Meet the scientists!

Hey! My name is Michaela, I’m 23 year old PhD Student in the University of Sheffield’s department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, where I also did my Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics.I work in a lab doing research to try and figure out how genes get switched on and off in the human body. Genes are the blueprint for proteins which carry out loads of functions in the body, like enzymes that digest your food, heamoglobin that carries oxygen around the body and structural things like collagen that supports your skin! So proteins are very important to make sure your body works. Each protein is encoded by a gene, and when that gene is switched on it is first copied in to a message. This happens in the central hub of the cell – the nucleus. Unfortunately proteins are made in the gooey bit outside the nucleus – the cytoplasm, so the gene’s message needs to get out of the nucleus before it can be copied in to a protein. This process of getting out of the nucleus is called export, and is what I work on.

I start work at 9:30 every day and work for however long I need to, though I usually miss out having too many breaks, or take too long for lunch so that I can finish around 5 or 6pm. I do love going for a coffee and a natter with my friends whenever I can though.

The first thing I usually do is get out my iPod and choose something to listen to, can’t work without music! Next, to the freezer to get out any reagents I need and let them thaw, or prepare anything I might need. I then get to work. The nature of my work means that most of the time I can be doing a few things at once – while one thing is left incubating, I can get on with something else.

I’m also involved with a science communication group that organises events and such like, so sometimes I need to make time to nip out to meetings or prepare publicity materials.

When I get home, it’s time to kick back and relax with a favourite TV program and a cup of tea, watch a movie or hang out with my friends, which a lot of the time involves watching movies or playing games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero!

I’m part of a science communication group at my university called Science Brainwaves. We try to get science out to as many people as possible, young and old! One of our favourite things to do is “science busking”, where you take some quick science demos to the streets and bars to give little demonstrations to people to answer some simple, but important questions about all sorts of things – like what is the science behind sound and music? This can then lead on to talking about what we do ourselves. We unfortunately don’t have our own kit and have to borrow one, so it’d be great to be able to buy one. The other thing we like doing is getting really great and enthusiastic people in to talk about their science, so the money would be able to cover their travel costs, etc. Boring business, but it’s great to be able to get people excited about science, so it’s important! What do you think?