“Microbiology has never been more important to us than it is now.”
The field of microbiology is expanding and developing every day, and for Ron Dy this what makes it an exciting area to work in.
Ron is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the world-renowned Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Germany. His research looks at the signaling pathways in bacteria that allow them to either be minimized and controlled or harnessed for beneficial uses.
“Microbiology has led to the development of a huge variety of consumer products, but there are also nasty microbes that pose a major threat to us humans. Right now we are facing a new problem with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Microbiology has never been more important to us than it is now.”
Ron became hooked on microbiology during an undergraduate internship at a research institute in Singapore, which he says was a valuable opportunity to see biotechnology in action.
“I was amazed by the many ways we can exploit microbes to conveniently produce drugs or bio-products that can help a lot people. I’m always fascinated by how advanced we are now in science, especially in biology.”
Ron says that both his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees helped to shape him into the scientist that he is today. However it was his PhD study that enabled him to develop the analytical and critical mindset that is the key to a career as a researcher.
"Studying microbiology is much like solving a puzzle. With various experiments, you piece things together. At the end of it, eventually, a picture will form and you can fully understand how something works.”
