TAY HUI YI

Before university, I've always found microbes to be interesting ever since first learning about them. However, the sparks were only really ignited during university where there were more opportunities to understand them on a deeper level, especially so in Prof Ch'ng's module where I got to learn about their associations with human health and diseases, as well as their applications in many areas of life. There are so many different types of microbes out there, each with their own unique characteristics and behaviors. It's like they're these tiny creatures with different personalities waiting to be discovered. Upon completing Prof Ch’ng’s module, my interest in microbiology was cemented and I decided to take up a Final Year Project in the Laboratory of Microbial Biofilms.

Prior to taking up this project, most of my research experience consisted of carrying out instructions/protocols given to me. As such, it was initially nerve-racking to take charge of my very own research project and also prepare a research proposal detailing my plans on how I planned to carry out this project. Thankfully, I was fortunate to have received valuable advice and encouragement from Prof Ch’ng and the lab members which helped me to overcome my initial apprehension.

Going into the project, I got to experience what research was like in the real-world, where mistakes were unavoidable at times and results were not always as expected. In such times, I learnt the importance of perseverance and focusing on what are the possible next steps rather than being held back by unexpected results. Whenever I consulted Prof Ch’ng on problems I encountered, he would challenge me to come up with solutions and new ways of thinking by asking questions, which served as valuable learning points for me. Having regular lab meetings also greatly benefitted me as it helped me with keeping track of my experiments and learning to present experimented data I have gathered. All in all, I felt greatly supported throughout my FYP journey and had many opportunities to hone not only my technical skills and knowledge, but also soft skills that will undoubtedly be of use in the future.

I would also like to thank Prof Ch’ng for helping me to get in touch with A/Prof. Juan Pablo Bifani and Renee Lew, who I am deeply grateful to for graciously sharing their time, resources and expertise in phage work with me from the start of my project. Their guidance has been indispensable to the success of my project and I will cherish the kindness shown to me even as the project has come to an end.

Overall, I am thankful to have been granted the opportunity to be a part of LMB. It has been a fruitful and enjoyable learning experience filled with memories I will treasure with the lab members. Given the choice again, I would definitely choose this project again and I hope more students will get to experience what being a part of LMB is like.