• Question: have any of you ever created something that could possibly change someone or somethings life?

    Asked by jamtart to Adam, Joanna, Louise S, Louise W, Marcus on 12 Nov 2012. This question was also asked by dominica, emsaroo0608, briantist, monster19, popinain1.
    • Photo: Adam Paige

      Adam Paige answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      My children!

      But in my research – probably not. I have made small discoveries that have helped other scientists but no big break through. That requires a lot of luck as well as hard work.

      Probably the thing I do that could change someones life the most is my teaching to our University students and young scientists in my lab. Giving them the skills and enthusiasm for a career in their chosen field might well have had a big impact on some of them. At least I hope so.

    • Photo: Louise Stanley

      Louise Stanley answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      I wouldn’t say created but the genetic results that we get in our lab stay with that patient forever. The results also have implications for other family members. This may mean that the person makes a life changing decision such as having risk reducing surgery e.g. Breast removal or that their unborn child has a life threatening disorder and under goes a termination. That’s the thing with genetics is that they are with you for life. On the other hand you may find out that a patient hasn’t inherited a faulty gene from their parent and they are not at risk of that disease which is good news for them.

    • Photo: Joanna Giles

      Joanna Giles answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      As Adam said, it can be a matter of luck as to whether you get any huge breakthroughs.

      But, during my PhD I did some work testing a new drug that, in the future, might be used to treat some forms of arthritis. I was checking that the drug only bound to the thing it was supposed to and looking at how strongly it bound. This was published and my old lab group are still working on and testing this new drug. It’s very exciting!

    • Photo: Louise Walkin

      Louise Walkin answered on 16 Nov 2012:

      I haven’t myself unfortunately. Most of the time in science you spend ages making tiny discoveries that take many years to go into a big discovery that will make a difference into the understanding of a disease or a drug. It also take a long time for things to make it all the way to a patient in the clinic in the way of treating them or improving things for them.

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