Emma Waters
She/Her
I am bi/pansexual and I am a senior postdoctoral researcher.//
Hi! I’m Emma and I’m a senior researcher at the Quadram Institute. I originally trained as a Chemist at the University of East Anglia, before I started a PhD in Biochemistry (graduating in 2017) where I investigated how to attach tiny chemical solar panels to bacteria so they could harness solar energy to produce useful chemicals.
Since my PhD, I have changed my research field to medical microbiology where I use different sequencing techniques to identify and study the effects of large structural rearrangements in the genomic DNA of bacteria. This type of mutation shuffles genetic instructions which can aid disease causing bacteria to go asymptomatic, transmit silently and hide from detection.
My LGBTQ+ story started from my A-levels where I had my first relationship with a transgender individual but I only fully came out in my mid 20s when I met my future wife. Even though I have never been ashamed of my sexuality I didn’t fully embrace it because my childhood was completely overshadowed by the UK’s Section 28 law which banned promotion of homosexuality in schools. I am now keen to help show that science is for everyone no matter who you are or who you love!