Where did you go and what did you do?
I completed my PIPS with the Food Standards Agency (FSA). I was involved in several studies relating to antimicrobial resistance and animal welfare. I produced literature reviews on: antimicrobial susceptibility testing; precision fermentation; and whole genome sequencing techniques. In addition, I produced: a summary of the welfare of farmed animals act; a checklist document of animal welfare requirements for new food technology applications; and a comprehensive document on the methodologies used in antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
What made you want to do that particular PIPS?
The FSA plays a critical role in ensuring that food suppliers maintain excellent health and hygiene techniques, while food supplies and food additives are free from harmful microbes and toxins. I attended an excellent talk by Rick Mumford from the FSA at a White Rose DTP AGM, which piqued my interest in antimicrobial testing of animal feedstuffs. I was keen to learn more about how the FSA analyses and approves applications for new animal feedstuffs and feed supplements, as well as their role in ensuring good farm animal welfare practices are maintained at all times.
What skills have you gained from your PIPS?
My PIPS project has helped me to further develop my transferable skills. Working within a team and having regular catch up meetings with my supervisors was incredibly beneficial in showing me how groups interact within a workplace environment and helped hone my presentation and inter personal skills.
I was required to understand and disseminate information on several topics for which I had very little previous knowledge, and produce detailed documents within a limited time frame. This helped to enforce my previous organizational, time-keeping, and science communication skills, while challenging me to work outside my comfort zone. I also gained experience in negotiating difficult and sometimes arduous bureaucratic documentation, transforming information gleaned into a format that could be understood by the whole team.
What has been the impact (or likely future impact) of your PIPS?
I contributed to enhancing the FSA’s knowledge and ability to independently assess
the safety of microorganisms in feed additive applications. The documents I produced on whole genome sequencing, microbial susceptibility, and animal welfare will be used to improve the FSA’s knowledge and to develop training materials for new starters. Additionally, the checklist I produced relating to farm animal welfare can be used by the FSA to ensure that applicants proposing new feed additives have complied with all relevant animal welfare regulations during animal feed trials. I now have links within the Food Standards Agency and may consider a career working there in the future.
How would you sum up your PIPS experience?
My PIPS was an incredibly edifying and satisfying experience. Producing documents on microbial testing of animal feed additives and the need for strict animal welfare practices allowed me to gain an understanding of the intricacies of government legislature. It allowed me to apply my scientific and communication skills within a professional workplace environment. It also pushed me to work outside my comfort zone, while improving and enhancing my transferable skills. This has resulted in increasing my confidence in my own abilities.
What advice would you give to other PGRs about PIPS?
I would advise other PGRs to spend time researching possible PIPS placements, and to choose one that piques their interest while challenging them to work outside their comfort zone. Feel free to approach people and places that aren’t advertising PIPS on the DTP website – I contacted Rick Mumford from the FSA directly after listening to his talk at a White Rose DTP AGM. He quickly approached other colleagues within the FSA for possible projects, and I was lucky to have a detailed project produced especially for me by my ultimate supervisor David Kovacic.