We interviewed Indra Roux and Irina Gostimskaya, two postdocs on the committee for the Engineering Biology in Cambridge Interdisciplinary Research Centre (EngBio IRC) group.
The group aims to bring together the engineering biology ecosystem of the University of Cambridge, offering a knowledge exchange between PhD students, postdocs, young group leaders and fellows across the six schools and affiliate institutes. Some of the focus areas are building with biology, biological instrumentations, and tools as well as open innovation.
They host research presentations, networking, and offer space for feedback from the community, and collaborations.
What’s good about the EngBio IRC events?
While Cambridge has a large community of researchers, it can also be siloed. EngBio IRC helps with this, by offering talks outside of peoples’ disciplines and promoting exchanges. For example, if you’re interested in synthetic and molecular tools, we have had talks on this area.
The monthly EngBio early career researcher meetups generally take place at a postdoc centre. The Mill Lane Postdoc centre is a good, central location and we have also hosted at the Eddington postdoc centre. We also plan to host at the postdoc centre in the biomedical campus. Last year, some people hosted events in their own institutes, which presented more of a logistical challenge.
We usually hold events from 12-1pm, which is a convenient time for most people. Our events are also free, and we provide catering and refreshments. Vicky Reid and Stephanie Norwood, who are EngBio IRC staff, provide valuable support, arrange logistics and promotion for the events, and are very helpful.
What kind of subject areas do your events attract?
We have had attendees from engineering (mathematics, software and instrument development, AI, manufacturing, etc) and biology (biochemistry, biomedicine, plant sciences, etc) as you’d expect, but also people from the social sciences (policy, entrepreneurship) have come to talks. We make sure to advise speakers that not everyone has a biology background, so the talks are engaging to a broad audience.
What would improve the EngBio IRC events for you?
We could use a higher attendance and expand representation to more campuses. Generally, we have over 15 people coming to our talks. Though they are quite engaged, interactive, and interdisciplinary, there is room for more! We are also on the lookout for interesting speakers.
Irina Gostimskaya
Dr Irina Gostimskaya is a biochemist with experience in enzymology, photobiocatalysis, protein engineering and directed evolution, cellular metabolism and genetic modifications. Irina joined the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry and EngBio IRC in 2023. Currently her goal is to design bio/abio systems that can be used for different applications in “green” chemistry processes while following multidisciplinary approaches.
Indra Roux
Dr Indra Roux is a microbial synthetic biologist who joined the MRC Toxicology Unit in 2022 as a postdoctoral researcher in Kiran Patil’s lab. She is developing genetic screens in unconventional gut bacteria to investigate chemical and ecological interactions. Specifically, she is researching how the human gut microbiome interacts with xenobiotic chemicals such as environmental pollutants and medications.
What advice would you offer to a postdoc new to Cambridge?
Find a community as soon as you can! This is difficult at first, but it is important to be able to do something besides work, and to aim for a degree of balance. In Cambridge, the cultural and social life is quite rich. There are also several professional networks such as EngBio IRC which are great for networking. There are lots of opportunities everywhere which postdocs should try out. Join different groups and communities to find what works for you. You can also aim to join a college - these can offer a great environment and community support.
Accept that you may find your work overwhelming at first. You will gradually adapt to this and find what works best for you. Burnout can be common, and everyone should take steps to pace themselves. 12-hour days are unsustainable in the long run.
What could the Postdoc Academy be doing better?
A better onboarding process for postdocs would be ideal, as many need help when first starting, across a range of areas. More frequent welcome events would also be great, as it’s not often you see the different areas of support visible together. If you miss these welcome events, you may not be fully aware of the support available.