Laboratory technicians, aka “who makes research possible”
Scientific discoveries and new treatments made available in the market result from the work of several people involved in research. We often talk about professors, postdocs, and PhD students. Less often, we really consider how many different figures contribute to research behind the scenes. This is the example of the precious work performed by research technicians.
A lab technician, generally speaking, performs experiment and analysis in a laboratory. Technicians can work in research universities and hospitals, as well as other organizations and industry, with tasks spacing between analysis, research, production, and quality control.
Lab technicians take care of the laboratory as a whole. They have a deep knowledge of methods, and take care of laboratory equipment maintenance. In addition, they are also in charge of ordering reagents and materials.
But what are actually technicians doing? The specific kind of work varies on the type of laboratory in which they work in. I interviewed four lab technicians working on different subjects at the Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht to let them explain what actually a technician can do.
Cornelieke Pals
Hi Cornelieke, thanks for the interview! Would you like to introduce yourself and your career?
I am Cornelieke Pals, lab manager in Paul Coffer’s group. I studied to be a technician graduating in HLO-Biochemistry. My first internship took place at the RIVM, and my first actual job was at Utrecht University. I was responsible of making and purifying primers, for different groups in Utrecht. It was back in the 80’s. I then worked at the Hubrecht Institute for 7 years, and finally in Paul Coffer’s newborn group at the UMC Utrecht: we have been working together ever since, for 25 years. Other than that, in my spare time I like taking care of my garden, grow vegetables, making jams, cheese and brewing beers. I also love to go concerts and play badminton!
Wow, what a long career at the UMCU as lab technician! How would you describe your working day? Did it change in these 25 years?
Thank you, time flies indeed. It is incredible to realize that Paul and I are working together for 25 years, surely make a good team! My working day starts usually early, to avoid traffic, at 7:00 in the morning. As a labmanager, a big part of my work involves lab organization. This means ordering products, making cleaning schedules, give introductions to new personnel and interns. I am responsible for several laboratories in the Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht.
As you can imagine, working in the lab has changed in 25 years! For example, sequencing would have taken a week to be performed, manually done. Nowadays, a company takes care of collecting samples and sending the results back to your email within a day, what a difference!
What are the best parts of your work? What the worse (if there are any)?
What I like the most about my work, is that every day is different, working on different projects and experiments, and organizing my own group’s lab and several general RMCU labs so that everybody can work properly. Working with so many young enthusiastic people is thrilling – it keeps you young as well!
What I like about my work is that almost every day is different, doing different projects and experiments, organizing my own group’s lab and several general labs at the RMCU to make sure everybody can work properly. Working with young enthusiastic people is very nice and keeps you young as well. During the last 15 years, we changed location several times, and I was involved in rebuilding and organizing new labs, which I really enjoyed to do.
There are not so many negative parts of my work, not to mention the disappointments of failing experiments – something that everybody working in science knows pretty well! Working in the RMCU is also challenging, as several research groups share lab space and equipment: I don’t even know every new PhD student or student.
Do you still find your work challenging even with the experience accumulated? Is there room to learn something new?
Although getting older makes you less flexible, I still find challenging to learn something new. Newly developed or improved techniques make it always possible to learn more. This makes my work very interesting.
What would you want to advice to young technicians (or future students that want to become lab technicians)?
Work hard and try to learn as much as possible, this will benefit you for the rest of your career. Do not limit yourself to learn different lab techniques, but look around for opportunities: lab organization, take responsibility within a lab, expand your skills with courses. Explore, work in different labs to understand which part of science is really for you, this will also show you how different labs can be organized.
Sylvia Suen
Hi Sylvia, thanks for the interview! Let’s start with introducing yourself
Hi, my name is Sylvia, and I am research technician in the Beekman group. I have been working at the RMCU for 4 years. At the beginning, I did not have a designed project, helping out where needed. After 2 years, I have been assigned to work in a project where we generated over 500 organoid lines from patients across the Europe, and performed assays to test medications to treat cystic fibrosis. It was a collaboration with three other labs, and it was really exciting to be part of it. I am soon going to work on something completely different, starting from September. I have no idea what I am actually going to do, and that is so stimulating!
About me: I have a dog, and I really like walking my dog. I also love climbing, and I am now working on turning a camper van into a climbing home, a project which is so nice but also so time-consuming!
How would you describe your working day?
On a general lab day, I come in, I get coffee, I check my emails and then I am ready to take care of my organoids. I run experiments, check the lab and equipment, make sure everything is going all right, as well as cleaning other people’s mess. It’s a lot of planning, and adjusting the plan based on what it is necessary to do. In addition, as technician I am also in contact with companies to know about new products. We are really up-do-date with state-of-the-art products and technologies!
I am the responsible person for the organoid culture lab: I make sure all machines are running properly, otherwise, I arrange them to be fixed. I also make sure that we have sufficient materials in stock, and that everyone is working according to rules and respect of common shared spaces. That has been very challenging due to the COVID pandemic: we had to become really creative and change our behavior. Many materials are not available, or hardly available. We have to collaborate more than ever to make it possible to everybody to work.
Why did you choose this career?
I did not really choose it from the beginning! I wanted to become a doctor, but did not get into Medicine. So, I enrolled in a course on Nutrition and Health. I still wanted to be more close to medicine and patients, and for that reason I later enrolled in a course on Medical Biology. I found out that the practical work suited me much more than writing and reading. Then it came to my mind: perhaps I want to be a technician. It was more difficult because overqualified with a master degree, but eventually everything worked out for me.
What do you like (and dislike) about your work
What makes me very enthusiast about my work is the kind of samples we research on in my group. These are patient-derived: there are people behind these samples! We can really help patients with our translational research, it has a real impact – so exciting!
Something I do not like is sloppiness of people, and when equipment breaks down! I also do not like the amount of plastics we consume, and I think there should be more investment in reducing it more and more.
Any advice for students that want to become a technician?
If you have the chance of having an experience abroad, go for it!
Adel Medzikovic
Hi Adel, thanks for the interview! Let’s start with introducing yourself
Hi! I am Adel, technician at the Orthopedics group of the Veterinary Medicine faculty at Utrecht University. I have been working here already for 2.5 years, and I still have another half a year before my contracts ends. Afterwords, I am planning on continuing my studies with a Master degree in Drug innovation.
In my group, we culture induced pluripotent stem cells, primary cells (meaning: coming directly from tissues), tissue culture. I am assigned to help people with different part of their projects, at the beginning focusing on the induced pluripotent stem cell culturing, but now in general helping where it’s needed.
About my hobbies… I really like to sit at home and chill, to be honest! J
How would you describe your working day?
The first part of my day is exactly the same as Sylvia, but I check on my cells rather than organoids. Especially on Fridays, because I decide if I have to come in the weekend to take care of them. If they grow faster than usual, I have to adjust my schedule -it really depends on cells!
There is also at least someone, everyday, who needs help to do something they don’t know. As a technichan, you explain and support them.
Why did you choose this career?
I wanted to be a veterinarian, but that grew out of me. Still, I do like working on something related to animals. During my studies, I noticed that I enjoy practical work. I decided to study something that could be translated in English as Biology and Medical Laboratory Research, in which I built a strong practical experience.
What do you like (and dislike) about your work
My work is not routinary, everyday I do something slightly different. Something else I really enjoy is that other coworkers are dependent on me, and may have questions I could answer. Being able to help is one of the best part of my working day. Something I do not like is to own a project more broadly, and this is the reason I want to step up with my education with a Master degree.
Any advice for students that want to become a technician?
If you like the idea of working in a laboratory and you have affinity for practical work, that is a real advantage!
Loes Oosterhoff
Hi Loes, thanks for the interview! Let’s start with introducing yourself
Hi, my name is Loes, I am 33 years old. I have been working as a technician first in the liver group of the faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and since the end of last year I joined the Beekman group (UMCU). Right now, I am assigned to work on a COVID-related project.
About me… I live in Hilversum together with my husband, we just GOT MARRIED! And we have cat – his name is Vinnie, he is the best!
How would you describe your working day?
My answer is also going to be similar to the one of my colleagues, but I can add that as a technician, you can be assigned on new projects, but you can also be part of more general lab maintenance. It differs between different job positions.
I really like starting my day with cell/organoid culture, because when that is done, the rest of the day goes smoothly. It is sometimes difficult to predict how much time the culturing could take, so the key is to keep my agenda a bit flexible. Trying to fit everything in a day is the forever challenge ;)
Why did you choose this career?
I started with an MBO, as veterinary technician. I worked in this field full-time for 2 years, I really liked the job and the teamwork, but what really thrilled me was the little lab work I was doing there. I decided to continue with my education to become a lab technician. I enrolled in the same school in Deventer Adel referred to.
After my graduation, I was hired at the faculty of Veterinary Medicine as a technician. I really enjoyed remaining in the veterinary field, and working in research very much.
What do you like (and dislike) about your work
I like the freedom I have to plan my working days, and be on top of the projects I am working on. Helping people and working with other scientists with so many ideas is so stimulating!
Any advice for students that want to become a technician?
Find a group (or field more in general) that is appealing to you. And, even if it will sound like a lame ending, if you are doing a lot of pipetting and your hands start to hurt, tell your boss immediately! Repetitive movements for a long time will not be good for your health, so be aware there is a lot that can be done!
Sylvia and Loes taking care of "their" organoids
This blog has been written by Alessandro Cutilli, PhD candidate in Regenerative Medicine (2019-current).