themselves to innovate, work in partnership with our students and create learning experiences that make a lasting difference. Their success reflects the educational culture we foster at Queen’s, where excellence in teaching and learning, collaboration and supporting student success are at the heart of everything we do.” (Professor Judy Williams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students at Queen's University)

You can read more about the Awards here: ow.ly/TXQe50ZxHP2

05/08/2026

Belfast ✈️ Wuxi, China

We were thrilled to see four of our students represent Queen's University Belfast at the 5th International Summer School of the Belt and Road University Alliance on Food Science and Education, hosted by Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China! 🌏

Over two weeks, BSc Food Science and Nutrition students Darwin and Orlaith, alongside postgraduate researchers Soma and Hannah, joined students from around the world to explore the future of food science. As Orlaith shares:

"We attended lectures delivered by academics and industry experts from around the world, covering topics including nutrition, food safety, sustainable proteins and emerging food processing technologies. We also gained valuable industry insight through visits to Yakult and WISH, while taking part in a wide range of cultural activities."

She also celebrated an impressive achievement during the programme:

"I was also delighted that my group's final presentation on Artificial Intelligence in Food Science placed second overall!" 👏

For Darwin, the connections made throughout were just as valuable as the academic experience:

"Beyond the science, the people made this experience truly special. Connecting with researchers and students from different backgrounds exposed me to new perspectives and reinforced the importance of curiosity and collaboration in shaping the future of food."

His biggest takeaway?

"I'm leaving this experience with a broader perspective on food science and even more curiosity about what comes next."

Congratulations to Darwin, Orlaith, Soma and Hannah on representing our school so brilliantly and making the most of this fantastic opportunity!

04/08/2026

31/07/2026

Could you see yourself spending a year in London? ✨

Biochemistry student Jess did just that, spending her placement year with GSK.

"I truly had an amazing year on placement. From a professional standpoint, I developed so many technical skills, expanded my knowledge and understanding of Health Economics and Outcomes Research, and harnessed my transferable skillset.”

But it wasn't just her professional growth that made the placement worthwhile:

"It was also an incredibly rewarding personal experience, moving to London on my own was definitely scary, but it taught me so much and I am a much better person for it. I left London with a new group of amazing friends whom I know I will keep in touch with far into the future. I am more disciplined and motivated, and feel so confident going into final year and taking on my research project."

One of Jess's biggest takeaways?

"I would really recommend doing a placement in a field you didn't originally consider. This year was eye opening, and made me realise I really enjoyed some of the more commercial/business aspects of work.”

Thinking about doing a placement away from NI? Read Jess's full blog for her top tips on moving, making the most of your placement year, and why stepping outside your comfort zone is worth it: https://ow.ly/6iSk50ZuXmy

24/07/2026

Would you like the chance to win £1,000? The UK Dairy Carbon Network has launched a competition encouraging people to rethink how dairy is seen and understood.

The UK Dairy Carbon Network are looking for creative individuals that can craft engaging content, and highlight the real progress being made by the industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions whilst caring for the environment.

If you can create content that people want to watch, read or share, they want to see it. Entries close October 31st and there are five prizes available. Prior experience in the farming industry is not required.

Find out more ➡️ https://ukdairycarbonnetwork.co.uk/dairy-impact-competition/