A Week Behind the Scenes at Cancer Research UK

 Note: Once again, I've been meaning to finish this post for months but never got round to it, here's another one from July! Sorry it's so late but here it is:

This July, I had the incredible opportunity to spend a week at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Biological Resources Unit. As someone passionate about biology, genetics and cancer research, I was so excited to step into a real lab environment and spend a week seeing what working in biomedical research actually looked like. What I didn't expect was how much this experience would challenge me - not just intellectually but emotionally too.

Day 1:

My first day began with a talk about what I was expecting and hoping for from this work experience placement. This was really great as it made me feel a lot more comfortable in a new, unfamiliar environment, and it helped me understand what my week would look like a bit more. We then had an induction, which was all about the safety, and the ethical rules behind biomedical research in the BRU. It really struck me how carefully everything is regulated to ensure that research is done responsibly and humanely. Later, we were shown bioluminescence and flourescence imaging used to study the brain cancer in mice. It was so fascinating to see how these scans help scientists visualise cancer progression inside the mice.

Day 2:

On Tuesday, we got to see ultrasounds of mice with pancreatic cancer. This meant that we had to 'scrub in' and pass the barrier, which was really exciting because it made it feel like we were entering a real surgical area. Later, we visited the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology where we saw zebrafish. Their embryos may be tiny, but they are so important for understanding diseases like tuberculosis. Later on in the afternoon, we practiced drawing blood and injecting solvents using rubber models, which gave us a hands-on insight into lab techniques. This was so interesting because we learnt a lot about needles and syringes. This was one of my favourite parts of the week, and as someone who has had a lot of blood tests, it was interesting to be able to draw blood from a model of rubber veins.

Day 3:

The first part of this day focused more on chemistry and pharmacokinetics, which is how drugs interact with and move through the body. I found this part expecially interesting because it connects biology and chemistry so directly. First we had an introduction to pharmacokinetics and then we were up in the laboratories (rather than in the BRU), and we did some work with human plasma which was really interesting. Later in the afternoon, we observed a mouse dissection. As someone who loves animals and is vegetarian, I had never even touched a dead animal before, so this part was really difficult for me. But I was proud that I stayed, watched and learned, and very grateful for the support from those who worked there as I didn't feel at all pressured to have to take part if it made me feel uncomfortable. By watching the dissections that others were doing and seeing how the animals were treated with respect, it helped me understand that research involving animals is done with purpose and care.

Day 4:

Thursday was a very practical day - we learned how to do sutures (stiches) on rubber skin. This was one of my favourite parts of the week and I loved the precision that suturing required. Surprisingly, I was much better at sutures than I thought I would be and I managed to suture some of the more challenging 'cuts'. After sutures, we talked to one of the technicians who gives medicine to mice and we spent some time in the room with the mice. I was really glad to see the mice being handled with such care, and seeing medicine being given to the mice made me realise how much work goes into medical research behind the scenes, beyond just the lab work you would expect when you think about medical research.

Day 5:

On my final day, we continued practicing sutures which I was starting to get much better at. We also learnt about anaesthetic preperation and mixed chemicals in specified doses to simulate lab processes. We also did more work on drawing blood - again, using rubber models - and we discussed how drugs are tested safely and effectively.

Reflection - What I've Learned

Over the course of this week, I've learnt so much more than I thought I would. Intellectually, this experience has expanded my horizons in so many ways. I have seen first hand how biology, chemistry, and ethics come together in research. I now understand how complex biomedical work really is, from lab safety and animal care to pharmacokinetics and imaging. Even though I don't see myself working in a Biological Resources Unit, this has been such an amazing experience to see what goes on behind the scenes of biomedical research in laboratories, and how all of this work is vital to researching cancer. It's one thing to read about all of these things in a textbook or an article, but seeing them in action made it all feel real. I've gained such valuable hands-on experience, learned new technical skills, and most importantly, I've seen how every small task contributes to something much bigger - the fight against cancer. I have absolutely loved this work experience placement,  and it's made me even more certain that I want to be part of this world of discovery and research in the future (although maybe not directly with animals).

But beyond everything that I've learned scientifically, this week has also been a huge journey of emotional growth. Going into it I was definitely nervous - I wasn't sure what to expect. I love animals deeply and I've been a vegetarian my whole life - so I wasn't sure how I'd cope with seeing animal research up close. There have definitely been difficult, challenging, and even upsetting moments this week, especially when I saw dissections for the first time. But I now understand why this work is done, and how vital it is for developing new treatments that can save lives - both human and animal. What really stood out to me was how much care, respect and compassion everyone showed towards the animals. They are treated gently and monitored constantly, and I could see that the scientists genuinely care about their wellbeing.

This experience has pushed me so much - and I've loved it. It has taught me that science isn't just about curiosity, but also about responsibility and courage. I've learnt a lot and grown not only in knowledge, but also emotionally, and I'm more inspired to keep learning and exploring. This week reminded me why I want to pursue a career in science - to keep asking questions, discovering answers, and making a difference.

A huge thank you to the whole CRUK Cambridge Team who have worked so hard and been so kind to make this work experience placement come together!