Janice Fajardo
Lab affiliation: Bakker Lab
Degree(s) you hold: B.Sc. in Microbiology
Degree being sought (M.Sc./Ph.D.): M.Sc.
Hometown (City, Country—list multiple if you have them!): Winnipeg, MB
Your research project in one sentence: Exploring the interactions between Fusarium graminearum and its potential biocontrol agents in a malting environment
A picture of you:
Degree(s) you hold: B.Sc. in Microbiology
Degree being sought (M.Sc./Ph.D.): M.Sc.
Hometown (City, Country—list multiple if you have them!): Winnipeg, MB
Your research project in one sentence: Exploring the interactions between Fusarium graminearum and its potential biocontrol agents in a malting environment
A picture of you:
What do you do to relax when you have a lazy day at home?
I like to sleep in (!!), especially on cold days. Then I usually spend the rest of the day enjoying a movie/tv show marathon.
What are you most excited about for 2021? Goals?
I’m planning on attending at least one conference this year and I’m super excited about it because it’ll be my first time!
What techniques do you/will you most often use in your project?
I’ve been using mainly molecular biology techniques -- lots of qPCR. I’m also doing some mycotoxin quantification and possibly a little bit of liquid chromatography later on.
What's one silly mistake you've made in the lab?
One time, I was prepping some 96% ethanol and so I mindlessly took a jar of 95% ethanol (thinking it was 100%) and diluted it to “96%”... I only realized when I was putting away the container of 95% EtOH and saw the 100% EtOH sitting there.
What are any current problems you are having with your research?
We’re doing a collaboration with another lab from Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada but because of certain restrictions in place, it’s taking some time to get the testing done. So now I’m trying to look into other simplified options that’ll allow me to get a glimpse of what the results would look like there.
What did you hope to get out of grad school in the beginning compared to now?
It hasn’t been long since I started but I was mostly focused on and looking forward to learning new techniques while improving my existing skillset. And although these are still part of my goals in grad school, I’m now putting a greater emphasis on making personal and professional connections.
I like to sleep in (!!), especially on cold days. Then I usually spend the rest of the day enjoying a movie/tv show marathon.
What are you most excited about for 2021? Goals?
I’m planning on attending at least one conference this year and I’m super excited about it because it’ll be my first time!
What techniques do you/will you most often use in your project?
I’ve been using mainly molecular biology techniques -- lots of qPCR. I’m also doing some mycotoxin quantification and possibly a little bit of liquid chromatography later on.
What's one silly mistake you've made in the lab?
One time, I was prepping some 96% ethanol and so I mindlessly took a jar of 95% ethanol (thinking it was 100%) and diluted it to “96%”... I only realized when I was putting away the container of 95% EtOH and saw the 100% EtOH sitting there.
What are any current problems you are having with your research?
We’re doing a collaboration with another lab from Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada but because of certain restrictions in place, it’s taking some time to get the testing done. So now I’m trying to look into other simplified options that’ll allow me to get a glimpse of what the results would look like there.
What did you hope to get out of grad school in the beginning compared to now?
It hasn’t been long since I started but I was mostly focused on and looking forward to learning new techniques while improving my existing skillset. And although these are still part of my goals in grad school, I’m now putting a greater emphasis on making personal and professional connections.