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Biotechnology Lab Manager
A day with Siew Leng TAI: Lab Manager/Postdoctoral fellow, Institute for Wine Biotechnology, University of Stellenbosch
Career Planet (CP): How long have you been employed in your current position?
Siew Leng TAI (SL TAI): Since October 2006
CP:Tell us a bit about your job
SL TAI: I am currently involved with research in identifying high fermentative efficiency yeast strains and also producing low alcohol wines by means of genomics, molecular biology techniques and fermentation technology. I manage a laboratory with approximately 30 people and also actively co-supervising Ph.D. and M. Sc. students with their research projects.
CP:Did you have an idea of the type of career you wanted to follow When you were at school?
SL TAI: Yes, I had great passion for science and I had an ambition to be an engineer.
CP:Have you always followed this type of career path?
SL TAI: Yes and no. I finished a B.Eng and M.Sc in Chemical Engineering, but chose to specialize in biotechnology. New technologies emerge daily and new challenges excite me. After completing my M.Sc. I chose to specialize in novel methods in science, in particular transcriptomics and systems biology.
CP:What other jobs have you had along the way?
SL TAI: After completing my bachelors, I worked as a sales engineer for a year. I worked withgas analysers and detection systems mainly for the oil and gas industry. I was also offered a 3 month contract research scientist position at TU Delft, The Netherlands, before I continued with my studies.
CP:When and where did you study?
SL TAI: I completed my Bachelors in Manchester, England (1996-1999). Master and PhD in Delft, The Netherlands (2000-2006)
Beng Chemical Engineering, Msc Chemical Engineering, PhD Industrial Microbiology
CP:What made you decide to choose that path of study?
SL TAI: Engineering has always been a passion. I enjoy understanding how things work and how to make things happen. My interest in biotechnology on the other hand emerged when I was completing my Masters. Coming from an engineering background, I found biotechnology to complement my current skills and knowledge. Biotechnology is also a technology that is currently gaining momentum, and as a scientist, I found the vast amount of knowledge still be known a big challenge and an intriguing place to be.
CP:How long was it before you found employment in the field that you studied for?
SL TAI: Engineers and biotechnologist are in great demand world-wide. Matter of weeks.
CP:Have you ever job shadowed?
SL TAI: No
CP:Have you ever done any volunteer work to gain experience?
SL TAI: Yes. In academia, I have volunteered to give lectures and practicals to gain experience in lecturing
CP: Do you work office hours or flexi-time?
SL TAI: Work office hours mainly, but flexi-time when experiments require you to be.
CP: What happens in your typical working day?
SL TAI: Coming in at 09:00, I immediately start with the experiments which I’d planned for the day. As most of the experiments are time-dependant (some running up to three hours), one usually has three of four experiments for the day. As the experiments finish one can start with the interpretation of the results and if necessary, planning to trouble shoot or re-strategise. Before I leave I do the planning for the next day’s experiments.
0830: Check and answer emails.
0900: Start preparations for experiments
1000: Check laboratory (equipment, people, environment)
1030: Start experiments (fermentations, PCR, etc)
1215: Lunch
1300: Meeting
1400: Check and answer emails
1430: Check on experiments
1500: Discussion with students (PhD, Msc, Hons, Undergraduate)
1600: Mark papers, check reports
1630: Prepare schedule for coming days (lectures, meetings, experiments)
1700: Final check on laboratory, emails
1730: Home
CP: Do you work in a relaxed or an informal environment?
SL TAI: The environment is relaxed and informal. However, when crunch time starts, it gets tense.
CP: What is the dress code for your job?
SL TAI: Casual, laboratory coat
CP: Does your job restrict you to a certain geographical area?
SL TAI: No.But it is lab-based.
CP: Is your job restricted to a specific gender?
SL TAI: No, and I hope it will never be!
CP: Describe the kind of person that you think most suits this type of work
SL TAI: Organized, proactive, team-orientated and intelligent
CP: What is the thing that inspires you most about your job/career?
SL TAI: The thrill of discovering new things. Understanding how organisms work and how much we don't know. The opportunity to work with other amazing people. Collaborations with other people world-wide.
CP: What is the best reward this job has given you?
SL TAI: I was awarded a medal by the South African Association for Botanists for the best Ph.D in 2004. Their decision was based on the contribution that my Ph.D made to the scientific community and to the South African Wine industry.
CP:Do you have hobbies?
SL TAI: I enjoy squash, swimming and gym. I also teach Mah Jong (Chinese tiled game) every week to a bunch of great South African ladies.
CP: Do you have any advice for those thinking of following a similar professional route?
SL TAI: Working hard is not going to be enough, you got to have to work smart! Also, prepare to have many nights in bed going: “Why is it not doing what I thought it would??”.
Useful Information
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Career Snapshot Biotechnology Lab Manager |
In Demand
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Qualification Required |
Work Outdoors |
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Maths Required |
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Science Required |
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This is a general guide - it is important to check admission requirements with the various training institutions first because entry requirements may vary.
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