A University of Plymouth researcher is exploring how ‘nasty’ bacteria can affect people with cystic fibrosis thanks to funding from an international charity. 

Sean Kelly – a BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science graduate – is doing his PhD full-time thanks to the £25,000 donation from the Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF), and is researching into several little-studied organisms that are proving hard to treat. 

He will be looking at Mycobacterium abscessus and species of other bacterial groups called Cupriavidus, Ralstonia, and Pandoraea, which are all heavily drug-resistant. While thankfully rare, they can have a significant impact on people with cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic condition that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. 

People with CF already experience reduced lung function as sticky mucus builds up, and are more susceptible to other viruses and bacteria that attack the lungs. Now, thanks to this funding, Sean is hoping he’ll be able to find out more about how the bacteria operate and, in future, understand how to treat them.