Prof Hafizah Yousuf Chenia of the Department of Microbiology in the Faculty of Science delivered her inaugural lecture on Tuesday 23 June 2026. The title of her lecture wasNature’s whisperers – looking beyond antibiotics to silence microbial conversations.

Chenia explained to Corporate Communication and Marketing how understanding and disrupting ‘conversations’ between microorganisms may provide innovative alternatives for addressing antimicrobial resistance – one of the most urgent global challenges of our time.

Tell us more about your research and why you became interested in this specific field.

Much of my work sits at the intersection of microbiology, antimicrobial resistance, natural product discovery, biotechnology and green nanotechnology. I am particularly interested in how microorganisms communicate, attach to surfaces, form biofilms (groups of microorganisms that stick to surfaces) and become difficult to control. One of the key processes we study is quorum sensing, which is the chemical communication system bacteria use to coordinate group behaviour, adapt to stress and cause disease.

In the clinical space, this work is important because many infections are no longer easy to treat with conventional antibiotics. Instead of only asking, ‘How do we kill the bacteria?’, my research group also asks, ‘How do we stop bacteria from organising themselves, protecting themselves and causing harm?’ This has led us to explore anti-virulence strategies, biofilm disruption and natural products that may help us manage bacterial infections and even contribute to drug discovery for other chronic diseases, including cancer.

But our work is not only therapeutic. We also explore bacteria associated with plants, marine organisms and environmental niches as sources of useful natural products, enzymes and bioactive compounds. These microbial resources may have applications in aquaculture, biofouling control, corrosion mitigation, environmental biotechnology and industrial biotechnology. Increasingly, we are also exploring green nanotechnology through biosynthesis approaches, where microbial and natural product-based systems are used to develop more sustainable nanomaterials. That opens exciting possibilities for antimicrobial applications, delivery systems and broader biotechnology.

I became interested in this field because microorganisms may be small, but they are extraordinarily powerful. They can communicate, share resistance genes, survive hostile environments and behave like organised communities. That fascinated me. I wanted to understand not only how harmful microbes cause disease, but also how their remarkable abilities could be disrupted, redirected or harnessed to solve problems in health, the environment and biotechnology.

How would you describe the relevance of your work?

The relevance of my work lies in the fact that microorganisms affect almost every part of life: human health, animal health, food security, aquaculture, the environment and industry. That is why my research fits strongly within a One Health framework. We cannot think about infectious disease, antimicrobial resistance or environmental sustainability in isolation, because these systems are connected.

Clinically, antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent challenges facing modern medicine. Infections that were once easily treated are becoming harder to manage because bacteria are evolving, acquiring resistance genes and surviving treatments that used to work. My group is interested in finding alternatives to traditional antibiotics, particularly natural products that can disarm pathogens by interfering with their communication, virulence and biofilm formation.

At the same time, the work has strong biotechnological relevance. By studying fish-associated, marine and environmental bacteria, we can identify microbial products and processes that may be useful beyond the clinical setting. These include solutions for biofilm control, biofouling, corrosion, aquaculture health, environmental management and green nanomaterial synthesis. In that sense, our research is not only about treating disease; it is also about using microbial biodiversity responsibly and creatively to address real-world problems.

By exploring microbial resources for both medical and biotechnological applications, we are contributing to priorities linked to health, sustainable industry, environmental protection and national development.

Based on your research, why is it important to silence microbial communication?

Many bacteria do not act as isolated cells. They communicate using chemical signals, and once enough cells are present, they coordinate behaviours such as biofilm formation, surface attachment, virulence factor production and stress tolerance. This process is known as quorum sensing.

Silencing microbial communication is important because it gives us a way to reduce microbial harm without necessarily killing the organism outright. That is a very important shift in thinking. When we rely only on killing bacteria, we often create strong selective pressure for resistance. But if we can interfere with the signals that allow bacteria to organise, defend themselves and cause disease, we may be able to make them less dangerous.

In simple terms, if bacteria cannot ‘talk’ to one another effectively, they may struggle to become coordinated, persistent and damaging communities. This has clear clinical value for infection control, especially in biofilm-associated infections. It also has biotechnological value, because microbial communication and biofilm formation are central to problems such as biofouling, corrosion, contamination and surface colonisation in industrial and environmental settings.

Why has antimicrobial resistance become such a major global challenge?

Antimicrobial resistance has become a major global challenge because antibiotics have been used extensively across human medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture and food production. Over time, bacteria have adapted. They can acquire resistance genes, share them with other bacteria and survive treatments that were once effective.

The problem is made worse by inappropriate antibiotic use, limited development of new antibiotics, poor infection control, environmental contamination and the global movement of people, animals and food products. As a result, infections are becoming harder to treat, routine medical procedures are becoming riskier and some of the gains of modern medicine are being threatened.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant and even pan-drug-resistant bacteria means that we urgently need new ways of thinking. We still need antibiotics, but we also need complementary strategies. These include anti-virulence therapies, biofilm disruption, quorum sensing inhibition, improved diagnostics, responsible antimicrobial stewardship and technologies that reduce infection risk before it becomes a clinical crisis.

What innovative strategies can help stop microorganisms from causing disease?

We need strategies that go beyond simply trying to kill microorganisms. Some of the most promising approaches include quorum sensing inhibition, biofilm disruption, anti-virulence therapy, bacteriophage (viruses that infect and kill bacteria) therapy, antimicrobial peptides, probiotics, improved diagnostics, targeted drug delivery and nanotechnology-based interventions.

My own research is strongly aligned with approaches that disarm pathogens rather than only destroy them. By targeting communication, attachment, virulence and biofilm formation, we may be able to reduce disease while applying less pressure for resistance development.

Green nanotechnology is also an exciting part of this conversation. Through biosynthesis, we can explore more sustainable ways of producing nanomaterials using microbial or natural product-based systems. These materials may have antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, delivery or diagnostic applications, but they may also be useful in wider biotechnology and environmental contexts.

The future will probably not depend on one solution. It will require combinations of approaches: better prevention, smarter diagnostics, responsible antimicrobial use, natural product discovery, nanotechnology, and therapies that interfere with microbial behaviour rather than relying only on conventional antibiotics.

Higher education can be challenging. What keeps you motivated when things get tough?

Knowing that the work matters. Research and higher education are not always easy. Experiments fail, funding is competitive, administration can be demanding and progress can sometimes feel slow. But every student trained, every research question pursued and every piece of work completed contributes to something bigger.

I am also deeply motivated by my students. Watching undergraduate and postgraduate students grow in confidence, develop as scientists and begin to ask their own research questions is incredibly rewarding. Their progress reminds me why teaching, mentorship and research are so important.

There is also something very motivating about working in a field where the questions are urgent and relevant. Antimicrobial resistance, infectious disease, environmental sustainability and biotechnology are not abstract problems. They affect people, communities and industries. Knowing that our work may contribute, even in a small way, to solving those challenges keeps me going.

What aspects of your work do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy the discovery process most: asking questions, designing experiments and uncovering something we did not fully understand before. I still enjoy being in the laboratory. There is something exciting about seeing an idea move from a question to an experiment, to a result that opens up new possibilities.

I also enjoy the creativity of science. Research is technical and precise, but it also requires imagination. You must notice patterns, make connections and sometimes look at a problem from an unexpected angle. That is especially true in microbiology, where the same organism can be a pathogen, an environmental player or a potential source of useful biotechnology.

Teaching is another part of my work that I value deeply. I enjoy introducing undergraduate students to the possibilities within microbiology and helping them see that the field is relevant to health, biotechnology, the environment and industry. Mentorship is equally important to me. Guiding postgraduate students as they develop their own scientific identity is one of the most fulfilling parts of my career.

Tell us something exciting about yourself that people would not expect.

People may not expect that I enjoy both adventure and creativity. On one side, I love outdoor activities such as hiking and overlanding as well as travelling to adventurous destinations. On the other side, I enjoy more creative and reflective activities such as cooking, entertaining and arts and crafts.

I think that balance is important. Science requires discipline, precision and persistence, but it also benefits from curiosity, creativity and perspective. Having interests outside the laboratory helps me recharge and return to my research and teaching with renewed energy.

How do you spend your free time?

I try to spend my free time in ways that help me reset and reconnect. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, cooking, entertaining, reading, travelling and watching movies. I also value quiet moments away from work, because academic life can be very demanding.

For me, free time is about trying to find balance. It gives me space to reflect, recharge and enjoy life outside the University environment. That balance helps me bring more energy, focus and creativity back into my work.