Amelia Webb particularly enjoyed the course held at SAMS where she learnt all about the importance of Blue Biotechnology and hopes to explore this further in her career.

Why did you decide to undertake this MSc?

I have always been interested in biology and its applications, in terms of real-world discovery and implementation of new and exciting technologies. My undergraduate was in brewing and distilling which was definitely more chemical engineering/ industrial process focused, which challenged me to think in a different mindset, but I feel all the better having a background and training in this. I think it gave me a great grasp of the demands of biotechnology and prepared me for lots of the subjects covered, it definitely is the bridge between science and engineering! I also wanted to utilise the IB community, as I think it's amazing what is going on in the IBioIC space, with the conference in March being a great introduction to the world of biotech in the UK.

What are your ambitions for the future?

I would really love to explore a PhD or further research, I love being involved in trying to find new solutions for problems and exercising creativity, be it in lab experimental design, or my approach to research itself. I am really interested in bioprospecting, bioinformatics, and marine biotechnology, they have been the three subjects I have been most excited about this year, and I would love to explore these further in my future career/ research.

What has been your favourite part of the MSc to date?

I have thoroughly enjoyed the blue biotechnology course up in SAMS, the campus was beautiful and every class was enthralling, covering so many important aspects of marine biotechnology that I was not previously aware of. I'm a big fan of anything marine-related so getting to visit CCAP, and learning about just how much marine biotechnology actually encompasses was a real treat.

Where/what do you think the next innovation in IB will be? 

I'm really interested in exploring how AI and industrial Biotechnology will combine in the future. I think it's a powerful tool when used correctly, and is sure to make progress towards sustainability that we would otherwise be unable to reach.

What is an interesting fact about you / what do you enjoy doing away from your studies?

When I'm not in the lab or at my laptop I'm out on the water sailing come rain or shine! I have loved taking part in the Sailing club at the university here and have made some amazing memories and friends because of it. when I'm not sailing or studying, I can also be found outside foraging and wild swimming around the Trossachs! I really do believe that being outdoors is especially important for maintaining balance, and as a biologist, fieldwork is always my favourite part anyway so it's no wonder!