• Question: What's the most exciting thing you've encountered as a scientist?

    Asked by jannynishy11 to Asif, Laura, Lena, Sean on 20 Mar 2012. This question was also asked by welshboy.
    • Photo: Lena Ciric

      Lena Ciric answered on 20 Mar 2012:

      Taking part in I’m a scientist has been pretty exciting!

      For me it was discovering a new gene that nobody has seen before. That was exciting. And also, looking at the results of a clinical trial where we tested a mouthwash we had developed. It worked really well!

    • Photo: Sean Murphy

      Sean Murphy answered on 20 Mar 2012:

      I spent three years of my PhD learning how to isolate stem cells from the placenta and amniotic fluid following the birth of babies, so that we can use the cells in the future to treat sick babies. It was very hard work as no-one had done this before, and we didn’t have much proof that we would be successful. Right at the end of my PhD I was asked to meet the parents of a couple about to have a baby with cystic fibrosis (a genetic lung disease). They asked me to save the babies stem cells so they could use them in the future to try and prevent the lung disease. This was really exciting (and stressful) because this was the first time my research had been used to try and treat a sick baby. It was so exciting to see all my hard work paying off to help somebody.

    • Photo: Laura Waters

      Laura Waters answered on 23 Mar 2012:

      I like teaching people about science and then they come back a few years later and tell me what they are doing with their scientific career. That is a great feeling.

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