Abigail Man joined our institute for her Year in Industry placement in 2025 while studying for a Biological Sciences degree at the University of East Anglia. She is one of 37 Year in Industry students that we have welcomed over the last 13 years, and shares her unique experience here. 

I was drawn to spending my Year in Industry at the John Innes Centre as I wanted more opportunities to do research, and I saw a project at the institute that offered me a chance to blend many streams of biology together. 

I joined Professor Cathie Martin FRS’ lab in September 2025 to work on ‘Products for Chemotherapy – Using Leads from Traditional Chinese Medicine’, focusing on the barbed skullcap plant (Scutellaria barbata D. Don.) Traditionally, this plant is used for treating cancer in many Asian countries, especially China where it is known as Ban Zhi Lian (半枝莲). This key medicinal plant is fascinating as it contains a natural product called Scutebarbatine A which induces ‘cell death’ in human colorectal and breast cancer cells but not in healthy human cells.  

During my placement, I focused on cloning the Pyr1 gene from the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus into agrobacterium. This gene is an essential part of the pathway to produce Scutebarbatine X, which is a very similar compound that has the same active group as the target, Scutebarbatine A. By cloning Pyr1 into agrobacterium, we are hoping to allow the future expression of this natural product in bacteria or yeast cultures to produce larger amounts of the pure compound needed to for future trials. 

It was wonderful to spend time in the laboratory learning many techniques under the supervision of Dr Matt Tomlinson, and developing my scientific initiative. These are skills that I have only been able to build by working semi-independently in a research institute on my placement. I enjoyed developing protocols and optimising these over time as I was able to work on novel processes and I had a lot of freedom in deciding the next steps to improve their efficiency. One of these protocols involved making aqueous extracts of the barbed skullcap and its close relative Scutellaria orthocalyx. These were used to treat various cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines at the Quadram Institute, giving me the opportunity to learn cell culture techniques and to see the cross-institute collaboration that happens at the Norwich Research Park.  

Another benefit to my scientific knowledge came from the weekly seminar series at JIC. It opened my eyes to how much incredible research is being done, both here and internationally, exposing me to biological disciplines I had never heard of before coming to the institute. 

When I started my placement, I decided to throw myself into every opportunity, but assumed I would be in the lab every day. In reality, no two days looked the same. I spent time in the greenhouse, attended a conference, trained in light microscopy and graphic design, and took part in engagement events communicating science to a range of audiences.  

For example, I got the opportunity to teach in a primary school for a day as part of JIC’s Royal Society Partnership Seed Grant project ‘Plant science up close’, and volunteered at the interactive Microbe Zoo exhibit at both the Norwich Science Festival and Royal Society Summer Exhibition in London. Alongside these projects, I was also an Event Manager for Pint of Science, organising nights of accessible and engaging science talks for the public. These events were some of the most memorable experiences for me – they were so fulfilling and showed me that working in science doesn’t necessarily mean being in the lab 100% of the time. 

My placement emphasised just how great a place to work JIC is. You receive additional support and opportunities that I don’t think you get anywhere else. I am so grateful for my Year in Industry at JIC – it has inspired me and opened my eyes to all the varied career paths I could take. I feel a lot more confident for my final year of my undergraduate degree and ready to take forward all the skills I’ve gained this year.