Ellen Sykes
Lab affiliation: Ayush Kumar’s
Lab Degree(s) you hold: BSc Microbiology
Degree being sought (M.Sc./Ph.D.): PhD Microbiology
Hometown (City, Country—list multiple if you have them!): Edmonton, Canada
Your research project in one sentence: Study of the Evolution and Physiological Role of Resistance Mechanisms in the Opportunistic Pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii
Lab Degree(s) you hold: BSc Microbiology
Degree being sought (M.Sc./Ph.D.): PhD Microbiology
Hometown (City, Country—list multiple if you have them!): Edmonton, Canada
Your research project in one sentence: Study of the Evolution and Physiological Role of Resistance Mechanisms in the Opportunistic Pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii
What do you do to relax when you have a lazy day at home?
Typically, I enjoy curling up on the couch with my cat, Tux, and gaming on my Nintendo switch or playing boards games with my partner and roommates.
What are you most excited about for 2021? Goals?
I am most excited to keep progressing with my research and my goal is to publish this work as a first author. I am also looking forward to skating on the river trail and doing as much cross-country skiing as possible.
What techniques do you/will you most often use in your project?
I do a variety of molecular biology techniques such as cloning, gene deletions and sequencing coupled with evaluation of phenotypes like biofilm, growth, motility, virulence, efflux activity and antibiotic susceptibility. Furthermore, I am delving into the bioinformatics world, so I find myself more and more with computer scripts in front of me!
What's one silly mistake you've made in the lab?
There was one time, in my early lab days, where I was getting ready to run a DNA gel and I placed it in the gel chamber in the wrong direction. I definitely ran the gel towards the negative electrode and ran my DNA straight off the gel. Let’s just say I have only done that once!
What are any current problems you are having with your research?
It seems as though there were and are many challenges with my research, and if you ask any grad student there will be many tales to tell. I have had some trouble with standardizing assays which are not commonplace in our lab. Trying to take a published method and turn it into an actual protocol is a tricky task.
What did you hope to get out of grad school in the beginning compared to now?
When I first made the decision to go back to school, I was really looking forward to doing Microbiology in the lab again and gaining the skills to be at a management level career position. As my degree progressed, I have developed some in depth problem solving skills but most importantly I also think I will come out of this with great friends and fun experiences.
Typically, I enjoy curling up on the couch with my cat, Tux, and gaming on my Nintendo switch or playing boards games with my partner and roommates.
What are you most excited about for 2021? Goals?
I am most excited to keep progressing with my research and my goal is to publish this work as a first author. I am also looking forward to skating on the river trail and doing as much cross-country skiing as possible.
What techniques do you/will you most often use in your project?
I do a variety of molecular biology techniques such as cloning, gene deletions and sequencing coupled with evaluation of phenotypes like biofilm, growth, motility, virulence, efflux activity and antibiotic susceptibility. Furthermore, I am delving into the bioinformatics world, so I find myself more and more with computer scripts in front of me!
What's one silly mistake you've made in the lab?
There was one time, in my early lab days, where I was getting ready to run a DNA gel and I placed it in the gel chamber in the wrong direction. I definitely ran the gel towards the negative electrode and ran my DNA straight off the gel. Let’s just say I have only done that once!
What are any current problems you are having with your research?
It seems as though there were and are many challenges with my research, and if you ask any grad student there will be many tales to tell. I have had some trouble with standardizing assays which are not commonplace in our lab. Trying to take a published method and turn it into an actual protocol is a tricky task.
What did you hope to get out of grad school in the beginning compared to now?
When I first made the decision to go back to school, I was really looking forward to doing Microbiology in the lab again and gaining the skills to be at a management level career position. As my degree progressed, I have developed some in depth problem solving skills but most importantly I also think I will come out of this with great friends and fun experiences.