Profile
Olivia Hibbitt
My CV
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My work involves making new gene expression vectors that hopefully will help people who don’t have a working copy of a gene called the low density lipoprotein receptor. This gene takes the bad cholesterol out of the blood. When it doesn’t work too much bad cholesterol circulates in the blood stream and starts to clog up arteries. About 100 000 people in the UK have this condition and I hope that my work will help improve the treatment for them!
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My Typical Day:
Bacteria…..blood….cells……DNA……and that’s just lunch!
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I get into work at about 9, check my email, have a cup of coffee and that is where the routine stops! Each day I could be doing something different. On Friday I did some tissue culture – growing cells taken from people in plastic flasks. I also did something called a Western Blot – this is looking at the types of proteins that are present in different samples…..Western Blots SUCK! I also had a meeting with my boss and a lab meeting and had to cycle up the hill to drop some samples off for processing! Then at about 7pm I go home to my kids!!!
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I’d use it as a scholarship for a A-level student to come work in my lab
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Outgoing, stubborn, enthusiastic
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not really in trouble….there was the time I almost killed a A level science class by evaporating chloroform in a fume hood that wasn’t working!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Too hard – I have to break it down into situations – Tissue culture and other lab stuff – Foo Fighters, Muse, Raconteurs. Running – Fratellis, Marylin Manson, Too many DJs; Walking the twins – Cage the Elephant, white stripes, Breaks Co-op
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
World peace! Just kidding – well I want my son to be an All Black, my daughter to invent the thing that will save the planet and for my experiments to work so I can find a cure for familial hypercholesterolaemia
Tell us a joke.
You don’t want to know any science jokes! They are too lame!!!
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