Welcome back to Team Insights, where we offer you a chance to get to know a Microbiome Insights team member on a deeper level. We hope to show you the faces of the people you will be working with and the human element behind the now virtual interaction. For our seventh Team Insights, we're happy to present a new face, Rachel Floyd.

Hey Rachel! It's a pleasure talking with you. We'll be running through a few introductory questions to get to know you better.

When did you start at Microbiome Insights?

A: I started in May 2021.

What interests you most about the area of the microbiome?

A: I am most interested in how the gut microbiome affects wider human health, particularly the gut-brain-axis.

What is your dream area of research to work in?

It’s hard to settle on just one but I’m interested in epigenetics, immunology and the microbiome.

What do you do at Microbiome Insights? Describe your role?

A: As a laboratory technician I aid by receiving and preparing samples for analyses (DNA extraction, gas chromatography prep) as well as performing qPCR and other tasks.

What do you enjoy most about Microbiome Insights so far?

A: As a student, I really enjoy getting to experience working in a real lab with such great people.

How would you describe your job to a bunch of five-year-olds?

A: I help scientists from all over the world do research by processing their samples for them.

What are your passions outside of work?

A: Outside of work I really enjoy Taekwondo, making art and collecting houseplants.

What's the highest belt you've earned in Taekwondo?

A: I have earned my first degree black belt.

What’s your secret talent that no one knows about?

A: I can bake French macarons shaped like cats.

What's your favorite flavor of macaron?

A: I really love matcha! (I used to work at a shop that sold macarons and I got to eat all the broken ones).

If you could get a new skill in 10 minutes, what would it be?

A: It would be pretty cool to learn how to surf.

How have you made the most of your time working from home?

A: During my time off I hung out with my cat, learned how to make espresso drinks, did art and read some books.

What is the book you would most recommend to any reader?

A: I loved Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (book>movie)

What’s your favorite music genre?

A: I like pop and classic rock.

If you could make any fictional creature real, which would you choose?

A: Everyone wants a pet dragon, right?

Where do you want to travel to most post-pandemic?

A: I would love to travel to Southeast Asia for scuba diving!

.Thank you for your answers Rachel, and thanks for letting us know more about yourself. Rachel is an extremely well rounded and diligent individual - we're very glad to have her as part of our staff going forward.