Physicist in Life Science: an internship at TTP

Who are TTP?

TTP is an independent technology company where scientists, engineers and designers collaborate to invent, design and develop new products and technologies. The company is interdisciplinary group and work in healthcare, deep tech and life sciences to bring strong commercial value to clients.

My own lab coat!

What did I do?

I was one of the 20 interns directly embedded within the company, specifically within the life sciences department. One of the strengths of TTP was that people of different disciplines were colocated and actively sought collaboration with each other. This culture enabled me to learn a lot about different aspects of the business.

Scientifically, I Worked on 3 interdisciplinary projects and presented findings in biweekly meetings to clients

• The development of a high dynamic range imaging procedure for a biological assay as a client work package
• The creation of a camera calibration pipeline with OpenCV which was used in manufacturing a medical gamma camera
• Characterisation and implementation of a digital refocusing algorithm for a low-cost lens-free digital holographic microscope

Reconstructions of a resolution target

Things learnt

The internship helped me gain more commercial awareness and informed me about the world of science and technology outside academia.

The skill I learnt the most was priotisation. At a consultancy, time is literally money and so we’re very conscious on how time is spent. People typically had to juggle several projects at once and so work on the highest priority things first is imperative.

My experience

Apart from the project work, the people at the company made the experience even better. Everyone (interns and regular staff) were extremely easy to speak to and very willing to share their experiences and knowledge. The other interns were of extreme calibre and all of us were extremely supportive of each other. The interns had a chance to live together and on top of regular work, we played badminton, spikeball, walked from Melbourn all the way back to Cambridge, went on pub trips, had chats in the marquee and had lunch together everyday.

I am extremely grateful for this opportunity that allowed me to get a first glimpse into the world of product development.