Working at BGS as a postgraduate intern
Katie Williams, an environmental geochemistry masters student, shares her experience following a work placement in the Stable Isotope Facility.
15/06/2022 By BGS PressRecently I spent a few weeks with BGS on a work experience placement at their headquarters in Keyworth, Nottingham. As the placement was part of my MSc degree in environmental geochemistry at the University of Plymouth, I was mainly based in the Stable Isotope Facility, with my time split between sample preparation in the laboratory and understanding the sustainability projects in both the BGS laboratories and the wider organisation.
I was interested in gaining experience of working in the labs because of my dissertation on a petrological study of the layered and foliated gabbros found at the Oman ophiolite and their formation, which I undertook as part of my MSc. In the labs, I was able to experience preparation of both organic and inorganic samples ready for analysis using a mass spectrometer. Sample preparation involved lots of weighing, with samples coming from a wide variety of sources ranging from lake sediments to archaeological animal tooth enamel; some samples weighed less than 1 mg in mass (which is extremely small!)
The samples are analysed for a variety of stable isotopes, which can help answer a range of questions including the nature of past climates and environments at the time of deposition (lake sediments) or formation (tooth enamel). In addition to preparing samples, I was shown how carbon dioxide is extracted from the samples and analysed on a mass spectrometer. My thanks go to Jack Lacey and Chloe Walker-Trivett, who supervised my time in the labs.
As well as lab experience, I spent time understanding the sustainability initiatives of the BGS labs, namely the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF), created by University College London. The initiative aims to improve the sustainability of labs using a certification system and shared good practice. BGS currently has silver accreditation and is working towards the gold standard certification (thanks to Angela Lamb and Leah Crosby). To increase sustainability in the lab, I put together a sustainability guide that can be disseminated to staff and visitors to raise awareness.
Staff have a very hands-on approach when considering the environment of the BGS Keyworth campus and have formed a staff wilding group. The group invited me along for a lunchtime session and I helped to build a bug hotel aimed at increasing biodiversity on site. During my placement I also spent some time with the Rushcliffe Big Business Carbon Club, who were visiting BGS to discuss shared ways of improving sustainability.
As my career progresses, I hope to work with organisations like BGS in future. The staff at BGS were very welcoming and it is a great place to work.
About the author
Katie Williams is a Masters student studying environmental geochemistry at the University of Plymouth, where she is currently writing her thesis on the petrographic and trace element geochemistry of the 2021 Soufrière St Vincent explosive sequence.
Relative topics
Latest blogs
Unlocking key mineral archives at the Zambian Geological Survey Department
23/02/2024
Rachel Talbot recounts a recent visit by BGS Records staff to the Zambian Geological Survey Department, to assist in critical mineral data management.
Will 2024 be the Year of the Aurora?
23/02/2024
The Sun’s approximate eleven-year activity cycle is predicted to peak this year, prompting BGS scientists to anticipate that 2024 will be the ‘Year of the Aurora’.
Hungry like a wolf: new insights from old bones housed in the BGS museum collections
18/01/2024
BGS scientists are studying the diets of ancient British wolves and how they adapted to changing environments.
How BGS is helping the farming sector of Great Britain
17/01/2024
New legislation concerning soil management and technology in modern farming has led to an increase in enquiries about BGS’s Soil Parent Material Model.
Moving stones: faults, slopes and sediments
12/01/2024
Fractured rock along faults affects sediment movement on slopes with implications for the design of infrastructure.
Understanding nutrients in tropical rainforests
11/01/2024
Christopher Bengt talks about carrying out research for his PhD amongst the rainforests and volcanoes of the Philippines.
Linking geochemistry and health in artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the Kakamega-Vihiga gold belt, Kenya
09/01/2024
PhD candidate Maureene Auma Ondayo is investigating major and trace element exposure in the environment in Kenya, aiming to reduce exposure of humans to toxic chemicals.
The Geography Olympiad: Bandung, Indonesia
22/12/2023
School student Dion Thompson joined Team UK at this year’s International Geology Olympiad in Indonesia. We hear from Dion’s mentor Anna Hicks, before Dion reports on the Olympiad itself.
CMIC: critical minerals research review
21/12/2023
Matthew Reeves of Innovate UK provides an overview of the Critical Minerals Strategy, which sets out how the UK will go about securing its supply of critical minerals.
My role as a stable isotope research assistant
19/12/2023
Charlotte Hipkiss has recently taken up a new position in the National Environmental Isotope Facility at BGS and gives us a little insight into her new position.
Groundwater in Taiwan under a changing environment
15/12/2023
BGS’s groundwater team is part of a project to develop the first groundwater forecasts for Taiwan.
In photos: marine surveying a remote volcanic island
14/12/2023
A photo blog by members of the BGS Marine Survey team, who recently completed marine surveys around Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.