Merning Mwenifumbo, Masters student in Veterinary Public Health, mEpiLab
Merning is a Master's student in Veterinary Public Health from Malawi. She has always been interested in issues related to MRA, hence she was excited when she received the news that her next project will be on MRA. Her current work is on Extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBLs) and AmpC beta lactamase (AmpC) producing E. coli in waste milk fed dairy calves from Canterbury region.
By using both culture-based isolation methods and whole genome sequencing, her study aims to determine the prevalence of ESBL and AmpC producing E. coli isolated from recto-anal mucosal swabs from waste milk fed dairy calves and to phenotypically and genotypically characterise ESBL and AmpC producing isolates. Her work is funded by A NZ-China Food Protection Network (led by Sara Burgess) and she was also awarded postgraduate student research fund from the School of Veterinary Science.