Curiosity is where every scientific journey begins. To celebrate British Science Week and this year’s theme of curiosity, we’re passing the mic to some of the most inquisitive minds at LifeArc – our industrial placement students and degree apprentices.
Working across disciplines, they’ve been discovering what it really means to turn curiosity into impact. Read on to find out what excites them about science, what they’ve learned so far during their placements and their advice for anyone curious about a career in science.
Grace McGee, industrial placement student, biologics discovery and development
I’m the first scientist in my family, and my interest was sparked during school. I have to thank my Year 8 chemistry teacher for informing me that, in fact, we hadn’t “basically figured everything out already”. I enjoy science because I find it very satisfying to learn about specific biological interactions, and scale up the implications to a whole-body, or whole-population level! I’ve always imagined it, oddly, as similar to learning how to conjugate verbs in another language. Once you know a few general rules about French -er verbs, for example, you can take your knowledge and apply it in thousands of sentences! Similarly, in science, once you learn how this bond is made, or how that type of receptor initiates a signalling pathway, you can see it all throughout the human body. It’s fascinating!
I’ve been really enjoying my placement at LifeArc. The only previous experience I’ve had with lab work was undergraduate teaching labs; the difference is quite stark, and I’ve found it so useful to learn about how lab work is carried out in an industry environment. I value both the support I’ve received and the independence I’m allowed, as well as the feeling that I’m genuinely making a difference. I’ve had to develop the skills to generate, interpret, and successfully present my own data quickly, but I’ve really enjoyed it!
For anyone looking for a career in science, I find that it helps me to remember the ‘why’ of the tasks I’m doing. Reminding myself of what goal I’m working towards, or what I’m hoping to achieve, is incredibly useful in helping me stay motivated. I’d similarly recommend taking the time to think about what you’re passionate about and then taking active steps to seek out opportunities in those areas. Finally, learn how to open small vials and tubes with one hand. It’s an invaluable skill!
Katie Lawler, industrial placement student, chemical biology
My passion for science began when I reached secondary school. I hadn’t studied much science before, so suddenly being able to explore it properly was incredibly exciting. Over time, chemistry (especially organic chemistry) became the subject I loved the most, and I really enjoyed studying it at university. I was especially interested in the way chemistry could make a difference in the pharmaceutical sector to deliver life-changing therapeutics. Being able to work in a field that is underpinned by a subject you enjoy, while hopefully having the chance to make a real difference, is why pursuing a career in science feels like the right path.
I’m really enjoying my placement at LifeArc. The team has been incredibly welcoming, which made settling in so easy. Being in the lab every day has been a real highlight, especially getting hands on experience with equipment I’d never have access to at university – from running characterisation techniques (like NMRs) myself to working with automated liquid handling robots. It’s exciting to contribute to projects that have the potential to make a real-world impact, which has been really motivating.
I would encourage future scientists to follow what they’re genuinely passionate about; stay curious and don’t be afraid to ask questions! Gaining hands on experience is invaluable; you learn so much more by physically carrying out experiments than by learning about techniques from a lecture hall. This makes the theory more memorable and helps you develop problem-solving skills to tackle challenges that arise.
Hanif Chowdhury, degree apprentice, molecular and cellular pharmacology
My passion for science started around Year 9 of secondary school. I enjoyed biology and chemistry up until that point, and decided I wanted to go into biomechanical engineering, combining biology and engineering to help develop prosthetics, implants and other things of that nature. However, I later decided I wanted to study biology at undergraduate level as I didn’t enjoy maths enough to go through with my original idea.
For me, the interest in science was knowing I could contribute to making medicines and treatments that have real-world patient impact and can make the lives of the unfortunate a little better. I felt that would give me purpose in life, and I could sleep happily knowing I’m doing my bit to make the world a better place.
I’m one of the degree apprentices at LifeArc, so my placement is a four-year programme! After two and a half years at the company, I’m still having a great time gaining hands-on experience and building my theoretical knowledge. It’s been amazing to work across TTP (translational therapeutics platform group), involved with projects across the scientific functions and learning from people of different backgrounds.
My advice to anyone thinking of getting into science is to study the sciences well in school so that when you’re at the undergraduate level or above, you have the foundations nailed. Try to get as much hands-on experience as you can – science is much easier to learn through practice than theory, and it’s better when you fail and learn from it repeatedly. I would also recommend developing your soft skills as much as your technical skills, which are equally valuable to employers and can make you stand out. Finally, be aware of how vast the pharma, drug discovery, and life sciences sector can be; there is so much to learn that you will never know all that there is to know.
Gina Pereira, industrial placement student, chemical biology
A career in science can open a wide array of avenues, whether it’s jobs in the lab or in bio-business and beyond. It is definitely a very valuable degree, enabling you to develop many skills, from presenting and report writing, to being able to work independently and interpret data for the purpose of collaboration with the whole department. Most of this can be applied to other professions. I initially became interested in science during my GCSEs, and my interest was reaffirmed at A-level when I carried out an EPQ, assessing the benefits and disadvantages of herbal remedies, when compared to pharmaceutical modalities. I enjoyed learning about how chemistry is explained in a biological context, which is why I decided to study biochemistry at King’s College London.
Now, as part of the chemical biology team, I have learnt even more about the interrelationship and interdependence of chemistry and biology, and I’m more certain of my aim to pursue biochemistry, with particular emphasis on the chemistry, genetics and cell biology areas.
Since my placement started, I’ve become increasingly independent in the lab. Becoming more confident in critically analysing and appraising the data I gather in experiments is also very important to me, since this meant that I could plan follow-up experiments and essentially construct the ‘story’ of my research endeavours. I have also developed my presentation skills greatly by presenting frequently in meetings and have also improved my lab writing skills due to electronic lab notebook writing.
My greatest advice to future scientists would be don’t just be happy with the outcome; enjoy the journey of how you get there. It’s very easy to get frustrated when experiments don’t give the intended results, but it is in these moments that you can foster true resilience and tenacity, which are traits indispensable to a scientist. Also, keep learning. You can be comfortable conducting an assay but fully understanding how that fits into the big picture and all the theoretical principles is critical to being conversant in a niche. In keeping with that is collaborating and learning from those who have been in the field for longer. This can be very valuable and insightful, particularly because there are so many careers and perspectives within science that are unheard of to students in their early careers.
