Ximbio's mission to make life science research reagents widely and easily available around the world, is supported on the ground by a network of “Ximbassadors”, made up of research students, post-doctoral scientists and laboratory technicians who work in their institutes to find the valuable research tools that are so often allowed to go to waste in the back of freezers or lost when researchers move on.
These paid internships provide the resources needed by institutes to investigate the tools and reagents that exist within their own labs and to work with the Ximbio team on the commercialization process required to turn them into products.
The Ximbassador program has wide benefits. For the institutes and inventing scientists it can broaden access to their reagents and provide revenue back from commercial licensing and sales. For the Ximbassador it provides valuable experience working with a commercial partner, broadens their connections and adds a unique aspect to their CVs. The Ximbassador program runs alongside and complements other student training programs, such as the BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership program and the Professional Internship for PhD Students (PIPS) scheme. Institutes and funding bodies are therefore increasingly seeing the benefit of this experience in developing the skills of their students and staff.
One of our most recent recruits, Tracey Stevenson, is completing her BBSRC funded PhD at Durham University in the lab of Professor Marc Knight. A key component of the BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership program is the Professional Internship for PhD Students (PIPS) scheme - a 3-month integrated placement. By becoming a Ximbassador Tracey has been able to fulfil her PIPS requirement while also expanding her skill set in the world of technology transfer and knowledge exchange. Commented on her experience, Tracey said that "As a Ximbassador I have gained an insight into the tech transfer industry as well as enhancing my interpersonal skills. I have enjoyed the whole experience and look forward to applying what I have learned towards my future career ".
Tracey Stevenson - Ximbassador, University of Durham
The Ximbassador program is expanding rapidly at our partner institutes around the world, providing wide opportunities to gain hands-on experience in commercializing tangible biological research reagents in partnership with the interns’ local university.
Internships like the Ximbassador program, the BBSRC PIPS scheme is important as it provides doctoral students with context for their research in relation to the wider regulatory and professional environment while also providing them with additional transferable skills. An essential requirement in today’s fast changing life science community.