Interview with Dr Sarah Coulthurst

Sarah Coulthurst is a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow based in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee, UK. She is a molecular bacteriologist with long-standing interests in protein secretion systems and inter-bacterial interactions, both co-operative and competitive. Her current research is mainly focused on the Type VI secretion system, a protein “nanoweapon” used by many bacteria to deliver toxic effector proteins into other cells. Her group aims to understand how this system effectively delivers effectors into bacterial and fungal competitors, and to elucidate the mode of action of the effectors and their impact on targeted cells and populations. Her contributions have been recognised through the award of the Microbiology Society Fleming Prize, the Society for Applied Microbiology W. H. Pierce Prize, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh Patrick Neill Medal.