Exploring Careers in Biology: Joshua’s Journey as a Laboratory Assistant

Biology shapes more of the world than most people realise. It’s behind the medicines that save lives, the food we eat, the way we protect the environment, and the science that helps solve global problems. And the jobs you can do with biology are just as varied. 

As part of National Biology Week, we’re looking at some of the real careers biology can lead to. One of them is in Quality Control, a part of science that makes sure products are safe, effective, and ready to use. To see what that looks like in action, we spoke to Joshua Kenny, a Laboratory Assistant apprentice at ThermoFisher, about what his role involves and the skills he’s building along the way. 

Tell us about your role and what you do day to day. 

I currently work in the Quality Control department, where I support antimicrobial susceptibility testing. This process involves culturing specific bacteria and testing them on Sensititre plates, which contain antimicrobials at a range of concentrations. These plates can also be customised by customers to suit their testing requirements.

What those terms mean: 

• Quality Control (QC): Making sure products meet strict safety and quality standards before they’re used. 

• Antimicrobial susceptibility testing: A way of finding out which medicines (like antibiotics) can stop or kill certain bacteria. 

• Culturing bacteria: Growing bacteria in controlled conditions so scientists can study them. 

• Sensititre plates: Special plastic trays with small wells that hold different amounts of antimicrobics to test how bacteria respond. 

• Antimicrobics: Substances (like antibiotics) that stop the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria. 
   

What else does your department do? 

Within QC, we are also responsible for testing raw materials that arrive on site, as well as verifying the quality of in-house manufactured materials before they are incorporated into Sensititre plates.

Explained: 

• Raw materials: The basic ingredients or components used to make a product. 

• In-house manufactured materials: Materials made on site by the company itself. 
   

What’s a typical day like for you? 

In my role as a Laboratory Assistant, I carry out a variety of supporting tasks that are essential for maintaining laboratory operations.  
 
These include: 

• Site-wide testing of utilities such as demineralised water produced by the RO unit 
• Culturing and maintaining bacterial strains used in QC testing 
• Tracking laboratory stock and ensuring equipment, media, and consumables are always available 

Explained: 

• Utilities: The systems that support lab work, such as water and electricity. 

• Demineralised water: Water with minerals removed, used so results aren’t affected by impurities. 

• RO unit (Reverse Osmosis unit): A machine that purifies water by filtering out unwanted particles. 

• Bacterial strains: Specific types of bacteria used in experiments. 

• Media: Nutrient-rich substances that bacteria grow in. 

• Consumables: Items that get used up in the lab, like gloves, pipette tips, or Petri dishes. 
   

What skills are you learning from this apprenticeship? 

This role has given me hands-on experience in maintaining compliance with quality standards while ensuring the smooth running of daily laboratory operations.

Explained: 

• Quality standards: The rules and guidelines that make sure scientific work is safe, accurate, and reliable. 

Joshua’s work helps make sure vital medical products are safe and effective before they’re used, playing a key role in protecting public health. It’s proof that apprenticeships in biology can open doors to exciting, impactful careers in science, where every task contributes to something bigger.  

Want to explore how biology could shape your future? Discover more real careers here.