• Question: Have you ever made any Scientific breakthroughs?

    Asked by Jeff to Alan, Becky, Jo, Sankar, Sarah on 9 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Jo Sadler

      Jo Sadler answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      Yes, we have recently discovered the structure of an enzyme I have been working on! This is very exciting because now we can understand how it works – and, even better – we can start making rational changes to the enzyme to make an even better enzyme!

    • Photo: Alan McCue

      Alan McCue answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      Hmm nothing that makes much sense to anyone else :-). I have created some very interesting catalysts although none of them are being used by any big chemical companies yet. Here’s hoping one day!

    • Photo: Becky Gregory

      Becky Gregory answered on 10 Mar 2015:

      I collected some spectroscopy data in the first year of my PhD showing a completely new shape in the spectra. This showed that the environment around the copper ion in my enzyme was distorted and had not been seen before in any other enzyme.
      Small individual breakthroughs like this is what we work towards as a scientific researcher!

    • Photo: Sarah Kirk

      Sarah Kirk answered on 10 Mar 2015:

      Well, every new chemical I make is a tiny breakthrough, as I have made something that has never been made before! But a good breakthrough is something that has the potential to change the field of science you are working in, or even change the world. I’m still working on it 😀

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