From PhD student to COVID-19 testing scientist
Aligned with our mission to advance the understanding and impact of microbiology, the Society reached out to our community of microbiologists to share their experiences in responding to SARS-CoV-2. We aim to showcase the perspective of scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic and the variety of roles adopted to mitigate the global crisis.
This case study was written by Megan Taggart, a PhD candidate at Ulster University. She explains how, as a first year student, she suspended her PhD to become an RNA extraction scientist at her local COVID-19 testing labs. Megan details her time there and how it aided her development.
How did you respond to SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic?
In March 2020, when the first lockdown was beginning across the UK, I was a first year PhD student at Ulster University in the field of molecular microbiology. Unfortunately, with the closing of universities in the UK and the call to work from home there was little I could do for my PhD, as my work was fully lab based at that time. With national testing for SARS-CoV-2 growing across the UK, there were calls for experienced scientists to help with the ever-increasing demands for testing at labs. With the support of my PhD supervisors, I took a temporary leave of absence from my PhD studies and applied to work for my local testing labs in April 2020. I was among one of the first temporary scientists taken onboard at that facility as I began work extracting RNA from human samples.
Was this response related to your work prior to the outbreak?
I had some experience of molecular biology from my undergraduate biology degree, where I had taken molecular modules with practical experience, and from the first year of my PhD. However, at that stage I was more experienced in working with anaerobic bacteria as opposed to human samples possibly containing viruses. My knowledge of aseptic technique and familiarity with working in a category 2 lab in the field of microbiology was key to my success. Other scientists joining the testing labs from different scientific backgrounds, who may not have had these transferrable skills, struggled to pick up the sterile handling as quickly and required more training. In this respect, my background in microbiology was fundamental to my rapid adaptation to work in the SARS-CoV-2 testing labs.
What were some of the challenges that you faced during this time?
Joining the testing labs so early in the pandemic and working through the peak of the first wave was very demanding. There were constant updates to protocols, new automated machines being tested and implemented to improve the efficiency and throughput of the labs. We needed to be very adaptable and quick to pick up on the new protocols. This fast-paced environment taught me how to work in these environments and I found the daily challenges quite enjoyable.
The fluctuating demand for testing throughout the first wave of the pandemic meant we needed to be prepared for any amount of samples during each shift. With ever-increasing numbers of staff in the labs and the unpredictability of samples coming in meant we needed to be prepared to switch roles at any time between the different stations of the testing process, or even to training positions when there was time.
How did your experience throughout the response aid in your development?
Being able to gain industry experience while completing my PhD was invaluable and massively improved my time management and focus when I returned to the research labs in September 2020. The experience boosted my confidence in my lab skills and improved my knowledge of working in industry. Specifically, the work that I carried out during the pandemic as an extraction scientist taught me valuable skills in working with RNA, which I was able to bring back to the research labs with more confidence in my ongoing work with bacterial RNA.
About the author
Megan Taggart is a PhD candidate at Ulster University. Her research investigates biofilm formation in Clostridioides difficile using both microbiological and molecular techniques.