Blog: CytoSeek hosts local student for summer internship
“I was inspired by the whole team, and the work they are doing.”
Recently we welcomed Natalie Carr, an A Level student from Bristol, to complete her summer internship with us at Cytoseek. Tilly quickly picked up the techniques demonstrated, and showed a real aptitude for the work we are doing in the lab.
She very kindly wrote a blog post on her time:
I’m a Year 12 student studying A level biology, chemistry and maths in Bristol. I spent three days as an intern for Cytoseek in July 2022. As a prospective biochemistry undergraduate, this experience was invaluable in developing my interest in the biotech sector.
I spent my time shadowing Dr Dan Watkins, who taught me how to pipette, how to run protein and DNA gel electrophoresis, culture bacteria, and use Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). After learning about all these processes in Biology A level, I was interested to see them in real life and be able to use the equipment myself. It gave me a newfound appreciation for the subject, and deepened my understanding.
I particularly enjoyed the process of gel electrophoresis, which is a method of ensuring quality control, by ensuring that your samples contain the expected protein or DNA.
I also found it interesting how important it is to maintain sterile conditions when culturing bacteria. We practiced this by working within the halo of a Bunsen flame and closing lids where possible.
I found the whole process of transformation and the analysis of results very rewarding. I appreciated the independence that Dan gave me; it really allowed me to get as much as possible out of the experience.
It also encouraged me to question why things in science occur. In school, we’re often taught to just accept that a process happens, because it is too complicated to go into depth. However, Dan gave reasons for why each process was important, what we could do to resolve problems, and why something may not give the expected results. For example, he gave me advice on how my pipetting technique could be altered and explained why this would give more accurate results. This sparked my interest to question “why?” and to improve the quality of my work.
I was touched that the CEO, Dr Carolyn Porter, took the time to speak to me. She gave me a great insight into an overview of the biotechnology industry, and a business perspective on how Cytoseek gains funding as a start-up. I felt so inspired to talk with a woman in a leadership position within STEM.
Carolyn also spoke to me about the establishment of Science Creates, the Bristol incubator which supports Cytoseek, and during my time there I really felt the benefits of the beautiful office space and the welcoming community of people.
I also had the opportunity to talk to Dr Sara Menegatti, who works in Cytoseek’s other lab next door, which tests their Artificial Membrane Binding Protein (AMBP) technology on T cells, a type of white blood cell. She talked to me about the advantages of doing a PhD and post-doctorate and how she moved from academia to industry, giving me a taste of what I could do post graduation.
I was inspired by the whole team, and the work they are doing. In the long term, the drug they are developing could provide a treatment for a type of cancer called solid tumours, and I felt the whole team's sensitivity to this. They all seemed very motivated by how important their work could be for a patient.
Doing this internship has shown me a type of a career that is available to me through doing biochemistry, and makes me excited to learn even more about this fascinating subject in my degree.