The real work of science is done in a lab, and those who undertake it are known as bench scientists. They conduct the experiments, gather the data and interpret the results of the tests they run, and are key to discovering and developing new products like pharmaceutical drugs.
Carolina Bigarella works the bench as principal scientist with SHY Pharmaceuticals in Valhalla. “The company goal is to create new treatments for cancer,” says Bigarella.
She takes molecules and compounds and tests them to see which may work and which won’t to reach that goal. The first stage of testing is in vitro — literally, in glass, such as test tubes or petri dishes. “I check to see if the compounds bind to certain proteins,” she says. That indicates that they can potentially target a cancer cell to deliver the drug.
The most promising compounds are then tested on living tissues that are also placed “in glass” to “test their efficiency in killing the cells,” she says. “This helps pinpoint which compounds are better” When those are identified, other scientists test them on living animals.
“I have always been a curious person. That’s what led me to become a scientist,” she says. “It’s really exciting to try to develop new medicines for such horrible diseases like different types of cancer. That’s what motivates me the most”
Though she tests many compounds, “just a few are active. That’s a little frustrating,” she admits. But some catch her attention, and she is especially excited about one compound that has become the leading candidate for a new medicine. “We have good responses in all types of cancer we have tested. What will define it will be the patients’ response to it,” in later human testing.
Bigarella got her PhD in her native Brazil, but she says that there are bench science opportunities for those with a bachelor’s or master’s degree. She advises those who may be considering such a career to use their undergraduate time “to experience if you really want to work in a lab. Do some work in one while you are studying. See how it is on a daily basis. When you put your hands on the work, it may not be what you want.”
And try many different areas of life science, she says. “During my undergraduate years, I could research anything — plants, animals. I ended up in the lab because I love cell biology. When you are an undergraduate, you can define the path you want.”
A career in the life sciences might be right for you if:
- You want to help discover medications that help people cure or manage their conditions.
- You’re interested in finding answers to scientific problems.
- You’re good with numbers and data.
- You’re good at putting people at ease (for certain jobs that require interaction with patients or study subjects).
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