Testimony
I am a research scientist specialized in marine biochemistry. During my master in bioscience engineering in chemistry and bioindustries, I wanted to integrate my passion for marine biology with my training.
Emily's background
I am a research scientist specializing in marine biochemistry. During my Master in Bioscience engineering in Chemistry and Bioindustries, I wanted to integrate my passion for marine biology with my training. So I did my internship and my final work in the Marine Biology Laboratory of the University of Mons, in collaboration with the biophysics laboratory of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech. I spent 2 months in Madagascar and one month in the laboratory studying sea cucumber metabolites.
I then continued my research with a PhD realized in cotutelle with these two same units.
I am currently looking for a post-doctorate to continue my career in the academic research sector.
My PhD was extremely multidisciplinary. Over the 3 and a half years of the thesis, I spent 6 months in France, 6 months in Australia and 6 months in Madagascar. I also participated in conferences in France, Oman, Japan, and Colombia. I have done many scuba dives, spent many hours on the lab bench, and in an office behind a computer.
I love my work, and I think that the training in Gembloux has especially pushed me to be independent in any situation, has provided me with a very good technical and intellectual base, which has allowed me to involve in the fields of analytical chemistry, biological chemistry and molecular biology.
Why did you choose that study ?
At the end of high school, I knew that I wanted to follow a scientific path, but I was especially attracted to biology and more specifically to marine biology. The subjects studied in applied sciences (engineering training) such as math and physics did not attract me at all. It is thanks to my parents that I finally opted for a bioengineering degree. And my father being an agronomist from Brussels, he always recognized the added value of the diploma from Gembloux in the world of agronomic engineering.
A dream come true !
Finally, I am very happy to have done my scientific training in Gembloux and to have the title of engineer. Even if the first years were a bit difficult (for the general engineering courses) I managed to find my way in the master and to integrate my passion for marine biology in my training. Through my internships and my thesis, I realized a project on the chemistry of sea cucumbers . The project required a trip to Madagascar and scuba diving - a dream come true !
From passion to research
Today, I am a doctor of biological engineering and a doctor of science. During my PhD, I continued to work with sea cucumbers. I was able to travel all over the world, not only to carry out field missions but also to work in highly reputable laboratories in France and Australia.
Although Gembloux does not officially offer marine biology courses, as a Gembloux chemical bioengineer, we have the technical and intellectual tools (and more) to pursue interests far beyond chemistry. It is precisely because of my versatile training as a chemical bioscience engineer that I was able to pursue a research career in the chemical ecology of marine invertebrates.
A role in society
Marine chemical ecology is a very understudied field but one that dictates the well-being of our ecosystems. I spend a lot of time communicating the importance of chemical ecology and raising public interest in this area of research.
Memories of student life
During group projects, especially in master's, we spent hours in the lab. One of our projects was on the valorization of food waste from the "Mess" (university restaurant). Even if we were hands in the crushed food (still very disgusting), the atmosphere was always good with loud music in the lab.
And even though we were in the lab until 9pm, we were still in a great team spirit and having fun !
Emily is the author of this drawing through which she shares with us her vision of the Master in Bioscience engineering in Chemistry and Bioindustries and the associated jobs.
The training of the master in bioscience engineering in chemistry and bioindustries is extremely diversified in terms of professional project possibilities. As a bioscience engineer chemist, we can study the chemistry of living organisms (plants, animals, bacteria) and their interactions with the environment in a context of both fundamental and applied research . We can also work in the pharmaceutical or foodindustry at different stages of research and development, quality control or management.
Our training offers a fundamental chemistry base that allows us to apply chemistry to other types of sciences and thus offers a 'chemist' perspective to problems related to health, food and the environment.
The illustration I designed for this master's degree is lively and modern in style - perfectly reflecting the topicality of this training in today's world. There are biological aspects, such as the starfish, plants, bacteria, insects and cells ; industrial aspects, such as the bioreactor for beer production or drugs; but also aspects of chemistry in its classical form such as molecular structures, Mendeleev's periodic table..
Chemistry is everywhere around us, from the ice cream we eat to the sea, to the blood that circulates in our bodies, to the insects that ravage our crops.
If you are interested in the small-scale functioning of our planet, then chemistry is for you!
