Jo Renaut
PIPS Host Organisation: Oppilotech Ltd (Industry partner)

Jo Renaut completed a computational model of the methionine salvage pathway and planned to experimentally validate it by performing siRNA screens, evaluating knockdown levels, and conducting crystal violet cell survival assays. The goal was to perturb the model by simulating the knockdown and comparing the level of ‘cell death’ observed in the survival assays.

Jo had already created MTAP knockout cell lines at Sussex and was searching for new synthetic lethal targets versus MTAP loss within this model. She carried out siRNA knockdowns in wild-type and MTAP KO cell lines and performed RNA extractions in preparation for qPCR followed by crystal violet assays. However, she only had time to complete the RNA extractions during her placement.

The placement made Jo more confident in her ability to plan and execute lab work independently, as her PhD work is primarily computational with lab work being secondary. This experience led her to reconsider her career path, whether staying in academia or transitioning into the tech industry as a data scientist or machine learning engineer.