What do neon lights and invisibility cloaks have in common? Well, they could just be the new way forward in the fight against superbugs. 

This was the tag line for my FameLab talk (an International science communication competition) I had entered not imagining that I would make the Victorian finals. I had uploaded a 3-min video of my current post doc work and vowed it would not be seen by another soul. Yes, I am embarrassed to put myself in front of a camera, and up on stage in bright lights is scary. But communication is key. 

Scientists need to be able to communicate effectively, not just amongst ourselves, but also with a general audience. Science communication training should be a part of every science degree. Why? Well, effectively communicated science means science thrives. This is because it builds support for science, it promotes the relevance to the wider community, and can even help encourage informed decision making. One excellent way to get better is to train and practise. Level up your science communication skills. That’s why I keep putting my hand up for science communication activities.

I find planning a talk makes you focus on finding simple, more succinct ways to get the essentials of the story across. Along with discovering ways to make abstract concepts a reality for my audience. It focusses my attention on Why does/should it matter to my audience? Why is it important? This is key not just for speaking to a general audience, but very helpful for any communication, e.g. that next grant application, conference talk, or even job interview. 

The FameLab experience combines training with practise. The finalist had a day of science communication training from the engaging Emma’s of comm-it. If you get a chance to attend one of their sessions, do yourself the favour and level up your skills. In our training we covered everything from developing a social media and media profile, stage presence, voice control, timing, and how to present to different audiences. The day flew by and in no time, we were being hooked up to microphones to be in front of our judges and audience at the Melbourne Museum. 

The disappointing thing for me is that with my nerves I have no idea what the speakers before me said. However, if they are anything like the engaging, and entertaining 3 min performances that followed – you should definitely be part of the audience at the next FameLab near you. Though not the same as seeing the talk, here is what I squished into the 3-min time limit. 

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“Not long ago I had a UTI. Thinking it a fairly harmless infection I thought I would just drink more water and flush this bad boy.

Audience laughing. I hadn’t considered the need to pause here.

The next day, a trip to the doctor about the pain in my side revealed it had developed into a kidney infection and I started on antibiotics. Two days later I was in emergency with the infection now in my bloodstream, I had sepsis. 3 different antibiotics later and my infection was under control. The bacteria I had was resistant to the first antibiotics tried, but fortunately the other two managed to eradicate the intruder. 

Fast forward 30 years and a similar infection could prove deadly – antibiotic resistant superbugs are predicted to kill 10 million per year by 2050. More than cancer. 

Pause, and breathe. Let that fact sink in. The silence can be just as powerful as your words.

Let me introduce you to one of these deadly superbugs, this is Staphylococcus aureus- also known as golden staph, or MRSA.

Brings out the MRSA that she has been trying to hide behind her back. Note to self: pick something that is easy to hide next time. Maybe giant sleeves to hide things in would be better.

Though he looks cute, he’s really a supervillain. What I find scary is that as he develops resistance to antibiotics, superbugs like this are also better at hiding and evading our body’s defences – our immune system. They basically have invisibility cloaks.

Shows off his little invisibility cloak. Should have considered the size of this, MRSA is so tiny the audience is not going to be able to see this.

Superbugs like this one are on the rise and their weight is causing the cornerstone of modern medicine to crumble. In part due to no new antibiotics reaching our pharmacy shelves in over 20 years.

Steps across to the other side of stage. My little bit of stage craft worked into the talk.

So, we need new drugs for these superbugs. 

Our current antibiotics are basic annihilators – they find the bacteria and acting like a key specifically target a mechanism of the bacteria resulting in their death. But bacteria are constantly getting better at evading both the antibiotics and our immune system. They have changed the locks.

Stepping away from traditional antibiotics that just kill bacteria, I’m creating drugs that assist in getting our immune system back into the fight by uncloaking the superbugs and decorating them in lights. 

Steps across to the other side of stage. My little bit of stagecraft worked into the talk.

And it works!

One of our new antibiotics works by stopping this invisibility cloak from forming. This cloak is a layer of proteins on the bacteria surface and by removing it we see the superbugs being found and cleared by our immune system first line responders – cells know as neutrophils.

Why won’t this invisibility cloak come off easily like it has when practising. Wrestles the cloak off the supervillain and stuffs it into her pocket. 

Another way we are ensuring the bacteria is found by our immune system is by decorating them in neon lights – these lights are immune beacons that signal our immune system, ensuring these superbugs have nowhere to hide. 

Wraps the “neon lights” around the MRSA. Disappointing I didn’t work out a way to make my eppies (1.5 mL tube) stuffed with neon paper actually light up.

So by stripping down and lighting up, we are tackling superbugs in a new way, and hopefully keeping our pharmacy shelves stocked for many years to come. “

Finished! Was that in the 3min time? Did I say what I was intending? They are firing questions at me, think brain, think.

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Have a story to tell? Submit your application to be in the next Fame Lab!

The FameLab finals are open to the public so head out for an entertaining night and you might even learn a thing or two from some amazing scientists.

Not in Australia- don’t worry FameLab is an international competition you will just need to find your local one.

Dr Jenn Payne
@DrPayne_AMR