Science in the Mall, Y'all

Attention all aspiring scientists! We've got a real treat for you on this episode of the Science in the Mall Y'all podcast. Barrett and Liz from Nuclein are here to spill the beans on what it takes to land a job in the bioscience industry.Barrett's got the inside scoop on what hiring managers are really looking for when they're sifting through a pile of resumes. And let me tell you, it's not just about how many degrees you've got hanging on your wall. Liz takes us on a wild ride through her own interview process, complete with a play-by-play breakdown of every awkward moment.But the real gem in this episode is the secret sauce that separates the good candidates from the great ones. Spoiler alert: it's not all about what's on your resume. Barrett and Liz gives up the goods on the importance of character and personality when it comes to landing a job in this competitive field.And let's not forget the exciting world of research and development! Barrett gives us the rundown on how to turn your cool ideas into a profitable business, while Liz let's the cat out of the bag on the amazing technology she got to work with at ABI.So, what are you waiting for? Tune in now to learn more about Nuclein and the ACC Bioscience Incubator. And remember, the key to success in the bioscience industry is to never stop learning and seizing opportunities!Learn more about Nuclein: https://www.nuclein.com/Learn more about ACC Bioscience Incubator: https://sites.austincc.edu/incubator/This is a founding_media podcast: https://foundingmedia.com/

Previous ABI intern Liz Hampton is back on the show with her colleague Barrett Morrow, who was the first hire at Austin-based diagnostics and testing company Nuclein. Like Angstrom, Nuclein is working on COVID tests, although their goal is to create a cheap, disposable, portable, all-in-one self-test diagnostic device that can help monitor infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Nuclein started out using ABI’s wet lab (which you can learn more about in Season 1), but have since grown out of the space and gone on to work in a larger lab. Barrett talks about his background and how he ended up being Nuclein’s first employee, giving us his first-hand experience in their intensive interview process and sharing what it was like to battle imposter syndrome as a young student trying to break into the bioscience field. Since their time as a start-up at ABI, Nuclein has grown exponentially, and Barrett is now on the other side of the hiring table, doing the interviewing. He shares some insight into what hiring looks like from the company’s perspective, and Liz talks about her experiences transitioning from ABI to working for Nuclein during the pandemic. They talk about what it was like to work for a diagnostics company during a global pandemic, and how their experience has changed at Nuclein since it has taken off and expanded so much in the past couple years. First Nuclein outgrew the lab space at ABI, and then they outgrew their second space, so the growth is continuing as the company flourishes. Barrett and Liz talk about the joys and pains of working for a start-up while it expands, and get into the details of how their roles have shifted since they first started at Nuclein, explaining what it’s like to work for a start-up in the bioscience industry. The close out part one with some insight into a day-in-the-life at Nuclein! Learn more about Nuclein. Learn more about ACC Bioscience Incubator. This is a founding_media podcast

Jolie is back on the podcast with her supervisor Josue Moran, who is the co-founder and VP of Research and Development at Angstrom Bio. Angstrom Bio is an Austin-based biotech company that is using Amplicon sequencing to revolutionize diagnostics, which Josue and Jolie explain in detail. Angstrom Bio’s ultimate goal is to develop a diagnostic tool that is more efficient and sensitive, so that one test tube can detect multiple viruses and variants at a faster rate, instead of requiring multiple tests for each virus. They are also able to test more patients at once, so the work that they are doing is incredibly valuable on many levels. Angstrom Bio is a start-up that was conceived in response to COVID-19, and Josue shares the company’s journey from their initial pivot to work on diagnostics, to moving from St. Louis to Austin, to finding a community of entrepreneurial scientists that helped them scale and grow. Josue and Jolie met through the Austin Community College Bioscience Incubator lab space, and Josue shares how Angstrom Bio found lab space at ABI through a company called Tevido, highlighting the unique community of entrepreneurs in the biosciences here in Austin. Josue and Jolie share the journey that Angstrom Bio has been on over the last 2 years, and explain how crucial ABI and Austin’s community of entrepreneurs and ecosystem of resources and like-minded scientists was to their development. Jolie explains how she was able to use her experiences at ABI to start her career as a Research and Development Scientist, and Josue and Jolie talk about their shared mindset about what they’re looking for in their team members. They highlight the importance of being fearless and being willing to test and fail and never give up. They close out the episode with advice for people who are interested in a career in the biosciences, vouching for the importance of networking and finding creative ways to “prove” your skills and character to hiring teams, whether it’s through an internship or a volunteer opportunity or in the classroom. Learn more about Angstrom Bio. Learn more about ACC Bioscience Incubator. This is a founding_media podcast.