January 2020. As the world was on the cusp of a global pandemic that would disrupt societies and economies, Lead Professional Officer John Goh was toiling away in a molecular diagnostics research lab.

The former research and development scientist was part of a team helping the government create a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The company’s test kit was eventually deployed at Singapore’s border controls as early as March 2020.

Over a year later, as the world began to return to normalcy and the pandemic started to ease,  Dr John (as his students call him) grabbed an opportunity to transition to educating and nurturing young minds at SIT. In his 16-year career at the Bioprocessing Technology Institute – a research institute which is part of A*STAR – and biotechnology firm Veredus Laboratories,  John had often briefed his collaborators on the science behind breakthrough technologies.  

John was part of the team that developed a PCR test deployed at Singapore’s borders as early as March 2020. [Photo: John Goh]

“I enjoy communicating science to people of diverse backgrounds. I like the process of breaking down a difficult topic into something easier, and the best part is seeing the ‘Aha!’ moment in people when they understand,” he shared. “I’ve always wanted to teach; it was only a matter of finding the right time.”

From Innovation to Instruction

By September 2021, Dr John was settling into his new role as a Lead Professional Officer (PO) and working with SIT’s Food, Chemical and Biotechnology cluster. POs design and teach lab modules, lead innovation projects with the industry and mentor students in their Capstone Projects and SIT’s signature Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP).

Running lab modules for primarily pharmaceutical and chemical engineering undergraduates, John teaches them the necessary real-world skills to prepare them for working in industrial laboratories post-graduation. 

He helps them get familiar with lab procedures, equipment and machinery so that they can hit the ground running and contribute as valued team members to their future employers. Personal safety and aseptic techniques (to maintain sterility and reduce the risk of infection) are serious matters in labs. How to deal with chemical spills, how to feed cell cultures and prevent them from being contaminated, how to minimise the risks of being pricked by used needles – these are valuable skills that he hopes to impart to every student who walks through the doors of his lab.

“After using a needle, a newbie in a lab may try to cap the needle back with two hands. It may appear to be inconsequential, but that is a big no-no. If somebody calls your name and you look away, there’s a high chance that the needle will end up poking you.”

If a student was accidentally poked by a needle that was used to draw blood, he would need to take anti-HIV drugs as a safety precaution. John has to help students understand that small accidents in the lab can lead to big consequences. “I tell my students to thread the needle through the cap with one hand,” explained John. “These are small but important steps that I try to impart to students.” 

Other than teaching lab modules,  John also imparts his knowledge to students while leading collaborations with the industry. He is currently working with a company to develop a diagnostic kit for cancer using blood samples.

He has trained a small pool of undergraduates to be student researchers who assist him in the project. In exchange, they gain valuable real-world experience they can cite on their resumes.

John’s face lights up when he recounts how a student he supervised for IWSP shared that the techniques he learnt during his lab practices had helped improve his company’s process workflow. It was wonderful to see the student take pride in suggesting improvements, leading the company to involve him in more projects, such as the setting up of their bioreactors.

Apart from equipping students with essential lab skills, the PO’s network and collaborations with industry also expose students to real-world industry projects. [Photo: John Goh] 

“It’s very rewarding because I got to see the impact immediately,” shared John.

Learning to Learn

More than knowing what to do with their petri dishes after donning white lab coats, John wants his students to “learn how to learn”. To him, having a growth mindset is the most important skill. Science and technology will always evolve, and students must pick up new skills to stay relevant and thrive.

For example, John shared that he had to learn how to programme in Python language in his previous role. “When I first joined the company, it wasn’t necessary for me as a molecular biologist to learn how to code. I had a separate IT-savvy team who could do it for me. But more and more, things were converging, and I had to be digitally enabled. I had to know how to code, use Generative AI, and so on,” he shared.

In his free time, John walks the talk of lifelong learning by picking up the Japanese language. He previously attended formal language classes and now curates a list of YouTube videos to help keep his language skills sharp.

His own learning experiences help him put himself in his students’ shoes because he understands the power of video as a learning medium. In addition to tasking students to read the written lab manuals, John enhances their learning with multimedia content. Some of the videos are filmed by him, reflecting his motto of ‘learn to learn’, making learning more engaging and effective for his students.

“I hope that in the future when they want to learn something, they know how to go about doing it. Even after they graduate, the life sciences industry will continue to go through many changes,” he reflected. “Be ready to learn. Whatever challenges come your way, you must be able to equip yourself with the necessary tools.”