Synthetic Biology and Metabolomic Intern Review

My role involved exploring natural ingredients for future products portfolio expansion and bioengineering different biological systems for sustainable production of these ingredients. I would spend my time at work both in the lab and in the office. I was working with my Line Manager, team members, external consultants and independently throughout the year. I had a full responsibility over my project and had to deliver the outcomes of my project to stakeholders.

I have both learnt new skills and developed my existing skills throughout my placement year. The range of skills involved both hard and soft skills. For hard skills, I learned dry-lab skills (i.e. MOE for molecular docking) and wet-lab skills (i.e. molecular cloning and transformation of different cell systems). For soft skills, I learned scientific communications (presented a poster in the company and project outcomes presentation to senior stakeholders) and project management.

I had been given some responsibilities at the beginning of my placement, but throughout the year as I gained more experience and became more confident, the amount of my responsibilities rose.

I received a lot of support and guidance from my Line Manager, team, BAT Placement Team, mentor and from my university tutor.

Company culture in BAT is centered in fostering values like being, bold, fast, responsible, diverse and empowered. Throughout my year I definitely felt that many of my colleagues were demonstrating these values and unconsciously I started doing the same! Overall, the atmosphere in the company is very collaborative and engaging.

I enjoyed my placement to a full extent.

Yes

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