Steve Daley
Lab affiliation: Richard Sparling Lab
Degree(s) you hold: B.Sc. Biotechnology
Degree being sought (M.Sc./Ph.D.): Ph.D.
Hometown (City, Country—list multiple if you have them!): First 16 years of life spent in St. Catherine, Jamaica. Last 10 years resided in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Your research project in one sentence: Understanding the metabolic pathways of Clostridium thermocellum involved in ethanol production in order to increase yield for biofuel.
Degree(s) you hold: B.Sc. Biotechnology
Degree being sought (M.Sc./Ph.D.): Ph.D.
Hometown (City, Country—list multiple if you have them!): First 16 years of life spent in St. Catherine, Jamaica. Last 10 years resided in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Your research project in one sentence: Understanding the metabolic pathways of Clostridium thermocellum involved in ethanol production in order to increase yield for biofuel.
What do you do to relax when you have a lazy day at home?
When these days come along, I enjoy putting on an album or podcast and making some sort of savoury dish. I’m also a big sports fan so the food goes pretty good with a beer and football games on Sundays.
What are you most excited about for 2021? Goals?
I have a couple things I really want to get done this year. Academic wise I would like to have the project that I have being working on published; as well as passing my Ph.D. candidacy exam. I am also looking forward to travelling again…hopefully. I want to go somewhere that’s in a completely different time zone. So far Thailand seems to be the front runner.
What techniques do you/will you most often use in your project?
My project includes a lot of molecular work, so cloning genes into E. coli for expression; as well as performing biochemical assays. We also work with anaerobic bacteria so I’m familiar with using a gas exchange manifold.
What's one silly mistake you've made in the lab?
I accidentally used ampicillin instead of IPTG to induce a culture overnight. I only realized the next morning when I saw the ampicillin bottle (which should be in the fridge, that’s the kind of day it was) beside the scale. At least I caught my mistake, before I started to freak out and go into full trouble shooting mode.
What are any current problems you are having with your research?
Where do I even start, only if I could publish on the problems hahaha. Previously had issues with obtaining a pure protein sample, but that was recently resolved. If I see you in the building, I will let you know if I have encountered a next problem, from a safe distance of course.
What did you hope to get out of grad school in the beginning compared to now?
In the beginning I was hoping to get a more in depth look at how bacteria could be used in biotechnology; along with learning new techniques, which would make me a more attractive candidate in the job market. As time have pasted, I have come to appreciate the other disciplines in microbiology outside of biotechnology; as well as the people that I’m surround by, who have taught me a lot about the world and the different cultures.
When these days come along, I enjoy putting on an album or podcast and making some sort of savoury dish. I’m also a big sports fan so the food goes pretty good with a beer and football games on Sundays.
What are you most excited about for 2021? Goals?
I have a couple things I really want to get done this year. Academic wise I would like to have the project that I have being working on published; as well as passing my Ph.D. candidacy exam. I am also looking forward to travelling again…hopefully. I want to go somewhere that’s in a completely different time zone. So far Thailand seems to be the front runner.
What techniques do you/will you most often use in your project?
My project includes a lot of molecular work, so cloning genes into E. coli for expression; as well as performing biochemical assays. We also work with anaerobic bacteria so I’m familiar with using a gas exchange manifold.
What's one silly mistake you've made in the lab?
I accidentally used ampicillin instead of IPTG to induce a culture overnight. I only realized the next morning when I saw the ampicillin bottle (which should be in the fridge, that’s the kind of day it was) beside the scale. At least I caught my mistake, before I started to freak out and go into full trouble shooting mode.
What are any current problems you are having with your research?
Where do I even start, only if I could publish on the problems hahaha. Previously had issues with obtaining a pure protein sample, but that was recently resolved. If I see you in the building, I will let you know if I have encountered a next problem, from a safe distance of course.
What did you hope to get out of grad school in the beginning compared to now?
In the beginning I was hoping to get a more in depth look at how bacteria could be used in biotechnology; along with learning new techniques, which would make me a more attractive candidate in the job market. As time have pasted, I have come to appreciate the other disciplines in microbiology outside of biotechnology; as well as the people that I’m surround by, who have taught me a lot about the world and the different cultures.