Meet the team: Luke Rees
Student member & proteomics apprentice
Introduction
Luke is a 24 year old, 3rd year bachelor of science student majoring in biological sciences. Born and raised on the central coast, he’s been living in Terrigal for the past 10 years and commuting a veritable hour to get to uni each time!
Why did you join the team?
“Since discovering my love for molecular biology in my first year of university, I have always wanted to be part of a team in this field of research. Joining the DeNovocastrians has allowed me to gain invaluable experience and make great connections and friendships along the way.”
What’s your role in the team?
“My role in the team is undertaking proteomic research for our iGEM and Australasian SynBio projects. I have also been representing our team in online seminars such as the Australasian SynBio design extravaganza.”
What have you accomplished with the team so far?
“So far, under the supervision of our excellent supervisors, I have assisted with a lot of the wet work our team has undertaken. This has included cloning of BTEX degradation clusters and initial stages of total protein analysis. I have also done multiple presentations, including briefing the team on microbial BTEX degradation and presenting our project goals in the Australasian SynBio design extravaganza.”
What inspires you?
“My passion for science began when I first began to understand the process of evolution in high school. I was fascinated by a process that could take life from a simple self-replicating molecule to the diversity we see today over billions of years. This fascination eventually resulted in a passion for science as a whole, which has led me to where I am today.”
What do you do outside of this?
“Outside of university, my hobbies include gaming, painting, drawing, piano and reading (sci-fi and fantasy mostly). I am also a huge space nerd, always keeping up to date with the latest news in the modern space race.”
