Life Technologies
In this trip, we were shown how DNA is amplified and analysed
in the V & V lab. We were shown various machines such as the core PCR machines
and real-time PCR machines, and how these help to amplify DNA by using
Polymerase Chain Reaction. In primary school, I had done similar experiments in
the school laboratory, but this is the first time where I saw actual experiments
done in the real world. I saw how what I learnt in this topic is being executed
in machines that are designed by Life Technologies.
In the plant tour, we were shown how employees play a
specific part in each process of manufacturing a machine. This reduces the time
needed to manufacture a machine and ensures that every part of the machine is
of top notch quality. These machines have to be assembled by hand to ensure
they are exact and precise, as one can easily cost millions of dollars, and any
flaw or oversight in the machines can significantly impact the results of an
analysis and can cost someone’s life.
There was also a sharing session with the employees there
where they shared their education background, passions and career paths. I
enjoyed those sharing sessions as I had firsthand accounts of the engineers and
chemists there, and they could provide insights into working in that industry.
Miss Wang and her colleagues shared with us the advantages and challenges of
collaborating with an international community of scientists, while another
employee elaborated on how the company focuses on developing talents in various
fields and allowing employees to take up widely unrelated positions.
Overall, I enjoyed the whole trip, especially the hands-on
session where we could handle the equipment in the laboratory.
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