Kelly Atkins has just received the Irene Manton Poster Prize for her research into the sigma factors involved with photosynthesis, growth and development of Arabisopsis thaliana.

Having been a member of the Society of Experimental Biology (SEB) throughout my entire PhD, I always had an aim to attend their large and diverse annual conference. After being successful in my SEB travel grant application, I attended the SEB2016 annual meeting held in Brighton at the start of July. This meeting brings together over 1000 researchers spanning a multitude of different fields with experimental biology being the uniting theme. A wide range of topics from experimental biology including energy constraints on ecology, integrative –omics and hormone receptors are covered throughout the extensive programme. I was given the opportunity to give a Pecha Kucha talk in the general plant and cell biology talk session prior to the poster presentation evening.

The Irene Manton Poster Prize was judged throughout the poster presentation evening. The criteria for judgment ranged from aesthetics and clarity, to explanation of ones research to a scientist in the field and one that is outside of the field of study. Not only did I enjoy the opportunity to discuss my research with scientist inside and outside of my field, I left the conference with novel ideas and a new perspective on the work I have been carrying out for three years and those experiments still ahead of me. I was awarded the Irene Manton Poster Prize in the Cell Biology Section of the SEB, summarising my work on the role of all six sigma factors in photosynthesis, growth and development of Arabisopsis thaliana.

Written by Kelly Atkins, SWBio DTP student.