Connor Bamford
@connorggbamford.bsky.social
Scientist and educator interested in viruses, , innate immunity and evolution. Currently lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast and member of Young Academy Ireland.
Pinned
🦠 "Social Virology at the Tri-Kingdom Interface in Birds and Mammals" 🐥
We have a new 4y (open to intl students) PhD project advertised through the NorthWestBio Doctoral Training Partnership (lnkd.in/ee8hRpN6 ) between QUBelfast and Lancaster on virus-bacterial interactions across vertebrates!
We have a new 4y (open to intl students) PhD project advertised through the NorthWestBio Doctoral Training Partnership (lnkd.in/ee8hRpN6 ) between QUBelfast and Lancaster on virus-bacterial interactions across vertebrates!
Reposted by Connor Bamford
I'll be presenting at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social at the School of Biological Sciences, 2nd December, 1pm - please come along to hear about #aDNA, domestication, and disease!
November 10, 2025 at 6:54 PM
I'll be presenting at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social at the School of Biological Sciences, 2nd December, 1pm - please come along to hear about #aDNA, domestication, and disease!
Reposted by Connor Bamford
#Breaking: Canada has formally lost its measles elimination status, the country’s public health agency announced, triggering the loss of that status throughout all of the Americas.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/10/m...
www.statnews.com/2025/11/10/m...
Canada loses measles elimination status — as does the entire Americas region
Canada has formally lost its measles elimination status, the country’s public health agency announced, triggering the loss of that status throughout all of the Americas.
www.statnews.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:52 PM
#Breaking: Canada has formally lost its measles elimination status, the country’s public health agency announced, triggering the loss of that status throughout all of the Americas.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/10/m...
www.statnews.com/2025/11/10/m...
Reposted by Connor Bamford
BBC News - Experts say this could be the worst flu season for a decade - here's why
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Will a new mutated flu strain cause a rough winter?
Leading flu experts say they will not be surprised if this year's is the worst flu season for a decade.
www.bbc.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:13 PM
BBC News - Experts say this could be the worst flu season for a decade - here's why
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Up a bit earlier than I’d like… but excited for me and my lab to present at the Irish Microbiology Society meeting in beautiful - and slightly isolated - Athlone!
November 4, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Up a bit earlier than I’d like… but excited for me and my lab to present at the Irish Microbiology Society meeting in beautiful - and slightly isolated - Athlone!
Reposted by Connor Bamford
🔊 Applications for the tenure-track illuminate global challenge fellowships at Queen’s are now open!
Comes with 5 years protected research time, a PhD studentship, & 60k start-up. I had one of these before getting my FLF, happy to chat to anyone interested!
www.qub.ac.uk/Research/fel...
Comes with 5 years protected research time, a PhD studentship, & 60k start-up. I had one of these before getting my FLF, happy to chat to anyone interested!
www.qub.ac.uk/Research/fel...
Our Illuminate Global Challenges Fellowships | Research | Queen's University Belfast
www.qub.ac.uk
October 30, 2025 at 12:19 PM
🔊 Applications for the tenure-track illuminate global challenge fellowships at Queen’s are now open!
Comes with 5 years protected research time, a PhD studentship, & 60k start-up. I had one of these before getting my FLF, happy to chat to anyone interested!
www.qub.ac.uk/Research/fel...
Comes with 5 years protected research time, a PhD studentship, & 60k start-up. I had one of these before getting my FLF, happy to chat to anyone interested!
www.qub.ac.uk/Research/fel...
Reposted by Connor Bamford
A divergent betacoronavirus with a functional furin cleavage site in South American bats https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.24.684489v1
October 27, 2025 at 6:17 PM
A divergent betacoronavirus with a functional furin cleavage site in South American bats https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.24.684489v1
Reposted by Connor Bamford
The Microbiology Society returns to Belfast in April. From microbiomes to natural products, phage to protists, infection models to plant pathogens, together with all the usual fora, and ECM development opportunities. There truly is something for everyone! Get your abstracts in now and join us! 🦠
Submit your abstract for the UK’s largest annual gathering of microbiologists, Annual Conference 2026. Held in Belfast, UK, this year’s conference now features two-day attendance tickets.
October 22, 2025 at 7:34 AM
The Microbiology Society returns to Belfast in April. From microbiomes to natural products, phage to protists, infection models to plant pathogens, together with all the usual fora, and ECM development opportunities. There truly is something for everyone! Get your abstracts in now and join us! 🦠
Reposted by Connor Bamford
I'm v excited to be recruiting a PhD student to work on badger behaviour and ecology! Starting date is March 2026; see the ad here, or message me for more details: www.gregalbery.me/s/March-2026...
October 3, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I'm v excited to be recruiting a PhD student to work on badger behaviour and ecology! Starting date is March 2026; see the ad here, or message me for more details: www.gregalbery.me/s/March-2026...
excellent article on Ancient RNA research www.science.org/content/arti...
On an Arctic archipelago, frozen soil may preserve a hidden history of viruses
Scientists are hunting for ancient RNA in Svalbard’s permafrost, hoping to shed light on the evolution of viral diseases
www.science.org
October 18, 2025 at 10:05 AM
excellent article on Ancient RNA research www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Connor Bamford
Serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in red and fallow deer in Great Britain. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.17.682775v1
October 18, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in red and fallow deer in Great Britain. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.17.682775v1
Reposted by Connor Bamford
Our first effort exploring gut bacteria-extracellular ATP interactions is published! We show that eATP rewires gene expression and physiology in harmless and pathogenic bacteria, impacting production of bioactive metabolites, antimicrobial sensitivity, and virulence. A 🧵
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
October 14, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Our first effort exploring gut bacteria-extracellular ATP interactions is published! We show that eATP rewires gene expression and physiology in harmless and pathogenic bacteria, impacting production of bioactive metabolites, antimicrobial sensitivity, and virulence. A 🧵
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Reposted by Connor Bamford
Is a healthy microbiome one that is rich in phages? 🦠 Excited to share our paper out in Lancet Microbe with @bkoskella.bsky.social & @dholtappels.bsky.social where we test whether virome diversity can be used a broad signature of microbiome health 📈
New research article
Evaluation of bacteriophages as a signature of #microbiome health: a systematic review and meta-analysis
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
#IDSky #ClinMicro #ViroSky #Phage #OpenAccess #OA
Evaluation of bacteriophages as a signature of #microbiome health: a systematic review and meta-analysis
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
#IDSky #ClinMicro #ViroSky #Phage #OpenAccess #OA
October 10, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Is a healthy microbiome one that is rich in phages? 🦠 Excited to share our paper out in Lancet Microbe with @bkoskella.bsky.social & @dholtappels.bsky.social where we test whether virome diversity can be used a broad signature of microbiome health 📈
Reposted by Connor Bamford
🧵🚨
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation
Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.
www.ucl.ac.uk
October 9, 2025 at 3:47 PM
🧵🚨
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
Reposted by Connor Bamford
#UKHSAVirusWatch is back, a summary of our weekly winter surveillance report .🦠🧵
This week's data shows an increase in COVID-19 activity, which is circulating at medium levels. Flu activity has also increased, particularly in those aged 15 to 24, but remains at baseline levels.
This week's data shows an increase in COVID-19 activity, which is circulating at medium levels. Flu activity has also increased, particularly in those aged 15 to 24, but remains at baseline levels.
October 9, 2025 at 3:18 PM
#UKHSAVirusWatch is back, a summary of our weekly winter surveillance report .🦠🧵
This week's data shows an increase in COVID-19 activity, which is circulating at medium levels. Flu activity has also increased, particularly in those aged 15 to 24, but remains at baseline levels.
This week's data shows an increase in COVID-19 activity, which is circulating at medium levels. Flu activity has also increased, particularly in those aged 15 to 24, but remains at baseline levels.
It was great to speak with the BBC’s State of Us podcast about the science behind vaccines in the wake of the pandemic, alongside a local politician Paul Frew
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
October 9, 2025 at 8:04 AM
It was great to speak with the BBC’s State of Us podcast about the science behind vaccines in the wake of the pandemic, alongside a local politician Paul Frew
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Reposted by Connor Bamford
SAVE THE DATE!
The 2026 UK CellularMicrobiologyNetwork meeting will be held 22nd - 23rd of June at @wwiem-qub.bsky.social in Belfast.
Researchers from the UK and beyond are invited to share exciting work on the mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions.
Follow us to stay tuned! www.ukcellmicro.org
The 2026 UK CellularMicrobiologyNetwork meeting will be held 22nd - 23rd of June at @wwiem-qub.bsky.social in Belfast.
Researchers from the UK and beyond are invited to share exciting work on the mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions.
Follow us to stay tuned! www.ukcellmicro.org
October 6, 2025 at 10:14 AM
SAVE THE DATE!
The 2026 UK CellularMicrobiologyNetwork meeting will be held 22nd - 23rd of June at @wwiem-qub.bsky.social in Belfast.
Researchers from the UK and beyond are invited to share exciting work on the mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions.
Follow us to stay tuned! www.ukcellmicro.org
The 2026 UK CellularMicrobiologyNetwork meeting will be held 22nd - 23rd of June at @wwiem-qub.bsky.social in Belfast.
Researchers from the UK and beyond are invited to share exciting work on the mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions.
Follow us to stay tuned! www.ukcellmicro.org
Reposted by Connor Bamford
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has decided to award the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to:
Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, Shimon Sakaguchi
“for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance”
Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, Shimon Sakaguchi
“for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance”
The official website of the Nobel Prize - NobelPrize.org
The Nobel Prize rewards science, humanism and peace efforts. This is one of the central concepts in the will of Alfred Nobel, and it also permeates the outreach activities that have been developed for the purpose of engaging, inspiring and spreading knowledge about the Nobel Prize as well as the discoveries and achievements of the laureates.
www.nobelprize.org
October 6, 2025 at 9:48 AM
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has decided to award the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to:
Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, Shimon Sakaguchi
“for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance”
Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, Shimon Sakaguchi
“for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance”
Phew thankfully I waited until an hour before my T cell lecture to update my slides
October 6, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Phew thankfully I waited until an hour before my T cell lecture to update my slides
🦠 "Social Virology at the Tri-Kingdom Interface in Birds and Mammals" 🐥
We have a new 4y (open to intl students) PhD project advertised through the NorthWestBio Doctoral Training Partnership (lnkd.in/ee8hRpN6 ) between QUBelfast and Lancaster on virus-bacterial interactions across vertebrates!
We have a new 4y (open to intl students) PhD project advertised through the NorthWestBio Doctoral Training Partnership (lnkd.in/ee8hRpN6 ) between QUBelfast and Lancaster on virus-bacterial interactions across vertebrates!
October 5, 2025 at 8:52 PM
🦠 "Social Virology at the Tri-Kingdom Interface in Birds and Mammals" 🐥
We have a new 4y (open to intl students) PhD project advertised through the NorthWestBio Doctoral Training Partnership (lnkd.in/ee8hRpN6 ) between QUBelfast and Lancaster on virus-bacterial interactions across vertebrates!
We have a new 4y (open to intl students) PhD project advertised through the NorthWestBio Doctoral Training Partnership (lnkd.in/ee8hRpN6 ) between QUBelfast and Lancaster on virus-bacterial interactions across vertebrates!
Wonderful early morning on my first day lecturing this semester - teaching second years about all things antibodies and their uses!
September 24, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Wonderful early morning on my first day lecturing this semester - teaching second years about all things antibodies and their uses!
Reposted by Connor Bamford
Are you interested a fully funded PhD? We would like to understand the role phages play in well- and poorly-performing broiler flocks using AI!
Learn more here: sustain-cdt.ai/advertised-p...
Apply by Friday, 17 October @ 12:00:
Learn more here: sustain-cdt.ai/advertised-p...
Apply by Friday, 17 October @ 12:00:
S3140 | SUSTAIN
sustain-cdt.ai
September 18, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Are you interested a fully funded PhD? We would like to understand the role phages play in well- and poorly-performing broiler flocks using AI!
Learn more here: sustain-cdt.ai/advertised-p...
Apply by Friday, 17 October @ 12:00:
Learn more here: sustain-cdt.ai/advertised-p...
Apply by Friday, 17 October @ 12:00:
What’s the point of Young Academies like @yai.ie ? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Why we launched Denmark’s second Young Academy (and what’s different about it)
YATSI aims to represent scientists based in academia and in industry, and to build bridges between the two sectors.
www.nature.com
September 13, 2025 at 9:32 AM
What’s the point of Young Academies like @yai.ie ? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Inspiring day at the @yai.ie ‘s “evidence for policy summit” with a big focus on how early career researchers fit into the system across the island, with a focus on sustainability and a fair and inclusive society. Big thanks to Johnathan Dalzell from DAERA coming down from NI.
September 10, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Inspiring day at the @yai.ie ‘s “evidence for policy summit” with a big focus on how early career researchers fit into the system across the island, with a focus on sustainability and a fair and inclusive society. Big thanks to Johnathan Dalzell from DAERA coming down from NI.
Reposted by Connor Bamford
Experimental infections reveal unexceptional viral tolerance in bats https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.28.672855v1
September 1, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Experimental infections reveal unexceptional viral tolerance in bats https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.28.672855v1
Reposted by Connor Bamford
Our first post on here and it's a doozy 😍🤩. Our epic piece on #sarbecovirus host range. #virology #sars2 #covid #vaccines. Enjoy and please repost. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Understanding the future risk of bat coronavirus spillover into humans: correlating sarbecovirus receptor usage, host range, and antigenicity.
Sarbecoviruses interact with their receptor, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), via the receptor binding domain (RBD) of Spike, the immunodominant target for neutralising antibodies. Understandin...
www.biorxiv.org
September 9, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Our first post on here and it's a doozy 😍🤩. Our epic piece on #sarbecovirus host range. #virology #sars2 #covid #vaccines. Enjoy and please repost. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...