Six week placement working in Dr Andrew Macdonalds viral oncology group studying human polyomaviruses implicated in opportunistic infections

Whilst on placement at RSSL, a subsidiary of Mondelēz International, I carried out analytical testing and investigative analysis of “foreign body” samples found in food and pharmaceutical products. Examples include glass, metal, plastic, fibres, bone, paint etc. Sample analysis consisted of using stereo and compound light microscopy and wet chemical tests in conjunction with both elemental and chemical analysis techniques such as FT-IR, SEM, and XRF. Sub-visible work using a light obscuration method was also performed. Work was carried out to UKAS and GMP standards and I am experienced in using the LIMS system to book and track samples. My final project entailed creating a reference library of metals used within a food production line using a hand held X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer. The idea behind this was to quickly identify the source of metallic contaminants found in products and speed up resolution of foreign body issues.Industrial placement acquired techniques:•SEM & Cryo-SEM imaging•Basic Confocal Microscopy•Stereo & Compound light microscopy•Sample staining in Toluidine Blue, Iodine and Sudan IV•Basic Micro CT-Tomography•X-ray microanalysis, X-ray microfluorescence and hand held X-ray microfluorescence•Fourier Transform infra-red spectroscopy including both microscope and HATR attachments•Pyrolysis of samples•Sub visible particle analysis using a light obscuration particle counter•Takayama, Phadebas and Phosphatase assays•Basic histology, botany, entomology & zoology