The majority of those who choose the profession of biology laboratory technician are women. To ensure that young males also have access to laboratory work, R-Biopharm AG welcomed eight boys aged 12 to 14 on the nationwide Girls’ Day/Boys’ Day on April 27. And among other things, they dealt in depth but professionally with cookies and chocolate.
For one day, the young guests immersed themselves in the working world of the biotechnology company. They were first accompanied by Thomas Hektor, Head of R&D Food and Feed Analysis, who gave them a tour of the company’s headquarters in Pfungstadt. In the in-house laboratory, the bright and interested group was welcomed by laboratory technician Julia Jost, who herself was once a trainee at R-Biopharm. And then it was off to work in white coats. Almonds are often a cause of food allergies. Using the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test to detect certain proteins, the boys examined different samples of cookie and chocolate to find out whether there were any almond residues in them, and if so, in which concentration. “I think they particularly enjoyed the pipetting itself,” Julia Jost reports, “and seeing that it really works, as it’s a bit difficult to imagine in theory.”
After the professional occupation with sweets, the young guests were allowed to really enjoy something tasteful at the end of an eventful day: They had delicious homemade pizza in the in-house canteen, which cooks everything fresh and from organic food. And then it was not a goodbye but “Possibly see you as future trainees at R-Biopharm.”
