Profile
Daniel Loy
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About Me:
I am a PhD student studying in the field of Astrobiology. I live in Milton Keynes. Outside of university I play hockey and am part of boxing and fencing clubs. I love videogames and board games. I am also a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Reserves.
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My pronouns are:
He/him.
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My Work:
I am looking at the microorganisms that live in a salt lake in Botswana and how they survive. This can tell us about how other microorganisms could have survived on Mars in the past.
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My Typical Day:
After waking up I make sure to have breakfast before getting to university around 9. I normally spend the mornings writing on the computer before lunch with other students. In the afternoon is when I work in the lab and try to leave around 5pm, then enjoy playing games at home in the evening when not playing sports.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would use this prize money for further outreach to local schools in Milton Keynes. With it being used for transport costs and consumables to create interactive practical parts to the outreach sessions.
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Education:
Growing up I moved around a lot with a parent in the military, going between England, Scotland and Germany multiple times. For my GCSE’s I was at Hadleigh High School in Suffolk.
For A levels I attended Colchester Sixth form college where I had to take 5 As levels in the first year and then was able to only take 4 in the second year.
I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Hull, getting a Second Class Honours in Coastal and Marine Biology.
The summer after finishing my undergraduate degree I joined the University of Essex where I completed a Masters by science in Tropical Marine Biology. Where I first started getting microbiology experience.
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Qualifications:
10 GCSE’s at grades A*-C Including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English and Mathematics.
3 A levels – C’s in Biology, Psychology and Philosophy.
Undergraduate degree – Second Class Honours in Coastal and Marine Biology.
Masters degree – Masters by Science in Tropical Marine Biology.
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Work History:
Age 16-18: Working in a local supermarket.
Age 21: Working for Next while in third year of undergraduate degree in university.
Age 22-23: Working for Next while completing and after finishing my Masters Degree.
Age 24-25: Working for a wedding venue while searching for PhD’s and jobs.
Age 25-27: Working in Addenbrookes Hospital as a Healthcare Scientist Support Worker in the Microbiology laboratories.
Age 27: Joined the Royal Navy Reserves.
Age 27: Working as a Bio-archive Microbiologist for the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
Age 28: Working as both a Bio-archive Microbiologist and Cell & Tissue Culture Laboratory Manager for the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
Age 29-31: Working as as Bacteriologist Core Capability Scientist for the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
Age 31: Started my PhD at The Open University.
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Current Job:
Funded Studentship PhD at The Open University titled: Microbial Survival in the Makgadikgadi Basin, Botswana.
I am also a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Reserves.
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Employer:
The Open University and The Royal Navy Reserves.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Sporty Nerdy Microbiologist
What did you want to be after you left school?
Astronaut.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Yes, I definitely went through a phase in one of my schools of being the naughty one in the class.
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Human or Veterinary microbiologist.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
The National
What's your favourite food?
Cake!
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
1 - to instantly be fluent in Korean, German, Russian and Mandarin. 2 - Have enough money to do all the training I want to do. 3 - Be able to breath underwater.
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