Jessica Forsyth

"The personality types i was matched with were 'Coordinator', 'Trainer' and 'Coach'. I believe these fit very well with the work I do. For example, the 'Coordinator' personality type relates to the need for organisation and the timely completion of tasks, which is vital for laboratory research. You definitely develop the ability to plan ahead, which not only helps to ensure that you are practically set up to complete your work with the necessary equipment in stock, but also ensures that you can complete the process as smoothly as possible, as you have taken the time in advance to familiarise yourself with any relevant protocols. One thing that all three personality types have in common is the quality of being able to work well with a range of people. This includes being able to communicate clearly and effectively but also being able to ask for help from your colleagues when needed. This is vital in research as there is always someone that is more familiar with a process than you are. It's really valuable to be able to make the most of other peoples experience and use each other as tools to advance your knowledge and expertise. It's important to learn that asking for help is a positive thing that we shouldn't be scared or ashamed of needing to do so. We must remember that everyone gets to where they are from learning and this learning never really stops. The 'Trainer' personality type mentions the quality of being able to simplify complex information. This is also really important for research. Sometimes it can be overwhelming if you have a new protocol to learn and have never done anything like it before. It's important to be able to take a step back and try and simplify the instructions as much as possible. This will help make the job feel more manageable and not scare you into thinking that you won't be able to complete the task. Another quality of the 'Trainer' personality type, which i believe is important, is being passionate about sharing knowledge. As a researcher, i spend my time conducting experiments in an attempt to uncover new and interesting information. I believe it is my responsibility to share my findings with other people and promote enthusiasm for the work that i do. In my area of interest, which is antibiotic resistance, sharing my knowledge with others is a really powerful tool of raising awareness of the need for the sensible use of antibiotics. The more people that are aware of the problem, the bigger steps we can take to solving it. One quality of the 'coach' personality type that is relevant to my work is the ability to solve problems. Often, you may find yourself doing something that no-one else has done before. In these circumstances where learning from others is perhaps not possible, you need to possess the ability to confidently approach a problem and attempt to come up with a solution. "

"My research focuses on the problem of antibiotic resistance, a topic I've always been really interested in, and the eventual outcome of my work is to provide a sustainable solution to this problem. We are incredibly reliant on antibiotics in everyday life whether we realise it or not. They are used in agriculture and food production as well as in healthcare to prevent and treat infections. Bacteria are living things and they don't want to die, so when they are exposed to antibiotics, which act precisely to kill them, it encourages them to come up with ways to avoid this happening.If it is successful and is able to survive antibiotic treatment then we refer to this bacteria as 'antibiotic resistant'. If you are infected with one of these strains and you become unwell it then becomes very hard to treat you and make you better. Antibiotics are one of histories greatest discoveries. My research is trying to ensure that we can benefit from their use for many more years to come. There are so many different job roles in the general field of microbiology but i am particularly interested in becoming a clinical scientist. I am interested in this job role as it will enable me to use my scientific knowledge to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases. I have always been really keen to use my scientific knowledge to help others so this role seems fitting. "

"My choice to continue into higher education was central to getting to where I am now. If I hadn't studied for my undergraduate degree in Zoology I believe I wouldn't have had the opportunities that allowed me to discover my interest in microbiology and laboratory based research. During my degree I was able to complete modules that exposed me to really contrasting areas of science and it was this trail and error type learning that enabled me to work out what my interests really were. Believe it or not, having a year away from education was also a really important part of the process too. After I finished my undergraduate degree I took a year out of studying as I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. During this time I worked in a cake shop for around 8 months and then was lucky enough to spend some of this money on travelling to Peru in South America. It was during this time away that I had time to stop and reflect on whether continuing to pursue a career in the field of scientific research was really suited to me. I have always found the monotony of retail type jobs quite frustrating and realised that I really thrived on having the variety that scientific research provides you with in your day to day work. One day you will be working in the lab, another day you will be out on fieldwork and other days you'll be presenting and working with others to communicate your research. I think it's important to try out different jobs as sometimes this can be the only way that you really work out what you enjoy. Over the years I've worked in several temporary summer jobs including in a clothing shop and in customer service and although I've never particularly enjoyed them they have definitely served their purpose in helping me figure out what I want to do in life. I've found that there will always be days when research is tough and i have to question whether I'm doing the right thing, but i know I can look back on my experience in other jobs and be reassured that I thrive on the continuing stimulation and challenges that science throws at you. Yes it can be stressful, but it's also incredibly rewarding and that is why I get so much out of it. "

"In my spare time I like to get out and enjoy the outdoors. A big part of my job involves being in a lab all day, and sometimes long into the evenings. In laboratories it is important to keep the air sterile and clean so opening a window for a fresh breeze is not an option. Lab work also involves a lot of sitting down so I always embrace the opportunity to get out, stretch my body and take in the fresh air. I specifically chose to study at a university that is on the coast so that on my weekends I am able to do fun and refreshing activities like going surfing or swimming in the sea. A really nice long walk along the coastal path is always a great way to clear your mind as well. During my first year of my masters I also took up yoga and have found it a really effective way of learning to relax after a long and perhaps stressful day. It's really important to have your own techniques that help you to separate your work from your own 'me time'. Having this time where you consciously switch off your brain from your job is so valuable. Sometimes I find that i am getting a bit confused and can't work out the solution to a problem. If I sit and stare at my computer for hours on end trying to fix it I can become agitated and anxious that I'm never going to understand it. I've learnt that this isn't the healthy way to go about it and instead, taking the time to step away, do something that calms you down and then return to the problem with a clear mind can be a really effective way of solving the problem! "

"As a research student with a part-time job as an insectary technician i have to balance my time between the two. My job as an insectary technician involves maintaining populations of insects (mainly different species of moths) that are used by other researchers to carry out experiments. I have to go into a room that is kept at around 24 degrees celsius and carry out several tasks such as collecting the eggs that have been laid and keeping the moths adequately fed. This role involves a lot of communication as i have to liase with researchers to determine how many insects they require for experiments and make sure i have enough insects ready. This job has given me some really good practical experience in an area of science that isn't directly related to my own field of research. Gaining experience in different areas is a great way to demonstrate to future employers that you are flexible and have gone out of your way to learn as many new skills as possible. When it comes to a typical day for my masters project, it usually involves a combination of practical lab work, computer work and communicating with my supervisors and colleagues via email or on Microsoft Teams. One of the main reasons I love what I do is that 'my typical day' is quite hard to describe as no day is ever the same. I find this variety really refreshing. Some days I will be working in the lab so i get up and get ready for the day. I then check my emails to make sure there are no meetings i need to attend. When I get to work I ready through my lab book which will be where i have written out a detailed plan for the experiment I will be conducting. This plan often involves diagrams so that it is easy to understand when I have to return to read it in a month or a years time. I'll then get all my equipment ready and get started. But I'm not in the lab all the time....The project I'm working on aims to see whether we can use bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, to remove harmful bacteria from our stomachs. In the early days of my project, a typical day involved travelling to different places where i would sample sewage material. For example, I took a trip to a local farm where I waited a couple of hours for the pigs to do their first poo of the morning. Then I jumped in with them and scooped it all up to take back to the lab! I then tested whether the poo contained the viruses we are looking for. To do this we pipette tiny spots of pig poo onto a layer of bacteria and warm them up to encourage them to grow. If there are viruses present in the sample then we see clear circular patterns appear (see research photo number 3 to see what this looks like!) "

"After completing my GCSE's I decided to stay at my school's 6th form to complete my A-levels. I studied Biology, English Literature, Geography and Psychology (at AS level). I achieved A*, A, A which allowed me to secure a place at the University of Exeter in Cornwall where I began studying a undergraduate degree in Conservation Biology and Ecology. I choose this degree as my main interests were in wildlife and its conservation however after the first year, I decided to switch onto the more general course of Zoology. This decision was made as I still wasn't sure whether the conservation and ecology side of things was what I was really interested in. I didn't find myself as passionate about the subject and the modules I was studying as I thought I was going to be. Making the change to studying for a Zoology degree allowed me to enrol on slightly broader modules that explored different aspects of the general field of Zoology. In doing so, I discovered that I had an interest in microbiology and that is how I have ended up where I am now. I achieved a 1st class degree in Zoology and then took a year out to think about whether i wanted to continue with further higher education. I decided I did and returned to study a Masters by Research (MRes) degree in Microbiology which is what I'm currently doing. I am now one year in and have one year left and am thoroughly enjoying it. A few months in to studying my MRes my supervisor offered me a part-time role as an insectary technician. It was through my experiece of completing my undergraduate dissertation with him that he believed i was capable of taking up this role which helps me cope financially with university life. "