Anne Romero
PIPS Host Organisation: FA Bio
Project Title: Identification of Bio-synthetic Gene Clusters for the Development of Bioproducts using Genome Mining

Anne Romero was a Research Intern at FA Bio within their R&D team. Her main role was to carry out a bioinformatics project to use genome mining to identify biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for beneficial secondary metabolites produced by the fungal strains sequenced. She optimised the DNA extraction protocol for different strains of fungi to produce high-quality DNA for de novo sequencing. She performed antiSMASH analysis on fungal genomes, compiled results, and explored genes of interest using BLAST search.

With no bioinformatics team within FA Bio, Anne had to independently develop the project, performing new analyses and exploring additional analyses useful for the project. She carried out viability assays of fungal candidates using FA Bio’s established protocol. Additionally, she was tasked with performing a proof-of-concept experiment to try out a new assay; this included research, protocol writing, ordering of materials, and compilation of results.

Anne gained skills working in aseptic conditions under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) guidelines. She also provided support on glasshouse trials and carried out post-trial analyses with the R&D team. Working at a start-up gave her insight into the research and development involved in turning an idea into a business. She was able to work with different people with various specialities. The diversity of tasks she was involved in taught her to communicate effectively across different teams. Having not worked with fungi before, this experience gave her knowledge of different fungal species and their beneficial applications. She met a wonderful team and developed relationships that could benefit her in future career prospects.