A Short term Study abroad programme and collaborative link for Life Sciencesestablished since 2010

Keith the Keele, SquirrelThe Brahminy Kite, Barbara?

Emeritus Professor of Medical EntomologyRichard Ward, Keele University.

Universiti Sains Malaysia

2010 cohort

Ashley Jordan working on the effectsof combining Bacillus thuringiensisand Spinosad, two biological controlagents, on the mosquito Aedes aegyptian important vector of Dengue fever.

Bukit Jambul Flats a breeding sitefor this and other mosquitoes.

Ashley is now a PhD student working with Dr Catherine Merrick

Ashley comments on the experienceMalaysia Study Abroad Opportunity 2010 I was given the opportunity to undertake my research project at the Universitii Sains Malaysia (USM). My decision to apply for this study abroad placement resulted in one of the best decisions of my life, as I gained a whole wealth of experience and knowledge both in scientific and cultural aspects.

Richard Newton also looked at the two biological agents against the same mosquito to determine the internal pathology of the mosquito larvae caused by the treatment

Richard discusses his Electron Microscope results at USM with Ian

Aedes larva

Hannah Makinson

Hannah studied the ectoparasitesof feral cats in Penang and over60% were infested with Felicola subrostratus a Chewing Louse and cause of mange.

The Cat Flea Ctenocephalidesfound on 42% of cats

Ian Stokes also carried out a project invloving the potential use ofbiological control agents. In this case the study covered the use ofa parasitic wasp Aprostocetus hagenowii which parasitises the oothecaeof the American Cockroach.

The study showed that ootheca age had a significant impact on oviposition success.

Ian is now a PhD student studying withProf Chris Exley at Keele University

Chris Peachy chose to work on the parasites of chickens.Here he shows off some of his tape worms to Emma and Hannah.

The chicken farm at Kampung Tiram

The tape worm Raillietina tetragona

Ants act as anintermediate host

Emma Stone took an interest in aquaculture and carried out a project to determine the prevalence of parasites in wild andcultured cat fish Clarius gariepinus in Penang.

Culture fish proved to be uninfected, in contrast to wildSpecimens.

Aaron Smith

Aaron also chose aquaculture and his project involved designing a new experimentaldiet, 45% protein and 6% lipid, made of Soybean meal and crude palm oil to be fed toChanna striatus, the Chevron Snakehead, over an 8 week period.

The new feed proved more cost effective than commercial feedbut had poorer quality fillets from the fish.

In the 2011 cohort we again had 7 students in Penang of whom 3 were MSc Molecular Parasitology and 4 Undergraduates. Here they are visiting a local seafood restaurant with Prof Zairi and the Malaysian Buddies-a group of local students who welcome you to the University and surroundings.

Vaishnavi

Prof Zairi

Deena

Sandip

VictoriaAngelaLeylaAngel

Angel Ma worked on another biological control organism,the Elephant mosquito Toxorhynchites ,whose adults are huge and donot feed on blood, but whose larvae are predacious

Toxorhynchites larvae will eat large numbers of Aedes mosquito larvae and one famous individual consumed 195 in a period of 12 days. Angel’s project showed that the presence of up to three elephant mosquito larvae in a pot failed to deter adult female Aedes to oviposit in that container, thus placing her offspring in danger.

Angela Cartlidge investigated the relationship between Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictusto measure the degree of cross mating taking place in Penang but thereappeared to be little evidence of natural cross mating, in contrast to some sites inthe USA where there is evidence of population replacement of one species by the other.

Vaishnavi worked on the development of a dip stick test by developing a recombinant antigenfor the infection of humans with Strongyloides a Nematode , the infection is known as Strongyloidiasis. Hyperinfection in immune compromised patients like those with HIV canbe chronic. Diagnosis is difficult and so there is a need for a new diagnostic kit

A similar kit has already been developed for Brugian filariasis by the INFORMM lab whereVaishnavi worked

Deena also worked on Aedes aegypti and albopictus and was trying todetermine if Ae. albopictus is no longer the prime vector of dengue inthe Penang area. Her work involved setting ovitraps and mosquito larval identification. Deena and Vaishnavi were Biomedical Science students

Leyla worked on identifiying the endoparasites of frogs in Penang and Victoria investigated the succession and range of Dipterous fly maggots in buried rabbit carcasses.Leyla and Victoria were dual Hons Biology and Forensic Science students.

In 2012 Andrew Cooke and Joshua Calvert carried out a study on infections in Orang Utangs with

Strongyloides worms and potential cures at Orang UtangIsland ,a charitable project with links to USM attempting to conserve these

apes in Malaysia.

Andrew bottle feeding one of the young animals

The Orang Utang Sanctuary on the island

Andrew is now a PhD studentAt Bristol University studying the transmissionof drug resistant parasites found in dung.

In 2013 we had a large increase in interest in MalaysianProjects with 19 applicants for 8 places. As a result we were forced to

Elaborate the selection process by introducing an interview process to evaluate the applicants

Bhavika and Hannah were among this years cohort

As were Ben and Abi who got to study the Bird, Lizard and Bat fauna and in some spare time investigate the flora.

Crested serpent eagle

Using a camera trap

Ben Joe

Abi

RuthBhavika

Harry

Natasha

Hannah

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO DR A KRATZWHO WAS A JOINT APPLICANT WITH Prof R WARD FOR THE ORIGINAL BRITISH COUNCIL FUNDING ON THE PRIME MINISTERS INITIATIVE 2 WHICH ENABLED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS PROGRAMME IN 2010.

ALSO SPECIAL THANKS TO PROFESSOR ZAIRI JAAL HEADOF THE VECTOR UNIT PENANG FOR HIS ROLE AS CORDINATOR OF THEPROGRAMME.

zairi

2014 cohort