Question: hello elaine i am hannah im thirten years old and i love science it really intrests me i am currently doing some courses at famoth marine school in marine biology and i like looking at germs too under the microscope so just wandering whats your typical studys on what kind of germs and what first got you intrested do you have any advice that could help me become a marine biologist in the future? thank you

Elaine Gardener answered on 20 Jun 2014:

Hi Hannah! Thanks for the question 🙂 I’m glad you have something you really like and that interests you, at 13 I had no idea what I wanted to do as a job.

My germs currently involve ones that are important in making people sick like e.coli, salmonella and MRSA (along with a lot of others)!

I enjoyed science at school, especially the biology side. I really wanted to learn about how my body worked and how it interacts with other life around it, even the things we can’t see!

My work is mainly background work which people don’t think about. Like, how do you know those headache tablets, or the toothpaste you use don’t have lots of germs in. And how do the disinfectants you buy know they kill all the germs? Well, that’s what I do, make sure these don’t make you ill and can kill germs 😀

I would say, try to get some work experience in the Microbiology or marine biology environment… That way, not only can you study for it all later but you would have some hands on and possibly some inside knowledge that you can use to relate to your studies.

Most of all, enjoy what you do and don’t be afraid to ask questions… In science, there is never a stupid question, just one that helps you understand it more easily 😀