Question: Hello, I would like to know something about your job. I've read that you work on bacteria which affect animals. So are you for or against the using of animals for tests in laboratory ? Of course we need to do that but do you think there are any other possibilities ? Best regards.

Sally Cutler answered on 10 Nov 2014:

Hi Samuel, not sure where to start about my job. I love microbiology and research is a passion. To stay doing this is more of the challenge as you need funding. Too much of my time is now spent trying to get financial support for my ideas rather than working in the laboratory. I also have many students and it is great to help launch their careers towards becoming research scientists. I still travel with my job too giving lectures at conferences around the world.

With regard to animals, I care deeply for them too and have several pets at home. Technology has moved forward so that many experiments can now be done in cell lines rather than whole animals, so you do not need to use animals much. Also insects like moth lavae and fruit flies or even fish can be used to test host-pathogen interactions and possible cures. All of this reduces use of animals, but I also see the justification for some limited animal testing as some things done in a laboratory with infection models just don’t work as predicted when tested in the target host. If it is a new vaccine to protect or antibiotic to treat humans (or animals) from infection you need to know that it will work.