From applying a transdisciplinary approach to synthetic biology education with CSBERG, to co-founding Indus, a start-up that 3-D prints hydroponics soil, Patrick Diep is deeply invested in the start-up world and life science education. He’s currently a fifth-year chemical engineering PhD student at UofT, and previously attended the biochemistry co-op program at Waterloo for his undergrad.

On this episode, Patrick talks about developing critical analysis in graduate school, specializing vs generalizing, transitioning from biochemistry to chemical engineering, and his thoughts on how life science education can be improved.

Producer: Jay

Timestamps:

(1:37); Introduction and background

(2:36); How the PhD experience changes over time

(4:30); iGEM and Indus

(5:38); Interdisciplinary and collaboration

(9:27); CSBERG

(12:08); Getting involved with synthetic biology as an interdisciplinary student

(15:55); Reconciling interdisciplinarity with specialization

(17:35); Critical analysis and the case for graduate school

(22:22); Life sciences education

(35:47); Taking gap years before graduate school

(37:28); Co-Founding Indus and conversations you need to have before graduate school regarding commercializing research

(42:35); Why chemical engineering?

(46:29); Advice for students in science