What energizes you most about your work with Arbios?
I have worked for the Arbios project for almost 7 years now as I was seconded from Canfor Pulp Ltd. on an earlier version of the project even before it became Arbios. I have spent a lot of time working with the products and by-products produced from the Licella pilot plant in Australia and I even created my own biocrude from batch reactions. I was part of the original design team for CS-2 (Chuntoh Ghuna, Prince George). I am very happy to have rejoined Arbios at the time that we are commissioning the facility. I am excited to come to work and make progress in getting this plant up and running. The thought of having something I’ve always seen in papers and drawings come to life energizes me and inspires me to continue doing what I am doing. I am excited to someday be able to work with and optimize the products and by-products from the plant I have helped designed.
What excites you most about the future of sustainable biotechnology?
I am very excited about the endless possibilities of sustainable biotechnology. Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) technology is very novel, there are lots of things that needs to be proven, developed, and optimized. However, when the time comes when Arbios can fully commercialize the technology, it can be a great alternative to fossil-based fuel. I am very happy and excited to be a part of Arbios in making the future of HTL possible.
How would you describe the Arbios culture to someone considering joining our team?
Arbios’ culture is great. I am proud to be working with individuals that have an aligned goal and are working very hard together everyday to achieve it – that is to commission the CS-2 Chuntoh Ghunah PG Plant. As officially the newest (re)employee of Arbios, the team has made me feel very welcome. Everyone is nice and pleasant to work with. I am also glad that the supervisors and managers express their appreciation, even for small accomplishments. These words of appreciation inspire the team to continue striving to achieve the common goal.
What advice would you give to someone starting their career in biotechnology?
A career in biotechnology is both a challenging and a fulfilling career. It’s challenging in a way that there is still lot to discover, and things do not always go as planned. However, I truly believe that being a part of something novel and innovative is a fulfilling challenge. While the end goal of a novel biotechnology is a great reward, I believe the path to the goal is also a great personal reward. It helps to have a flexible mindset and treat any setbacks and detours as learning experiences.