As summer draws to a close, we’re reflecting on the success of our summer placement programme and the contributions of the students who joined the BioAscent team.   

Rita Pereira and Euan Goodwin have both recently completed their MScs in Precision Medicine and Pharmacological Innovation at the University of Glasgow. They joined the BioAscent biosciences department for 12 weeks, and during this time they had the opportunity to gain hands-on laboratory experience to enhance their lab skills and shadow various activities.

Meet our placement students

Rita has a strong foundation in pharmacology and immunology, which she attained through studies at the University of Strathclyde. Her career aspirations lie in pharmaceutical development and clinical research for the central nervous and cardiovascular systems.  

During her placement, Rita had the opportunity to be trained in cell culturing techniques alongside developing and conducting cell-based assays. For the purposes of her research project, she screened a library of 5K compounds with the use of a FLIPR assay to understand whether any of these compounds showed potential PAM activity at 5-HT2A receptors. Rita will be presenting her research at ELRIG Drug Discovery in October, on behalf of BioAscent. 

Euan has a strong passion for neuroscience and aspires to become a neuroscientist. Having received a first-class Honours degree in Neuroscience from the University of Glasgow, Euan’s pursuit of a Master's in precision medicine has helped them gain a deep understanding of molecular biology and protein science linked to human disease.  

During their time at BioAscent, Euan gained valuable experience working on proteins that play a central role in targeted protein degradation (TPD). This work encompassed protein expression, purification, and functional studies including Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and protein crystallisation. 

Feedback from the students

Both Rita and Euan felt the placement exceeded their expectations, and that there was real potential to join the BioAscent team permanently in the future. They described the placement as a great experience, with a friendly and genuine working environment. Additionally, the varied and hands-on experience and support from their supervisors was greatly received. Both Rita and Euan’s supervisors were very supportive and encouraged them to speak freely and gain confidence in their abilities. 

Feedback from the BioAscent team    

Biosciences Scientist and Rita’s supervisor, Kyle Thompson, comments: “Supervising Rita during her 12 weeks at BioAscent was a rewarding experience that enhanced my personal leadership, communication, and organisational abilities. Mentoring an early career researcher and helping shape her technical and practical skills within the lab, critical thinking and professional growth was a fulfilling opportunity that I'm thrilled to have been part of.  

“Rita's enthusiasm for the project shone as she thrived in a real-world drug discovery environment, mastering our automated, high-throughput instruments and gaining a deep understanding of the nature and progression of drug discovery projects.” 

Speaking about Euan’s time at BioAscent, Senior Scientist and Team Leader, David Robinson says: “It was a highly rewarding experience working with Euan over their 12-week project at BioAscent. Euan took on a project encompassing a large variety of scientific techniques and it was inspiring to see how they rose to the challenge, developing technical and organisational skills. 

He adds: “It was fantastic to see both Euan and Rita put into practice key technologies in drug discovery and quickly become part of the Biosciences team at BioAscent. I look forward to continuing this programme with the University of Glasgow in the future.”  

Associate Director of Biosciences Brian McFerran says: “This programme offers University of Glasgow MSc Precision Medicine students an exciting opportunity to conduct research at BioAscent, a leading pre-clinical drug discovery organisation, where they can further develop their lab skills and apply their academic knowledge in a real-world setting.  

“Engaging with this programme also brings a wide range of valuable benefits to BioAscent. It creates exciting opportunities to develop commercially valuable technologies and capabilities. The programme nurtures future talent and builds a strong pipeline of recruits who are already aligned with the company’s values and culture. Mentoring students allows BioAscent staff to grow their leadership and supervisory skills, enhancing their professional development. Furthermore, partnering with the University of Glasgow strengthens academic relationships, fostering future collaborations and knowledge exchange. 

“BioAscent is committed to creating opportunities for scientists to develop their expertise and skills. As such we are delighted to have been part of this programme.” 

To find out more about careers at BioAscent, click here.