Susan Duncan receives RMS Diploma
Congratulations to Susan Duncan (John Innes Centre, UK), who has been awarded the RMS Diploma – a flexible, portfolio-based qualification for those working in microscopy or flow cytometry.
Susan is a post-doctoral scientist at the John Innes Centre (JIC), UK, where she uses microscopy to investigate the impact of RNA structure on gene regulation.
Studying alongside her role at the JIC, she has now completed her Diploma project, titled Development of Quantitative Single Molecule RNA Imaging in Plant Crop Species.
Despite advances in RNA imaging in many other model organisms, for plant biology it is currently limited to a few tissues in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Susan’s project focused on expanding this imaging approach to make it applicable to a wider range of tissues and plant species.
She said: “I undertook the RMS Diploma to increase my technical and theoretical knowledge. I particularly valued the focus on theory and experimental design, as well as the opportunity to widen my professional network. I found the course enjoyable and highly rewarding. Overall, it has strengthened my technical decision-making and given me greater confidence in my approach to research."
The RMS Diploma is designed by the candidate with the assistance of their line-manager, and with input from existing Fellows of the Society. This approach ensures that the study is both challenging and rewarding whilst fitting with, and complementing, the candidate's existing employment. The Diploma is only open to members of the RMS.