Tract: Molecular Sensors and Probes (2022)
Undergrad: Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA -- Biology
Internship: Sr. Intern at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Eugene, OR
Current Job Title: Inside Sales Engineer, Edinburgh Instruments, Springfield, OR

After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in biology in South Georgia, I knew that I wanted to move to Oregon. I grew up coming to Oregon visiting my aunt and uncle and always loved being here, so in June of 2020, my partner and I moved to Eugene. I originally planned to pursue med school, but changed my mind after working in an ICU during COVID.

After moving, I began looking into science-focused graduate school options that would allow me to get a good job quickly after graduating.  My uncle reminded me that he got his master’s in polymer chemistry at UO in the early 2000s and suggested I reach out to Lynde Ritzow.  Lynde recommended the molecular sensors and probes track since my background in biology made me a good fit; everything worked out serendipitously from there.

The intensive summer was hard, but amazing. There were times when I was stressed and overwhelmed with the workload, but the way the program sets all the classes up made it a bit easier. I made lifelong friends quickly because we were together all the time and relied on each other so heavily.

I interned at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Eugene on the cell biology team. Thermo Fisher is a global scientific corporation that does everything under the sun, but the Eugene site specifically focuses on the research and development of fluorescent dyes for protein and cell analysis, as well as the manufacturing of those dyes. My role as a Sr. Intern was nuanced because most of my hands-on lab experience was in synthesis (even when I was doing research as an undergrad), so I was able to do a huge variety of things while I was an intern. My main cell biology project focused on expanding applications of some of Thermo’s fluorescent dyes. I grew multiple cell lines; stained and imaged my cells using a fluorescent microscope – and even learned some advanced techniques like using a high-content screening instrument to image cells and analyze my data.

Another project was to help in the development of a new fluorescent probe that will be used to detect superoxide in the mitochondria of live cells. My work for this project consisted of running enzymatic assays on a fluorescent microplate reader. Since I had synthesis experience coming into my internship, I was able to collaborate with the chemistry team on a couple of projects. One project was working on a collaborative research grant with colleagues in Germany where I synthesized a fluorescent probe for ion detection. I was also able to expand my synthesis skills to the bioconjugation arena and learned how to conjugate small molecules to proteins and learned different purification techniques.

Overall, my experience at Thermo was amazing. I learned so many new techniques and gained many soft skills that will help me in my career. I feel like the program prepared me for my internship in many ways. Not only did the technical skills I gained during the summer allow me to walk into the chemistry lab and do complicated reactions and purifications like a champ, but also the soft skills that I gained during professional development allowed me to be a solid communicator providing my manager confidence to give me important responsibilities around the lab.

My current role is much different than the direction I originally thought my career would go. I recently took a position as an Inside Sales Engineer at Edinburgh Instruments, a company that makes instruments for spectroscopy applications such as fluorometers and Raman microscopes. In the last few months of my internship, I did some serious self-reflection and concluded that I did not actually like doing science as much as I liked talking about it. My new job allows me to do what I really love which is connecting and forming relationships with people while talking and hearing about really amazing innovative science. I feel like working at Edinburgh Instruments allows me to provide the tools to scientists that are necessary to perform their innovative research, ultimately advancing science.

One thing I wish knew when I started the program is to make the professional development class a top priority. Although your technical skills are important, the only thing a hiring manager has to go off of before hiring you is your resume and your interview, so it is extremely important to focus on developing solid resume and interview skills as that is what will carry you throughout your career.