Name of Student: Laura Dougherty
Degree Subject: MSci Biochemistry
Type of Internship: Access to Internships (A2I)
Company Name: University of Exeter
Job Title: Research Assistant
What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?
I planned and ran many immunoassay tests, predominantly ELISAs. I also produced and purified samples from several pathogenic fungi, which will be used for further testing.
What was your biggest achievement on your internship?
I produced high quality data which will be used to help make tests for the diagnosis of several deadly fungal infections. I feel a great sense of achievement to have contributed to such a worthwhile project.
Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?
The results of one of my larger tests was unexpected. I successfully investigated the cause and had identified that one of the elements used was degrading over time. This is important for the group I was working with to be aware of as they will adjust their experiments going forward.
Skills Learnt:
- Ability to Work Under Pressure
- Organisation
- Decision Making
- Networking
- Report writing
Attributes Developed:
- Initiative
- Perseverance
- Professionalism
- Confidence
- Logical thinking
Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?
“My internship experience was really worthwhile. I worked with a group who were developing better tests for several deadly fungal infections. I have gained a lot of experience and confidence, particularly in planning and running experiments independently. I also developed my analytical and problem-solving skills. I produced high quality results and gained useful team-working experience. I received professional support throughout my internship and really enjoyed my time working as part of this group and feel like I have a better grasp of how I wish to progress my career.”