Jonatan Benarroch

I graduated from University of Warwick in 2017 with a BSc MMathPhys in Maths and Physics. I did my final year project with Neil Wilson (Physics), where we were probing electronic properties of 2D materials using Kelvin force gradient probe microscopy, an electrical mode of atomic force microscopy. During my undergraduate I became interested in biophysics, which lead to my decision to change discipline.

Currently, I am enrolled in the MRC DTP in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research run by Warwick Medical School. This included an MSc for the first year, during which I did 2 rotation projects: the first with Michael Smutny (WMS) analysing timelapses of neuroectoderm development in zebrafish embryos; the latter was with Nick Waterfield (WMS) investigating the action of an isopropyl stilbene on bacterial biofilms.

I am now doing a PhD as part of the MRC DTP studentship and am co-supervised by Munehiro Asally (SLS) and Prof. Pat Unwin (Chemistry). I am investigating the role of electrical signalling in the germination of bacterial spores. I am using Bacillus subtilis as a model organism, and using Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) to probe the electrochemical dynamics of the spores as they germinate.

• First name: Jonatan
• Last name: Benarroch