Amela Tsai Email & Phone Number

San Francisco, California, United States

San Francisco, California, United States

Responsible for performing installations, familiarization, repairs and PM's on various instruments. I work on the following DNA analysis instruments: Fragment Analyzer, ZAG, Oligo PRO, FEMTO, Bioanalyzer, and Tapestation. I also work on automation instruments: Bravo, BenchCel, MiniHub, and PlateLoc. As a FSS, I work closely with my local sales team to meet customer needs and strengthen customer relationships & satisfaction. In this role, I created quotes and sold service contracts for instruments using Salesforce and CRM which generated over a million dollars in won revenue. In 2018, I presented on PROSize analysis software to a group of 100 salesmen. After submitting a high level of leads in my territory, I became an mLeads captain in 2019. I received a “2020 Agilent All Star” award for 2nd highest leads submitted by an engineer in the Biomolecular Service Organization. By looking for efficiency in all areas of my work, I was able to create a streamlined training guide for customers to use during new instrument familiarization sessions.

San Francisco, California

(Note: AATI was acquired by Agilent Technologies in 2018) At AATI, I was hired to be the FSE for the north western region (Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska & Canada). This position consists of approximately 75% travel within my region. My primary role is to install and repair AATI's five capillary electrophoresis based fragment analysis instruments. After installing a new instrument at a client's site, I provide training on the instrument, operational software, and analysis software. I am responsible for troubleshooting issues that arise with instruments in the field. When I am not at a client's site, I field customer questions remotely and handle all service agreement sales within my territory. I am responsible for reminding customers when their instrument warranty is expiring, generating quotes for new agreements, and keeping updated customer records.

Modesto

One of my major roles at E.J. Gallo was to analyze phenolic compounds in wine and grape juice with HPLC, and create data reports to track trends for optimal harvesting. I have developed an elliptical Excel Hunter LAB model to analytically evaluate color in wine, and alert the technician if the color is within range. I presented my findings to the VP of Viticulture, and received an Encore Award from the winery for creating the model. The model was incorporated into the winery's Citrix Dashboard. I was an operational team lead for a group of six technicians in the grape maturity laboratory. I had two direct reports in the chemistry laboratory. I played a key role in purifying a mouthfeel compound from grapes, and created HPLC reports that directed the next steps of the project. I kept track of inventory and ordered supplies as needed. I received some training in coding, macros, and website design. I developed technical skills while working with and troubleshooting the following instruments: UV-VIS, Bruker, Hamilton STAR robot, HPLC 1100 & 1200, FOSS FTIR, Nimbus Plate Reader, Lyophilizer, HORIBA Aqualog, and NIR Instruments.

1250 Lathrop Road, Lathrop Ca

Primary person in charge of running and troubleshooting the Dionex HPIC. Used the HPIC to determine the type and quantity of carbohydrates in rice syrups, solids, and byproducts. Reported these results to approve manufacturing runs. Created technical reports to show how enzymes were performing in converting the carbohydrates in rice. These reports improved the recipe used in production. I led safety meetings, and became HACCP certified. Ran experiments on raw and filtered water for safety and quality testing. Kept track of results for audits. Managed distillation operations and collaborated to design the distillation procedure. Completed microbiological and pathogen analysis of ingredients and finished products to ensure food safety. I scheduled and assisted preventative maintenance appointments for instruments.

Chemistry Annex | Uc Davis

Worked on a team to design a protein that will be used to create a protein scaffold in a photovoltaic cell. Transformed bacteria to be used for protein expression. Inoculated media with the transformed bacteria then expressed the desired proteins with the aide of UV-VIS. Packed and ran anion exchange columns to begin the protein purification process. Prepared and ran SDS-PAGE to verify that the intended protein was expressed. Controlled dialysis to measure how the protein denatured and renatured. Ran ThT assays to report on the denaturing and renaturing efficacy from dialysis. Presented research findings at weekly and monthly meeting groups.

Livermore, Ca

Assisted students with the use of computers to complete school assignments. Primarily instructed with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Performed clerical duties.

Davis, Ca

Marrone Bio Innovations develops biopesticides that can be incorporated into Integrated Pest Management programs, and can be an effective solution to control pest problems in conventional, transitional or certified organic production systems. I worked in the microbiology laboratory where I primarily isolated novel microorganisms from environmental samples. I then obtained pure cultures from mixed culture plates to use in screening bioassays against fungal and bacterial plant pathogens. I prepared stocks, slants and agar plugs for culture maintenance. Our mission was to constantly find novel microorganisms, therefore, I documented morphological, cultural and physiological characterization of microbial isolates to ensure we continue testing different microbes. I isolated DNA from promising microorganisms by performing DNA extractions, PCR, and gel electrophoresis. The DNA was sent to sequencing. This confirmed if we had found a novel microbe, and it would proceed to further analysis.

Ran Circular Dichroism Spectrometry assays to determine the pKa of an enzyme. Prepared buffers for the experiments, recorded experimental results, and prepared reports to be used by a graduate student for their project.

Davis, Ca

Produced and distributed member letters, packets, renewal notices and other mailings. Acted as a representative for the Alumni Association at special events including: Homecoming, Picnic Day, Summer Advising, and others as assigned. Assisted Membership Manager in monitoring inventory, created general reports, and assisted with marketing projects.

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Biochemistry And Molecular Biology

Academic experience: • Spectrophotometry, HPLC, column chromatography, gel electrophoresis, Western and Southern Blot, PCR, DNA.

Education record

• Completed coursework in Microbiology, Anatomy, Viticulture and Horticulture (with labs)