Tim Snelling

Tell us about yourself (Who are you? Where are you from? What is your educational background?)

My name is Tim Snelling and I am originally from the seaside town of Weymouth on the south coast of the UK. I studied at the institute of biological, environmental and rural sciences at Aberystwyth University.

What is your area of expertise?

My first degree is in Equine Science and I specialised in the microbiology of the equine hindgut, focussing on the functional activity and the ecology of the ciliate protozoa.
Since then, I have carried out a number of microbial ecology studies focussing on ciliates, bacteria and archaea of the equine hindgut and rumen.

Where does your focus lie within your current project(s)? (related to methane)

Until recently I have been working for the RuminOmics project exploring novel tools to describe the rumen microbial population. This involves developing Metaproteomics as a technique to describe the functional activity of the rumen microbiota. Currently, I am typing strains of E.coli that may have a role in the pathology of sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in beef and dairy cattle. I am also in the process of assembling data from a ring test to determine the effect of different methods on amplicon sequencing microbiome analysis.

What would be the added value for you of joining an international researchers network? (such as the METHAGENE network, or the RuminOmics project)

Added value for me, as much as anyone, for a collaborative project or network is to have a strong base of shared knowledge, reduced duplication of effort and harmonization of methods.

What and/or who inspired you to make a career in science?

For personal interest and a challenge, I began my first degree with the Open University, studying at home, part-time. There came a point where I thought it would be much better to do this full time so, when I was accepted at University, I quit my job and began my scientific career. Each time I completed a project I felt there was always more to explore and a chance to do things that little bit better. This led me from my first degree to a research Masters, a PhD studentship and my recent roles with RuminOmics and SARA.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Quite often this job can leave you at your wits end. However, I would have to admit that it is probably the continuing challenges that are the best thing about working in science.

What is your most stand-out or surprising moment in science so far?

I spend most of my time in the lab working on molecular microbiology and bioinformatics. So it was more than a pleasant change to help with a silage experiment, working on the farm on a sunny late summer day, complete with a lunchtime picnic with cured meats provided by the Spanish postdocs and students.