Friday, 29 September 2023
Dr Christina Lee's Ancientbiotics research has been featured in the British Library's 50th anniversary celebrations.
Dr Christina Lee, an Anglo-Saxon expert from the School of English, discovered Bald's Leechbook - an Old English leatherbound volume - in the British Library. She enlisted the help of microbiologists from the University’s Centre for Biomolecular Sciences to recreate a 10th century potion for eye infections, to see if it really worked as an antibacterial remedy.
The Leechbook is widely thought of as one of the earliest known medical textbooks and it contains Anglo-Saxon medical advice and recipes for medicines, salves and treatments. Results on the 'potion' revealed that it has a remarkable effect on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which is one of the most antibiotic-resistant bugs costing modern health services billions.
The research has been further developed over time with Dr Freya Harrison, a Reader in Microbiology at the University of Warwick, and the collaborative project on Bald's Leechbook, has now been shared by the British Library as part of its 50th anniversary initiatives.
This manuscript is unique, and we don鈥檛 have any other copies. I鈥檓 really pleased that it has survived the ravages of time: an awful lot of medical remedies from this period haven鈥檛 survived. We鈥檙e pretty lucky that the Library has this beauty on its shelves. It is a fantastic place.
Dr Lee explains: "The Library is a fantastic place. It amazes me that these manuscripts are there. It’s accessible for many people, which is a very good thing. It’s also great that the Library digitised its early manuscripts, because obviously, they wouldn’t be able to stand daily wear and tear."
"I use quite a lot of the digitised material, but there’s nothing better than going into the Manuscripts Room, knowing that the original is waiting for me there. That link with the past, the idea that I am touching something which is smiling at me from over a thousand years ago, is the biggest thrill of all."
The British Library began operations in July 1973. It was designed to encourage scientific and technological research, business, the arts and humanities. It holds approximately 170 million items. In addition to books, newspapers and journals, it's collection includes maps, stamps, photographs and sound recordings.
The article on Dr Christina Lee's research can be found
More information about the British Library and it's 50th anniversary celebrations is available .
Story credits
Image and excerpts from the British Library
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.