Emily Wilton
Lab affiliation: Dr. Hans-Joachim (HJ) Wieden
Degree(s) you hold: B.Sc. in Biological Sciences, M.Sc. in Biological Sciences
Degree being sought (M.Sc./Ph.D.): Ph.D.
Hometown (City, Country—list multiple if you have them!): Lethbridge, Alberta
Your research project in one sentence: Optimizing the ribosome for cell-free protein synthesis, with the goal to use it in biomanufacturing in remote areas or during space exploration.
A picture of you:
Lab affiliation: Dr. Hans-Joachim (HJ) Wieden
Degree(s) you hold: B.Sc. in Biological Sciences, M.Sc. in Biological Sciences
Degree being sought (M.Sc./Ph.D.): Ph.D.
Hometown (City, Country—list multiple if you have them!): Lethbridge, Alberta
Your research project in one sentence: Optimizing the ribosome for cell-free protein synthesis, with the goal to use it in biomanufacturing in remote areas or during space exploration.
A picture of you:
What do you do to relax when you have a lazy day at home?
I’m pretty much a homebody; I like to play videogames with my husband, cuddle my cats, read books, and do arts and crafts (mainly sewing and embroidery). When I was in Lethbridge, those crafty hobbies were mostly related to being part of the Lethbridge Medieval Club, which does medieval European re-enactment.
What are you most excited about for 2022? Goals?
I just started my Ph.D. in January, so I am super excited about making progress and hopefully presenting at a few conferences. Outside of the lab, my husband and I bought a house, and we are excited about renovations!
What techniques do you/will you most often use in your project?
I am heavily focused on computational approaches, including data analysis of sequencing data (both next-gen methods and Nanopore sequencing). I am also learning molecular dynamics with the goal of running simulations of the ribosome.
What's one silly mistake you've made in the lab?
Back in my M.Sc., I was running experiments with a microplate reader. I decided to switch from 96-well plates to 48-well plates but didn’t realize that the 48-well plates I had were taller! Thankfully I was watching the plate-holding tray entering the machine and stopped it before any damage was done.
What are any current problems you are having with your research?
Not any specific problems, but I have been doing computational work for so long now, I have a bit of a mental hurdle to get over to get back in the swing of lab work. It feels intimidating compared to a computer!
What did you hope to get out of grad school in the beginning compared to now? Or (if you’ve just begun) what are you looking forward to?
I’m mostly looking forward to learning new things. I work for a biochemist and am focusing on computational biology with respect to the ribosome, and all those things are new to me. I’m really enjoying the process of connecting the dots with every new piece of information I learn, as it all seems to fit together.
I’m pretty much a homebody; I like to play videogames with my husband, cuddle my cats, read books, and do arts and crafts (mainly sewing and embroidery). When I was in Lethbridge, those crafty hobbies were mostly related to being part of the Lethbridge Medieval Club, which does medieval European re-enactment.
What are you most excited about for 2022? Goals?
I just started my Ph.D. in January, so I am super excited about making progress and hopefully presenting at a few conferences. Outside of the lab, my husband and I bought a house, and we are excited about renovations!
What techniques do you/will you most often use in your project?
I am heavily focused on computational approaches, including data analysis of sequencing data (both next-gen methods and Nanopore sequencing). I am also learning molecular dynamics with the goal of running simulations of the ribosome.
What's one silly mistake you've made in the lab?
Back in my M.Sc., I was running experiments with a microplate reader. I decided to switch from 96-well plates to 48-well plates but didn’t realize that the 48-well plates I had were taller! Thankfully I was watching the plate-holding tray entering the machine and stopped it before any damage was done.
What are any current problems you are having with your research?
Not any specific problems, but I have been doing computational work for so long now, I have a bit of a mental hurdle to get over to get back in the swing of lab work. It feels intimidating compared to a computer!
What did you hope to get out of grad school in the beginning compared to now? Or (if you’ve just begun) what are you looking forward to?
I’m mostly looking forward to learning new things. I work for a biochemist and am focusing on computational biology with respect to the ribosome, and all those things are new to me. I’m really enjoying the process of connecting the dots with every new piece of information I learn, as it all seems to fit together.