Profile
Lucas Al-Shok
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About Me:
I live in York and work at the University as a scientist, but I am originally from Berlin in Germany. If I am not in the lab I like going climbing or baking sourdough bread at home. I also really enjoy playing video games.
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My pronouns are:
he/him
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My Work:
My work focuses on making long chains of molecules which are called polymers and can be used as plastics. However, the chains that I make have bonds in them that can be broken by bacteria that live in environment. That way, these plastics would just degrade when released to the environment and leave no trace.
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Read more
The reason we as scientists investigate polymers that degrade in the environment is because it is not always easy to recycle them. For instance, cosmetic products such as shampoos or skin creams contain polymers to make the shampoos ‘jelly’ and creams ‘creamy’. That means though that they will inevitably end up in the environment because they just get flushed down the drain and we cant collect them to recycle them. This is why we have to design polymers that will easily degrade after being used.
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My Typical Day:
I start the morning with some cereals and nuts before I cycle to work and have a coffee when I read my emails. After that I will usually go to the lab and do experiments. Around half 12 I would have lunch with my colleagues. After that I would continue being in the lab or work at my desk if I have to write reports or make presentations of my results. After about 6 pm I would cycle back home.
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Education:
I went to school in Berlin, Germany and finished by Abitur (equivalent to A-levels) in 2013. After that I started studying Chemistry in Berlin at the Humboldt-University and graduated with my masters in 2018. During my masters, I did an internship at the University of Warwick in Coventry for 6 months, which is where I moved, to do my PhD from 2019 to 2023 (in Chemistry). In 2024, after graduating, I took up a role as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of York, where I work since.
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Qualifications:
GCSEs and A-levels in Germany.
BSc and MSc in Chemistry in Germany.
PhD in Chemistry in the UK.
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My Interview
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What did you want to be after you left school?
A chemist
Were you ever in trouble at school?
No not really, I was usually well liked.
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Maybe psychology or carpentry.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
I like the band Peach Pit quite a lot.
What's your favourite food?
I love a pizza with lots of mushrooms and cheese on it.
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
I would like the ability to teleport myself so that I don't have to take trains or airplanes anywhere. I would grant my family the ability to grow old without any illnesses (that probably counts as two wishes).
Tell us a joke.
What do you do with a dead chemist? You Barium
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
a little shy, modest, always hungry
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