Indra Roux
Research Interests
I am fascinated by the vastly underexplored microbial metabolism, and how engineering biology can help us investigate it and unlock its potential. At the MRC Toxicology Unit, I’m developing genetic tools in non-model gut bacteria and using them to advance functional genetics. In particular, I have been exploring how gut bacteria interact with environmental pollutants, and how they interact ecologically with other microbes. Understanding these fundamental mechanisms lays the groundwork for developing health solutions. I also believe expanding our knowledge on non-model microbes and their role in microbial communities will help us advance engineering biology, including synthetic ecology.
Interesting Fact
Cambridge has been great place to take up new hobbies. I’ve been attending improvisation theatre workshops at the ADC Theatre, which has been a fun and creative activity. I’m also learning tango, which keeps me connected to my home country, Argentina.
What I enjoy most about being on the ECR committee
Being on the committee has been a great opportunity to connect with colleagues across the university and wider engineering biology community, and help build a sense of community. Reaching out to early career researchers to invite them to present at our seminar series has been a nice opportunity to meet many brilliant and kind colleagues. This also helps me stay updated on developments in different areas of engineering biology. Having participated in other scientific communities, I especially value the excellent support provided by the EngBio IRC staff, which makes running events much easier and more enjoyable.
Why someone should join the ECR committee
It’s a supportive community where you can share ideas, organise events, gain experience running a seminar series, and build your network. EngBio ECRs spans a wide range of research topics, so it is great to bring fresh ideas and more representation across institutes. We are always happy to welcome any new committee members, and for the community to join our meetups and volunteer to present.