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Dr Liz Harry is Associate Professor at University of Technology, Sydney. Previously she was a Research Fellow in the School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences at the University of Sydney |
In which area or areas of science do you work?
Genetics, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
When did you first become interested in this career?
During my science degree in 1984. When I left school I enrolled in a Bachelor of Science majoring in computing. At the time IT was the big thing and meant good money so I decided I thought I wanted to be a computer programmer. There were good jobs that paid well in this area. After only a few weeks, I realized that I hated computing. I realised that biology was my favourite subject at high school and decided to do what I enjoy rather than being practical.
What education and training do you have to have for your job?
Bachelor of Science with honours and a PhD. It took 4 years for a Science degree and another 4 years to do my PhD.
How has your career progressed?
Quite well. I make sure that I play as well as work, which slows down the career progression but that's my measure of success-to be able to find some time for your life outside work. It's often hard to do this these days.
What are the tasks that you do in a typical day?
Write about our research results, talk to students about their project, listen to seminars, read the latest scientific papers, and, when I'm lucky enough to have more time, I do an experiment myself.
What skills do you use in your job?
My skills are sometimes practical when I do experiments, as well as editing scientific writing, giving talks about my research, managing my research team and writing papers and grants.
Liz in front of the new microscope purchased in 2002 for $150,000!!!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Finding out new things that no one else has discovered.
What has been a highlight of your career?
Winning the 2002 Eureka Prize for Scientific Research. It's great to have recognition for this as a lot of hard work goes into research with a shoestring budget. The other highlights are the new discoveries, such as getting clues about how a bacterial cell knows when and where to divide into two.
Has your career given you an opportunity for travelling? If so, where?
It sure has!! I have been to many countries, including England, USA, France, Italy, Switzerland, Holland and I'm going to Spain next week
What is the most exciting aspect of your job?
When my curiosity is satisfied. This is usually when we get an answer to a scientific question that no one else has got yet. That is truly special and worth a glass of champagne. It doesn't happen often enough, so I don't have a drinking problem!
What do you enjoy least about your job?
Writing time-consuming grants to ask the government for money and either not getting it or getting very little, not enough to be competitive with researchers in other countries.
What are some alternative jobs that you would be qualified for?
Journalist, working as a scientist in the corporate world, management consultancy, as a scientific consultant.
What are some of the advantages to working in this field?
It's fascinating to me! And there are some great scientists that I get to meet and talk to about this field.
What are some of the disadvantages to working in this field?
Again there is a money problem in this field. But I think it will improve soon.
How has your work contributed to science?
There are two main ways. One is that I developed a new technique for 'seeing' where proteins are in a bacterial cell, called immunofluorescence. This has told us many things that we didn't know before. From using this technique we have learnt that many proteins have specific cellular addresses and this is important for many processes that the cells must perform to survive.
This is what we see when we use the new technique, immunofluorescence, to 'see' where a protein is within the cell. This protein forms a band in the middle of the cell at the site at which division will take place. It is the first protein to form at the division site and we are interested to know how bacteria control this event in time and space.
How has your work benefited society?
Lately I have been collaborating with a biotechnology company in Australia to identify new targets for antibiotics. There are many harmful bacteria that are antibiotic resistant and we need new antibiotics to kill them.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Either at University doing research as I am now or with a company doing research. My main aim for the future is to keep enjoying myself in my job. I believe that if I chose to do things that I enjoy in my job, then the opportunities will present themselves. I have learnt that you have to trust that that will happen. The only expectations that you have are your own, not anyone else's
Find out more about Liz's work
If you wish to ask Liz for additional information, you can email UniServe Science and we will contact Liz for you. Make sure you include Liz's name and occupation in the Subject line.
You can find out more about Liz's work from
Liz's web page, at the University of Technology, SydneyLiz Harry - transcript of an interview on Radio National, ABC
Understanding bugs: from anthrax to yoghurt - Liz Harry winner of the 2002 Eureka Prize for Scientific Research
You can find out more about immunofluorescence from
Immunofluorescence Method, from Pearson Education
| For further information contact Kaye Placing |
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