George Siegwart is a Research Assistant at the IOI, supporting our drug discovery programmes.
The first step in the drug discovery process is screening different compounds, such as natural products, for their antimicrobial properties. This can be very time-consuming, and involves a lot of trial and error.
At the IOI, researchers have access to a robotic liquid handling machine that allows them to screen thousands of compounds a day. Responsible for the operation of this is George, who shares what it’s like to work with this state-of-the-art technology.
Hear from George in the lab.
What is compound screening and how does your work contribute to the IOI’s research?
The compound screening work we do is the first step in the drug discovery process. The compounds we test can be all sorts of chemicals identified as having potential to kill disease causing bacteria- from garlic extract to modified versions of existing medicines. We’re trying to identify the most promising compounds to hand over to other teams at the IOI for the next stage of the drug discovery process- testing and modification.
As well as compound screening, I help other researchers automate their work using the equipment available in our labs. For example, I’ve worked closely with the AVIAR team to create minituarised versions of their experiments suitable for the Biomek, saving them significant time and effort. We also recently had a visiting fellow Dr Phana Moyo who brought a series of plant compounds to be screened against different bacteria, which we completed during his short visit. It’s exciting to find new ways to work with the equipment across different projects at the IOI, and get experience in a range of areas.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
A typical day for me will involve defrosting a series of compounds for testing in the morning, then taking time to set up the Biomek programme. After checking that everything is working, it’s time to switch it on for the day and then take a coffee break! While the programme is running, I’ll be doing other tasks such as ordering supplies for the lab, writing and editing manuscripts, and helping with research for other projects.
What are your responsibilities as a Research Assistant?
I work in one of the IOI’s biology labs, where I focus on one important piece of equipment- the Biomek. The Biomek is a robotic liquid handling machine that performs tasks that would otherwise be very time-consuming if done by hand. Using the Biomek, we can screen between 3000 and 5000 compounds a day.
What are some challenges you face in your role?
There’s a lot of trial and error in science, and especially in drug discovery. We could identify a dozen compounds that show antimicrobial activity in the initial screening, but they don’t hold up after repeated tests. You have to be meticulous in setting everything up to avoid unreliable results- one air bubble in a pipette could ruin a whole experiment! Luckily, I have a great team in the lab who work together to keep everything running smoothly and help when things go wrong.
How has your career journey led to you becoming a Research Assistant?
I studied Biology at the University of Kent during the pandemic, when we weren’t able to do a lot of lab work involving specimens. But this gave me an opportunity to work with automation and coding, which set me up well for my first job after graduation working for an antimicrobial drug discovery startup company. However, we had very limited resources and did everything by hand. This has made me appreciate what we have at the IOI, and want to help as many other researchers as possible make full use of our equipment and resources.
And finally, what is the best part of your day?
When I come back to the Biomek at the end of the day and the lights are all green, telling me that everything has run successfully! Also going for a walk in University Parks in the middle of a busy day.