How to become a research scientist: Jaz's story

Meet Jaz. They are a research scientist in London. Part of the BBC Bitesize World of work series.

Watch Jaz's story on BBC Bitesize Careers

What I do is genuinely exciting and I think I'm really finding out something new about the world that is completely unique and completely mine. I'm so glad that I get to work with such inspirational people, in such inspirational places.

Jaz is a research scientist at the National History Museum in London, working towards a Biology PhD. A PhD involves researching a unique question in order to find out something new.

Jaz's research focuses on investigating how life could have survived back in ancient history when there were extremely cold temperatures. Their work has involved studying cells and DNA (the building blocks of all life on Earth) and has even included a trip to the Arctic!

Jaz has recently been to the Artic to collect soil samples. Analysing the DNA of living things in the samples will help their investigation into how life survived through the coldest period in Earth's history.

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