Scott Allen Bids Peak Proteins “Au Revoir”
As Scott Allen leaves Peak Proteins to start a PhD at the University of Bath, he reflects on his time with the company.
Dr Mark Abbott, CEO, commented, “Scott has been a real asset to Peak Proteins in the 11 months he has been with us. He learnt very quickly both science and technical skills and also skills in how to interact with clients. He was really well liked and respected by his colleagues and we will miss him. We are hopeful he might return some day. We wish him all the best for his PhD in Bath, and we are absolutely sure he will make a great success of it”.
I was in the final year of my Biochemistry degree at the University of Sheffield, undergoing another evening of the dreaded job hunt when Peak Proteins first came across my radar. Peak Proteins offered support in all areas of drug design, the exact field I wanted to join once I had graduated. Like most other students, I thought: ‘this looks great, but I’m probably not the right person’, but Peak Proteins remained at the back of my mind. It wasn’t until late in the summer following graduation when I saw the job advertised on the Peak Proteins. Of course, I applied as soon as I could, and luckily, I was offered an interview and soon after the job.
Following several weeks of one-to-one training, given mainly by my mentor, Raquel, I slowly adapted to the role. Luckily for me, a beginner in the industrial setting, the team around were all extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly, meaning that I could ask them anything, and it would be answered. This provided me a great environment from which I tried to absorb as much knowledge as possible, knowing it would set me in good stead for whatever lay ahead in the future. From day one, I enjoyed getting involved with the scientific work, gaining experiences in most purification techniques, many of which I had never heard of until arriving at Peak Proteins.
Within a few months, I was given my first project to lead. Although nerve-racking to begin with, it was nice to be given the trust and appreciation to work on my own project. For me, the most enjoyable part of project work is the communication held with clients. Clients come from a range of backgrounds including academic groups, other small research companies requiring help, or often large pharmaceutical companies needing an extra hand in their research. Further to everyone’s welcoming manner, it is interesting to talk to clients to gain insight into how they do things differently and discuss possible directions of the work.
My time at Peak Proteins is sadly coming to an end. I will be leaving to start my PhD at the University of Bath that commences in October. Under the supervision of Professor Jody Mason, I will be developing short peptides that act to inhibit the toxic aggregation of alpha-synuclein, the causative agent behind Parkinson’s Disease. This project will combine several skills I have learned whilst at Peak Proteins from purification techniques to using structural biology techniques to assess the nature of derived peptide hits.
Working at Peak Proteins has introduced me to all aspects of protein science and drug discovery research – It was exactly what I wanted it to be. Although I’m excited to start my next journey, I will miss Peak Proteins. Whether it be Giles’ mastery of packing columns, Anna’s impeccable organisation skills, Juli’s expertise in refolding proteins, or Raquel’s exemplary mentoring, I hope to take many skills with me in the future. I will forever be grateful to the whole team at Peak Proteins, they truly introduced me to scientific research at an industrial scale. I plan to stay in touch with all those at Peak and hopefully visit them over the next few years. Many thanks must go to Tina, Mark, and Derek for allowing me to work at Peak Proteins!
