Research Assistant Review

Daily tasks varied over the months but generally included doing lab tasks for the day such as DNA extraction, amplification, preparing agarose gels, pipetting, gel analysis, etc. for multiple batches of samples. Other tasks included maintaining a lab notebook of daily tasks and ensuring a steady supply of lab equipment and other resources.
During waiting periods while lab machines were running, I checked on spider mite colonies to ensure a steady population turnover, stable food source and environment. I maintained a lab notebook of population counts. I would regularly go to Skardon Garden to check on plants used as a food source for the mites.
Once the spider mite weekly duties were done, I would collate data and work on statistical analysis using Excel and R studio for a research paper on invasive Asian hornets in Guernsey.
I also processed earthworm samples from a 2nd-year student field trip and made a spreadsheet of species identification carried out.
Finally, I attended weekly meetings with other members of the research group to catch up on progress done and also had regular one-on-one meetings with my line supervisor.

Yes, I worked independently on all research projects assigned to me a majority of the time. I appreciated my line supervisor's trust in me and learned a lot about working independently. In terms of responsibility, I would say it was more or less evenly distributed among my various projects. However, anytime I was unsure of the next step, I always had good support from my line supervisor and lab technicians to guide me.

My laboratory skills have massively improved compared to my prior university lab experience. I'm much more efficient at pipetting, preparing agarose gels, and other laboratory tasks that I was underconfident in before my placement. I learned quite in-depth topics on generalised linear models and their use in statistics in the ecology field. My confidence and ability in R-studio have also massively exceeded my expectations for this placement. Helping run the spider mite project helped me understand how experimental design works and the importance of environmental factors in mite rearing.
Having weekly meetings and liaising with various colleagues helped me work on my communication skills. Managing multiple research projects bettered my organisation and time management skills. Overall, this placement gave a big all-round improvement to my academic and workplace skillset.

My line supervisor was much more understanding than I expected, which was great to have. He ensured that I worked at a steady pace and gave more than adequate training until I was confident in my ability to work independently. I was introduced to colleagues and lab technicians who could also assist me. Overall, I had a great support network when it came to work.

The company culture was very welcoming, supportive, and friendly. Everyone was happy to go out of their way to help, which was very valuable to have. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of working independently is that I did not have as much exposure as the average placement student but I felt that I had a fair share of networking done.

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement and am super grateful I decided to do it. It was a worthwhile experience getting to know some of my colleagues, whom I look up to. I hope that one day I will be as smart and innovative as they are. This placement helped set the standard of research and work culture I would like to participate in the future. Most importantly, it has made a highly significant impact on widening my skillset.

Yes