TAN QING

14 May 2021

In the Lab of Microbial biofilms, I was given the freedom and space to develop and direct the research of my project, allowing me to get a true and full experience of running my own scientific investigation. As a complete novice in research work and laboratory work, with the guidance and support of Dr Ch’ng and Mugil, I never once felt unprepared or deterred throughout the process. Admittedly, it was difficult at the start to fully take ownership of my project and think of the best step forward. Dr Ch’ng has not only supported and counselled me by working closely with me throughout, but always encouraged me to challenge the process and to keep questioning, training me to be confident in my own thinking and decisions. His timely invaluable viewpoints and advice have also enhanced my thinking and provided expert insights into my research journey. 

There was also a steep learning curve in picking up practical lab skills. Due to the intricate nature of work and aseptic requirements, the first few weeks in the lab was mentally exhausting as extra thought was required to maneuver precisely around the lab. Thankfully, under the supervision and instruction of my lab mentor, Mugil, I was able to pick up many skills and was able to eventually carry out the procedures with speed and accuracy. Looking back, even though there were many frustrating moments of failure (contaminations, unexplained inconsistencies in results, logistics delays etc) sprinkled throughout the process, these happenings were unexplainably necessary in shaping me to become a better, more tenacious scientist. 

Apart from serving as checkpoints of my project, the fortnightly lab meetings and presentations provided opportunities for me to gain valuable advice from my colleagues, broadened my knowledge of the different areas of research, and also allowed me to gain further insights of research by seeing how other scientific projects develop and change over time, ultimately progressing into fruition. 

This project has also greatly upgraded my writing and presentation skills. In writing the literature review and in making sense of my results, I was trained to integrate information from the plethora of scientific articles available, and present it in a clear manner, allowing me to become both a better reader and writer. 

Compared to the research and lab work elements incorporated into the different modules in Life Science, whereby there are already a fixed set of research methods, theories and results, my research experience in this project was full of uncertainty and failures – giving me a true glimpse of genuine professional scientific research. As the research topic was novel and unknown, it was strange to think that I was directing research into this specific area, and that I had to be the one deciding how to approach the topic and results. While it was exciting to be searching for something that was undiscovered, it nonetheless felt scary and risky to not know what to expect. However, I soon realized that this uncertainty is indeed where the beauty of science lies – the systemic chase for the unknown and the discovery of the unexpected proven true by incessant evidence and proof. 

Ultimately, this one-year has not only provided an opportunity for me to not only put into action and further developed the different analytical and inquiry skills I had obtained over my undergraduate study, but also push my growth in thinking and character further beyond what any other experience in University did.