Blog 10. Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. INVOLVE ME and I learn. - Benjamin Franklin

     VS  

The most challenging part of this module, for me, is the presentation. It is where I came into the realization that it is already the end of the semester. It has really flown by so fast. Looking back from the first day where I was just wondering whether to take this module or no, I felt like my knowledge have grown so much in that span of time. I have enhanced so many skills and made different things I thought was impossible. The e-portfolio and the weekly group meetings we had helped me develop primarily team building and communication skills. Indeed, two heads are better than one; well in this project, 3 heads. I learned to listen to my colleague’s opinions and ideas which made it more challenging yet enthralling.

At first, we wanted to do a normal presentation where we do it in Powerpoint and present it as normal. However, it is an engaging class and we all know that’s boring and the class will be bombarded with information where it would be hard to grasp anything. While deciding, dividing the work was suggested - one focusing on upstream, the other on downstream processing and one on the product background. Until the day before the presentation that we have decided to just discuss the production of vaccine as it is hard for us to pinpoint the actual downstream for our product at the moment; and also a little bit of background about our product. A visual interpretation (acting) was our concept where we explained the vaccine production targeting the virus.

While doing the presentation, it was really nerve racking as we know we’re not that prepared. However, everything we put together is our combined hardwork for 12 weeks and the presentation is the way in sharing it to our colleagues and for them to be able to learn what we’ve learned throughout our journey. Despite that, our presentation turned out really well, I must say. This was proven by our interactive game – kahoot, where they have to answer 10 questions relative to what we had presented. Through that, everybody participated and even shouting answers to the questions. It is where I know we did our part well. We maybe didn’t elaborated much as the other groups but we certainly know that they have grasped something about our product and its production, which is our aim anyway.

However, when given the chance to do it again, a week preparation will be more beneficial so that more things will be added like the updated version of our infographic which outlines the whole upstream processing. Also, by seeing other group’s presentation, acting seems like the easiest way of teaching a class. I really liked the idea of the last group where they explained the whole bioprocess of their product through a Christmas tree which I certainly will remember. Overall, it feels great to have these all done. This module is not easy, it requires a lot of work – which I said most in my blogs, but it really does. It’s time consuming and it really did drain all my energy from reading endless articles.

To sum it up, I really enjoyed this module. A lot of modules have been applied and connected such Immunology and Diagnostics, Drug Delivery and Biotechnology. If I were to pick a module again, I most certainly will pick this despite the hardwork it requires. I have grown so mature in just a short span of time. I learned to manage my time wisely along with enhancing scientific abilities. Problems were also encountered throughout this journey but I learned to figure out things to do to overcome all these.  

THE END

Blog 9. Wake up with determination. Go to bed with satisfaction.

The class today was used as an opportunity to ask questions about the upcoming interactive class and also the e-portfolio. It is the time where all confusions were opened up and also asked things that are not clear relative to other parts of the module which I find very beneficial. 

By dividing our work for the e-portfolio last week, we are now more organized and our website is starting to look very professional and catchy. All our aims in the beginning are now slowly being accomplished. Truly, "Teamwork makes the dream work". We decided to keep adding stuffs we think will make it more interesting. The concept is to give a concise information yet covering all the details - bang on information. We don't want to overload our website with information which will bore our readers. However, for wide readers, references are inserted for them to do further reading. 

I can also see the relativity of other modules to this module. Everything I've learned in other modules have been applied in the production of our product. By this, it suggests how I've grown as a scientific thinker. Looking back from our first lecture where Barry was talking about how Bioprocessing is very beneficial, I can now understand the importance of it.

Draft outline of logo

Product Logo

As for the memo this week, our product logo has to be designed along with our tagline, target market and USP. We came up with a lot of different taglines, some funny ones, catchy and professional. The initial tagline we though was "Dengue No More" which we got from an article read in Drug Discovery and Synthesis - Malaria No More. However, it is too plain and very popular to us. So, we decided to go with "DEN-IV - The vaccine that touches the world". Our target market is the people who needs it more which are the ones in endemic areas and then travellers to prevent the spread of the disease on non-endemic countries. Our USP will be the vaccine that will target all four serotypes with a reasonable cost.

Thinking about all these was not easy. We spent hours discussing all these as a group and just like a normal group, we also had arguments especially in thinking about our tagline. However, in the end, we managed to agree on everything. Many different skills are indeed acquired and developed through this module. If ever I'm given the chance to work in a group again, it will be a lot easier through this experience. I am now better in voicing out my opinion with prepared back-up to support my argument. 

Blog 8. Work hard in silence, Let SUCCESS be your noise - Frank Ocean

Since we had a Pfizer trip this week for other modules, it's a DAY OFF for this module. However, my group used the time to be productive and get something done as we all know we will benefit from it in the end. 

The e-portfolio needs a lot of work and there are a lot of ideas in our minds which made us change our site. Creating a new site is not easy, on the other hand, it will be easier to change the whole thing rather than working in a website where we can't see any progress. We divided the work instead. The upstream processing of our product is already done with the aid of our infographic. So we focused on the detailed background yet easy to read about Dengue virus including the areas affected and the need for it and also our background information which Toby worked on. Whereas Yeqi focused on the downstream processing of our product. As for myself, I researched the competitors and also patented drugs that are similar to our product. We gave each other a week to do all these as there are a lot of work from the other modules as well.

I find this module very daunting at times and it is very hard to keep up with weekly works. However, I am trying my best to do all the works for the week. The reason why I still keep doing my best is because I know it will be a great benefit to me in the future. Also, no matter how intently it is, I still enjoy it. Having my group is the best thing about it. Unlike any other groups, we can always arrange group meetings through skype or facebook whenever we don't have time, just to keep up with our work. Our open forum in facebook also is a great benefit where we post articles we are reading to give others the chance to also read what we are researching, thus giving more ideas.