Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast
Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast
From Classroom to Career: Edwin Gonzalez and his Biotech Journey
Edwin Gonzalez shares his journey from a BioBuilder apprentice to becoming a lead scientific support specialist at Thermo Fisher by age 23, highlighting how hands-on experiences and mentorship shaped his career path.
• Middle school science teacher sparked Edwin's interest in science through engaging projects and supportive environment
• First in his family to pursue science, without STEM role models at home
• Joined BioBuilder apprenticeship program in 2019 after learning about it from a classmate
• Gained first hands-on lab experience learning aseptic technique, pipetting, PCR, and bacterial transformation
• Worked on biodesign project to create a device detecting airborne allergens
• BioBuilder experience helped him decide to major in biology at Suffolk University
• Skills learned at BioBuilder created foundation that made college coursework easier
• Landed first industry position at Novo Nordisk through connections from a LabCentral internship
• Currently works at Thermo Fisher as a lead scientific support specialist
• Role combines lab operations, facilities management and direct research support
• Recommends exploring multiple aspects of biology to build a diverse toolkit of experiences
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Hello and welcome to Life-Changing Science, the BioBuilder podcast. I'm your host, zeeshan, and my guest today is Edwin Gonzalez. Edwin first joined the BioBuilder apprenticeship program back in 2019 as part of a rockstar group of students, and he's been on an incredible journey ever since. From BioBuilder, he rolled into a summer internship, earned his bio degree at Suffolk University, trained at LabCentral and went on to work at places like Nova Nordisk. Now he's at Thermo Fisher as a lead scientific support specialist, helping drive cutting edge research. I'm really excited to have Andrew on the show to share his story from those early BioBuilder days to a thriving career in biotech. So let's dive right into this episode. Really interested in knowing when you first got interested in science and technology Was it a TV show? Was it a book? Did you have maybe other members in your family that were maybe interested in science? Really interested in where that initial curiosity came from interested in what, where that initial curiosity came from.
Edwin:So, truthfully, growing up like I didn't really like much of science or like stem in general, um, I always thought like I'm not really good at this, uh, so I was like kind of struggling to figure out what I wanted to do. Um, you know, I like the arts and everything, I like exploring different creative things. But it wasn't really until like middle school I had, uh, this teacher for you know, step of creative science. Um, she was really nice, in fact, one of the nicest teachers ever had in like any field of STEM, even to this, and she made me feel really, just like you know, welcome into, like the world of science, regardless of my ability. You know she made it really fun for me. Like you know, we would have a lot of really cool projects and like they would make sense for me, like they would click and you know it'd be anything from just like you know researching be anything from just like you know researching like different type of animals or, like you know, a little bit of archaeology, like she would mix in so many different things and, um, you know, she would also embrace, like you know, my passion and like interest and, like you know, uh, being creative and like the arts and all that, um, and overall she just made me feel like, oh, maybe I could like actually do something in science, like maybe there's something for me.
Edwin:Um, because, uh, you said, you know, did I come from a family of like stem or anyone interested in that? Not particularly, um, far as I'm aware, kind of like the first person my family to really have any interest in science, uh, in stem, most of my family has pursued like other things, um, and again, coming from a family of immigrants, you know, uh, and many of my family being the like older generations, they didn't have any resources to, you know, really even progress that far in school to make a decision for themselves like I did, to be like, oh, I want to maybe pursue science when I'm older. So to me, my teacher that made me feel like, oh, you know, I could carve my own path and maybe it can be science, and, uh, because I was like, oh, this is pretty fun, I actually really like it. So I'd say it was definitely her, my seventh grade science teacher, that made me feel like pretty stoked about science.
Zeeshan:A teacher can definitely change the trajectory of the light, for sure. What was the name of the high school you went to?
Edwin:I went to Ferryway, ferryway and Milleway, oh sorry, high school more than high school.
Zeeshan:So I know you did the bible apprenticeship program. This was back in 2019 2020 yeah, this uh spring of 2019, yep so how did you hear about the apprenticeship program and I'd love to hear more about sort of your experience there it's funny because I remember vividly when I first learned about it.
Edwin:I was in uh history class with my other friend, uh, and he brought up the program um, I think he's actually done some sort of news segments about by the builder himself. Before uh kevin fuentes shout out to him uh, he may, he was in the podcast. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So he, um, if I recall correctly, brought up the program and I was like, oh, what is that? Like that's pretty cool. And so it was like, yeah, you know, I'm applying for you should apply for it too. And I applied for it and initially, when I heard back, it was that they had already been like full, like all the open slots, but that like they would reach out to me in case like someone dropped, and they had, like you know, um open availability. And I was like, well, hopefully they do. Uh, because again, I was like, not sure exactly, but want to do the program.
Edwin:I was in the position where I was like, hmm, what even you know is this? Or like, do I really want to do something this serious like science? Because I know I liked it. But I was like, hmm, what even you know is this? Or like, do I really want to do something this serious like science, because I knew I liked it but I was like, do I like it this much? But then once I eventually got an email, um, I believe it was from Natalie herself saying, uh, so someone dropped uh, so if you like, you can join the spring covert, and I was like, yeah, you know what? Why not? No kind of just like shot in the dark, see how it goes. So, um, everything from there really just like was history. So it's really tough to count, uh, and just, I guess, just my own research, the program being like, oh, it's kind of cool and what does the apprenticeship program entail, like how long was it?
Zeeshan:uh, yeah, interested in learning more about the actual program itself in terms of you know some of the science you learned, some of the projects you worked on it was definitely the first time.
Edwin:I think I was, yeah, like doing more of like hands-on work because, like you know, more than high did have like bunsen burners and just like, uh, very old school small scale experiments, that kind of just, like you know, taught us more about what science was like like higher level. But this was definitely first time that, like you know, I think I you know practice aseptic technique, like I was, like you know, learning how to use a pipette and like uh, using petri dishes and like being in an actual like uh, tissue culture room. So it was definitely that, uh, the first time I'd actually done anything like that before.
Zeeshan:So I yeah, what were some of the projects you worked on? Like? Is the apprenticeship program more about you know teaching these new techniques and then they get you to do a project? I'm curious to hear more about that yeah, um.
Edwin:So, yeah, the program itself was a lot of like. First it was, you know, learning some techniques uh and is really I got the opportunity to collaborate some of the other uh like about builders that were in the program on like a biodesign project, um, so we in particular were just kind of thinking of ways. The question we were trying to address was, like you know, can we make some sort of like very simple, um like device, medical device that detects the presence of, like you know, allergens in the air, especially when it's like pollen, like you know allergy season, like, can it detect pollen or anything similar to that? Um, first time that I ever done anything like that, like thought that deeply about like, oh, you know how can I make an entire device for something like allergies? Um, so, to kind of prepare for that. You know we do a lot of like um, like soul culture, training sort of sessions, as well as like a lot of learning how to do different sorts of bioassays.
Edwin:Uh, you know it's's first time I'd done like PCR, for example for that's where I learned about that as well as, like I said earlier, aseptic technique and like even things like bacteria transformation, plasma transformation, really just like some of the more, just like principal skills and like a lot of like that sort of uh, wet lab research. That's a lot what the program program was leading up to just like us knowing how to do those skills and then us being able to like make you know, uh, sort of like research and kind of make up, like I said, very simple device that you know we use. It's like allergies. Again, that's what my team decided, so, and in the end, it all culminated into a like sort of a small symposium, post-presentation uh, where we networked with like uh, startups at, I believe it was, lab central, looking to get like interns for that summer of 2019. Um, so, yeah, that's kind of most of the program. It's pretty nice.
Zeeshan:So I'm saying you'd mentioned, like when you were just applying for bio builder. Um, you weren't sure if you, you know, you said you were interested in science, but you weren't sure if you were that interested in, like biology. Uh, how did that sort of change throughout the course of the apprenticeship program?
Edwin:I think it was definitely. I thought it was just really cool. Um, I I enjoyed how much it was like doing these skills and just like conducting like research. The way that I did was such a step-by-step process. Um, I really enjoyed like the structure of it and also I just thought it was like, oh, there seems to be like an impact I can make, uh, through the research that I do, these skills that I like learn, you know, I I was like beginning to like understand a little bit.
Edwin:It was still all really foreign to me, but I was gonna understand how, like, oh, this type of research can save lives. Like I was like, oh, wow, like I have the ability to learn you know, simple lab techniques that you know, in the future, I could like apply towards a career. I'm in that's like uh dedicated towards, like you know, in the case that I was doing, like people who have allergies, people who have, like you know, um other forms of just like airborne diseases or just like rare disease. Like I was like really beginning to process, like, oh, this is like biology is like you know, something that could help people. That's when I I thought like, okay, if I'm going to do anything, uh, career wise after high school. It's to help people and that's why I was like, oh, biology can do that for me and I think it's cool and fun to do, uh, especially research. Then, yeah, I, you know, definitely think that's how I started getting drawn more into it you mentioned that.
Zeeshan:You know the final part of the apprenticeship program is a symposium. You give a poster presentation. There's a lot of networking. Um, of course, having learned you know one, understanding how sort of biology and science works outside of a textbook is super important, so I'm sure that's you know what you got during that for sure, during the program, during, yeah, during the networking sessions and, uh, during the symposium. How, how was that? Did that help you sort of land your next internship?
Edwin:so the internship the person that I interviewed for wasn't at the actual presentation directly, but the. You know our poster boards were shared, like digitally to like every interested like startup and company that was looking to hire um, you know people from the program and, uh, one of them was sangly. It was this uh, I believe they're still around, but originally they were known as NeuroAccall and they eventually became Singly. They're based in Waterloo in Canada, but you know they were looking to hire somebody remotely to do pretty much like almost like a little bit of programming and just like um like data analysis in terms of like making um like educational biology related courses that people could like go on to sing the website and use to practice for like exams or anything um, and not even just that, it could be for even just like any sort of like health, healthcare, biotech professional to use. So, like you know, um pretty much store their notes, um and just like have some sort of like um resources they can use for, you know, any information they need for their experiments or whatever work they're doing.
Edwin:Uh, it was definitely something very interesting for me because I knew that I like I said I like doing the actual lab work, but I was like you know I definitely want to um, explore as much as I can in terms of like biology and like, uh, you know, if I'm going to do a career in it, like I'd like to have options of like what I want to do. So having that be my first exposure was pretty cool because it was like okay, like it isn't necessarily bench work, but like now I know something else I could do in biology as a career. So, yeah, it's pretty cool outcome. From the uh poster itself and I mean the response, it was nice, uh, like everyone who was attending really enjoyed my team and I's poster and it just made me feel pretty accomplished, like I was like okay, like, like this is really good, productive, like internship. So it made me feel like it was worth it.
Zeeshan:Yeah, yeah, and having that confidence is like yeah, confidence comes from just like Right From from evidence and proof that you can do the thing, and that's sort of what those experiences gave you.
Edwin:Yeah.
Zeeshan:And you know, I'm sure during that time you know you're giving SATs, you're applying to colleges I think you know that period is more stressful than college itself, sometimes, yeah, itself, sometimes, yeah, um. Had you how important was, you know, the BioBuilder experience in terms of helping you to decide which college, which major, um, and, sort of, yeah, the career you were looking to?
Edwin:pursue. BioBuilder definitely helped me decide that, like, biology was going to be my major, because before that I was like I really had no clue like what I wanted to do in college. It's the point where I was like, oh, am I even going to go into college? It doesn't work for me. Um, but I think it was Bible builder. Everything I did there and during the internship.
Edwin:That, um, was really good timing, cause it was like you know, after all, that I was a senior in high school, you know. So it was like good timing leading up to, you know, the college applications. I was like, ok, I think I I can just, yeah, measure in biology and see where things go from there, because I liked what I was doing a bio builder, that was really fun and I liked my internship. So, um, and again, I was like I want to explore even more. So, um, that was definitely, uh, the one of the biggest like influences from bio builder in terms of that.
Edwin:So, inside of my major and, yeah, and and I particularly, I chose suffolk, um, because I was like the program itself, uh, the biology program. While it was kind of small, it also had a lot to it, like you know, there, when I was at suffolk during my undergrad, you know, I did a variety, a variety of different stem classes, you know, all reigning from ecology to biostatistics, um, to physics, biology, and I knew that, like when I was in bio builder I was like okay, like I want to. You know, I said, try out a bunch of different things in this field. So, uh, so I offered that and, yeah, I just kind of went for it and I'd say that's kind of what Biobuilder helped me decide. There was that.
Zeeshan:Yeah, did, having, you know, done a lot of that experimental work and you know the more experiments you do do, the more sort of conceptual understanding. Yeah, for sure, because you did all of that at bio builder. Did that make some of the stem courses a bit easier sometimes?
Edwin:yeah, for sure. Yeah, I think like, even while it was like I was like still trying to like learn so many things about the stuff, I think, um, there was a foundation that bio builder like set up for me. Um, even if it was just in the beginning, you know, uh, it was mostly like the concepts of these skills that I learned, um I was applying in my classes and eventually it was like, oh, there's a bit of muscle memory here now, like, okay, some of these techniques I did a bio builder um, like I said, like minor cell culture and like um using like petri dishes and, like you know, bacteria transformations. Like when I was doing that stuff, looking for my um initial lab classes, I was like, okay, I remember doing this about builder, like I can like do this. So, yeah, there was definitely some overlap and some good influence.
Zeeshan:You've also had some coming now into your professional experience post-Suffolk. You've worked at Novo Nordisk and you're currently at Thermo Fisher right.
Edwin:Yeah.
Zeeshan:Awesome. So those are two fantastic, you know fantastic companies to work for, doing a lot of impactful science. And I know very hard to sometimes get internships at and you know, even work at right. So I was curious how you know, how you sort of landed that job at Novo Nordisk, was it you know? Did you get an opportunity to do an internship? How did you? How of an artist was it, you know? Did you get an opportunity to do an internship? How did you? How did the sort of application process look like? What sort of made you apply there as well? Sorry, these are like 10 questions in one, but you know a brief version it's actually pretty lucky because I was reached out.
Edwin:So my my role, at no notice, was a contract. So I was reached out by a contractor, um, who had saw like the work I'd done right before that because I was actually interning for a startup at LabCentral, and so they reached out, seeing I just rewrapped up that internship and, you know, offered, you know, to take me on for a role at Nova Nordisk as a lab assistant, um, and the hiring process is honestly, relatively fast, like you know. It took maybe a few weeks, uh, because it seemed like the department that I was working in they were like trying to hire quickly. So, um, you know, I joined them in Watertown and it was pretty good role, for sure, I agree. Um, um, I really enjoyed working, um, at you know, with the team I was with.
Edwin:Uh, it was because the internship that I was doing beforehand uh was also lab operations, like this role, but you know, I was assisting like an actual like lab operations manager, but here, um, the team was so small that I was like the only person doing lab operations, so I was learning a lot, like during the experience and, uh, unfortunately, that did get cut short because of funding, uh as well, uh, kind of a very common case for a lot of contract roles in biotech. But it was definitely still a pretty good experience and from there, uh, I also got like reached out by a hiring manager from thermal fisher directly to like take on a role with them, and that's where I am now for the sort of was novena artist your your first job out of college.
Edwin:Technically yeah, first biotech job yeah, yes, yeah, okay.
Zeeshan:What do you think because that's, I think, sometimes the hardest part where you know people after undergrad either go on to do a master's or PhD yeah, I think you know only really 20-30% go into into, like the workforce, straight out of out of undergrad, purely because it's really hard to just buy, take jobs straight out of your grad. Um, so what do you think it was about? Your advocate, like your cv and experience itself? Um, because you know you've completed undergrad when you're what 22, 21, 22?.
Edwin:Yeah, 22. I'm 23 now, so last year 22.
Zeeshan:Awesome, so it's you know it's very impressive to get a job at 22 at November. So what do you think it was about your application, uh, your CV, that that really stood out.
Edwin:Um, I think it was definitely the like internship I'd done at lab central.
Edwin:Uh, the startup I was with I wish I'd mentioned earlier was gc therapeutics and during that role, like I learned a lot, you know, in terms of like lab operations and just like in general being like a lab and like research support, because my like the startup itself was also in the middle of a move, um, from one floor of the like because we were in the pfizer building in like like central kendall mit area of cambridge and so, yeah, we, yeah, so we moved like I believe it was like two floors up in that building and so I not only was doing like a lot of work in lab operations but also just in general like facilities work and just like um, like juggling all these different things at once.
Edwin:So I think it was like my ability to, like you know, multitask and get all those different experiences under my belt, um, and just like maximize my experience. Um was definitely one of the strongest qualities on my resume and my cv that like never noticed when I was interviewing for them. Like mentioned as being like one of the qualities that like really drew them to me and also, as well, just like um, being knowledgeable what I was doing, you know, um, because, with it being so many like responsibilities I had, like I really had to understand like, okay, like what was like lab operations here at the startup, like what was it that I was doing that was, like you know, making an impact. So, um, I would do a lot of like own personal research in my own time to like know what I was doing, because it was my first like exposure to like lab operations and just like a actual biotech space.
Edwin:Um, so I think those two things for sure, like the internship and just like, just like doing research, you know, doing my homework on like what exactly I was doing.
Zeeshan:So you're currently a lead scientific support specialist at Thermo Fisher. What does that mean? Is it a mix of lab operations? Is it a bit of research? What, what?
Edwin:is sort of your role. It uh, definitely a mouthful of a title. I always just tell people that I'm a lab manager and, um, basically my day-to-day is, um, it's actually a lot more than I expected to come into the role, because before that I was like, okay, um, lab operations, there's like um, not much interaction I have with the actual research. Um, many of my roles, like I wouldn't even really attend scientific meetings. I was like, um, you know, very much separated from that, like in a research group, very much separate me from that and clearly have me just be there like all right, making sure equipment is working or something like that.
Edwin:But this role in particular, I am, you know, doing some of the you know more basic things, like you know, equipment maintenance and just like keeping like consumables and other sort of like critical items, like in stock, many from research. But I am like I'm attending scientific meetings, learning their research, learning how to um, because I only recently started like I'm learning how to, like you know, prepare media, um, like make recipes for medias and have, like um you know, whatever they might need for different experiments ready on, like you know, certain dates that they need them by. So so it's a lot of like you know, like I said, the basic responsibility of lab operations, as well as just like, in a way, like direct lab work. So, like I'm not actually, like you know, in like a biosafety cabinet or fume hood like all the time, like most researchers, but I am there, like you know, know pretty much, uh, learning exactly what they're doing and finding the best way to support them.
Edwin:So, you know, maybe the simplest way to describe that is like essentially a lot of like you know, developing sops, um, and, just like you know, practices, um, and eventually, as I you know, as I continue doing this role, I'll be doing even more hands-on work, um, so it's a very broad role, but, to kind of summarize it, it's like a definitely it's like a combination, like a, like a very balanced combination of like strippy operations and facilities, as well as like actual hands-on lab work and like support and like research support, because I will be in scientific meetings and, like the last week, for input on the actual research you're doing, so that I, as like the lab, support me like all right, maybe we can do this over equipment or this over consumables, or this of our like scientific approach to make this better, so that I, like you, know what to do to like, help out the researchers.
Zeeshan:Thanks again to Edwin for joining me today. What I found really insightful in today's conversation with Edwin is the way he's approaches his career. By exploring as many parts in biology as possible from benchwork to programming, teaching and lab operations, he's built a toolkit of experiences that gives him options and perspective. I think that's such a smart approach. Instead of locking yourself into one track too early, you keep discovering new ways to grow in science and new careers that you can build in bio, and I think this episode will be really useful to anyone at the start of their biotech journey, figuring out their path or navigating today's challenging job market in the life sciences. And if you'd like to learn anything more about what Edwin and I discussed today, please refer to the show notes. Join me for the next BioBuilder podcast. We'll welcome another wonderful guest whose career has been influenced by BioBuilder's life-changing science. See you next time.