DNASU is always working to support researchers around the world, and that includes supporting the next generation of inquisitive minds. The repository, which operates from the Center for Personalized Diagnostics at ASU's Biodesign Institute, recently grew its team. Meet DNASU's newest and youngest members: Spencer Romero and Lior Lisk.
Romero (he/him) is a freshman at Arizona State University, where he studies biomedical engineering. He was browsing a student employment website when he came across an opportunity to intern for DNASU. His internship began just as his first semester started in August of 2023. For Romero, this is an opportunity to learn more about the biology side of his major.
"It's a stepping stone that gives me invaluable lab experience and introduces me to the microbiology world," he said.
On the team, Romero assists lab technicians with everyday tasks, such as culturing the E.coli bacteria that is used to replicate plasmids. He also works on side projects, such as updating the inventory by finding and regrowing missing plasmid plates.
Romero's favorite part about working at DNASU is getting to use the machines. He especially enjoys working with the i7 Automated Workstation and BioStore Automated Storage System.
Although Romero came on board with no prior lab experience, the team has made the learning process easy for him. He works under the guidance of Mitch Magee, principal investigator and research professor at DNASU.
"He guides me through the process, but he lets me take the steps myself," Romero said. "The lab members are all very willing to help and share their knowledge with me."
With this experience, he is one step closer to his goal of designing devices, such as brain chips and prosthetics, that advance healthcare treatment and research.
Working beside Romero is Lior Lisk (they/them), a research technician who also joined DNASU in August. After earning their bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology, Lisk worked as a lab technician at Cornell University before coming to DNASU.
On the team, Lisk's main duty is preparing plasmid orders. Once an order is placed, Lisk handles everything from growing the plasmid to shipping the final product. They also manage customer service and troubleshoot any problems that clients may have when using the plasmids.
"This position gives me a lot of experience with the scope and challenges of creating large amounts of products, working with customers and managing workflows," Lisk said.
Lisk enjoys helping researchers and wants to continue with similar support roles in the future. In particular, they are interested in industrial applications of biological fields such as developmental biology, genomics, and health. They also hope to learn more about the manufacturing and business sides of biology.
Prior to joining the repository, Lisk had some experience with cloning plasmids but not on the scale of the operations at DNASU. Being with the team also gives Lisk the opportunity to learn about their colleague's diverse research. Many of those projects focus on investigating human diseases and identifying biomarkers that can detect diseases earlier.
"Everyday, working here, I learn something new and I do something new. That really excites me," Lisk said.
Like Romero, Lisk had nothing but praise for the DNASU team. "It's a very collaborative environment. We're a very creative and motivated group of people."
With the addition of Romero and Lisk, the DNASU team now has a total of 15 members. The supportive relationships between the team members enables DNASU to handle one of the largest plasmid collections in the world.
Back to top
