Sharmishtha Parmessur

I am passionate to work in a forensic laboratory or an laboratory which is incorporated in research and development. Since I was a kid, I had always been fascinated to work in a crime laboratory or in a scientific laboratory where new cures are found against any types of diseases- COVID-19 as an example. After being in the shoes of a COVID-19 patient, I do understand the importance of scientific research and how the combination of science and technology is important, which is the reason I am more determined to work in the healthcare system.

Also, apart from working in a scientific laboratory, I am more interested to work within a forensic team in a laboratory since I am passionate about this type of job as my career as I have always been impressed how small genetic details within the human genome in blood samples, urine, fluids and other materials can reveal a lot about a criminal and its background.

So, this is the reason why I pursued a bachelor's degree at the university of Northampton, UK in the Human Biosciences course from September 2020- November 2023- accredited by the Royal Society Of Biology where I attained the following skills which might benefit your organisation:

• Cloned a Sit4 gene into E. coli, using methods like PCR amplification, plasmids and PCR product purification and ligation which were digested, the transformation of plasmid with and without the gene into E. coli expression, and using SDS PAGE to analyse the bands.
• Determined the types of bacterial colonies in yeasts and moulds that survived with their structure and morphology against antibiotics resistance using swabbing and ATP machine. 
• Make use of an aseptic technique to prevent contamination from pathogens minimising the risk of infection- to determine their mechanism of infecting by analysing them. 
• ELISA Assay – determine the levels of antibody response against an antigen, and determine any kind of poisoning within blood samples or fluids. 
• determining their morphology and mode of infection mechanism/ pathology where results were interpreted and written in laboratory reports format. 
• Can follow any laboratory protocol to meet a deadline, and pays attention to small details to correct any errors during analysis of results.

Also, before I started my course in 2020 at the University I would like to highlight that I have gained relevant experience volunteering as a biologist conservationist which allowed me to build and develop the following qualities:

• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills- we had to conduct an autopsy on dead animals and conduct blood samples analysis with other fluids using the relevant methodological techniques- PCR, SDS PAGE analysis or toxicology analysis in our laboratory using aseptic technique within a requested deadline.
• Teamwork- collaborating with my colleagues and coordinator to complete our project deadline. 
• Planning and organisation skills- I had planned my tasks alongside those of my colleagues who had been absent and I organize them in the form of a timetable that I completed within a deadline I set before the actual project deadline.
• Communication and presentation skills- comfortable in using data analysis using MS Office and SPSS- Statistical package for social sciences, to generate laboratory reports and communicate data/ results within a meeting or conference as evidence of subject.

Volunteer- Biologist Conservationist | Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (Dec 2019 - Aug 2020)

• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills- we had to conduct an autopsy on dead animals and conduct blood samples analysis with other fluids using the relevant methodological techniques- PCR, SDS PAGE analysis or toxicology analysis in our laboratory using aseptic technique within a requested deadline.
• Teamwork- collaborating with my colleagues and coordinator to complete our project deadline. 
• Planning and organisation skills- I had planned my tasks alongside those of my colleagues who had been absent and I organize them in the form of a timetable that I completed within a deadline I set before the actual project deadline.
• Communication and presentation skills- comfortable in using data analysis using MS Office and SPSS- Statistical package for social sciences, to generate laboratory reports and communicate data/ results within a meeting or conference as evidence of subject.
• Main focus: birds (Olive-white eye and Mauritian Fody) – woke up at 5 am to take their attendance by identifying their ID and coloured rings. Also studied their lifestyles daily. 
• Recorded birds’ data (food, mating behaviour and whereabouts using a GPS tracker) in Excel. 
• Sterilised used birds’ dishes in Virkon solution for 2 hours every day to avoid food contamination.
• Treated sick birds and performed autopsies on dead birds to determine their cause of death. 

ADDITIONAL SKILLS From the University of Northampton (Sept 2020- Nov 2023)

• Cloned a Sit4 gene into E. coli, using methods like PCR amplification, plasmids and PCR product purification and ligation which were digested, the transformation of plasmid with and without the gene into E. coli expression, and using SDS PAGE to analyse the bands.
• Determined the types of bacterial colonies in yeasts and moulds that survived with their structure and morphology against antibiotics resistance using swabbing and ATP machine. 
• Make use of an aseptic technique to prevent contamination from pathogens minimising the risk of infection- to determine their mechanism of infecting by analysing them. 
• ELISA Assay – determine the levels of antibody response against an antigen, and determine any kind of poisoning within blood samples or fluids. 
• determining their morphology and mode of infection mechanism/ pathology where results were interpreted and written in laboratory reports format. 
• Can follow any laboratory protocol using the relevent methodology and techniques to meet a deadline, and pays attention to small details to correct any errors during analysis of results.

ACHIEVEMENTS: 

20/30 labs: introduction to microbiology course- Training (November 2022-present) 

• introduced the types of microorganisms used for analysis: Fungi, Mycobacterium, E.coli and many more.
• the techniques that were used: were endoscopy final rinse water TVC testing, aseptic technique, gram staining, Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate, and Total viable count.
• to identify the different types of bacterial colonies, morphology and pathogenesis, the microorganisms were stained using the gram staining method or other as stated in the 2nd point to be viewed under the microscope, by which the results based on the following observations as stated were recorded.

Model United Nations- MUN (February- April 2017) 

Debater for Model United Nations

• Proposed and debated solutions concerning Climate Change crises.
• Coordinated and trained the next batch of young debaters–2 out of 4 were promoted to the national level.

University Of Northampton (2020-2023)

BSc(Hons) Human Biosciences – 1st year, Grade MERIT (2:1) 

Relevant modules include- Introduction to pharmacology, Health and disease, processes of life: Biochemistry, genes and genomics, bioscience research methods, Introduction to microbiology, Introduction to immunology, genetics and molecular biology, techniques of molecular biology and Pathogen Biology .