Cristela Oliveira – Cleaning and Sterilization

Cristela Oliveira originally comes from Portugal but moved to Switzerland many years ago. She has been working at the Biozentrum for 23 years, the last ten in the media and lab ware preparation facility. “My day starts at 6 a.m. by unloading the autoclaves and emptying clean glassware from the dishwashers,” she says. “Then we do our rounds through the building and return materials to the different floors.” By the time she and her colleagues return, used materials are already waiting for them – delivered directly from the labs to the fourth floor via the MTS system, a type of paternoster lift.

 

Later, they make two more rounds to collect waste. “I really like that, because we get to interact with people in the labs – we know them, and they know us,” she says. “I also enjoy being close to research. What people do here fascinates me. Even though parts of my job are routine, it never gets boring.”

 

Her colleagues also play a big role. Some of them meet every Friday morning for a traditional Swiss “Znüni” with braided bread and jam. There is also a team pizza day every two weeks. Cristela finds her work highly meaningful: “We give researchers the freedom to fully focus on their work without having to worry about routine tasks.”

 

Patrick Groelly – Fly Food Production and Block Course Preparation

“Before joining the Biozentrum three years ago, I had nothing to do with science – but I’ve always been curious and I enjoy learning new things,” says Patrick Groelly. His work at the MLP is remarkably diverse. A major part of his job is producing fly food (polenta), a nutrient medium for fruit flies. At the same time, he is responsible for revalidating processes, particularly autoclaves. “We regularly check whether decontamination works properly. That’s crucial to ensure that no contaminated materials make their way back into research or the environment,” he explains.

 

Another key responsibility is preparing block courses. Patrick sets up entire course environments: from equipment and materials to workstations. “The goal is for researchers and students to fully concentrate on the course. I remain on call throughout. If something doesn’t work, I respond immediately – whether it is a broken microscope or missing materials.” Originally coming from the food and hospitality sector, Patrick also trained in accounting. What makes his work at the MLP particularly rewarding is the opportunity to improve processes, he says. “I often ask myself: why do we do things this way? And if there are bottlenecks, I try to find solutions – by experimenting, thinking ahead, and working closely with the team and research groups.” He particularly values the cooperative atmosphere at the Biozentrum, where ideas are welcomed and supported.

 

One example is a project to reduce condensation in fly food production after switching to plastic tubes. High humidity in summer caused quality issues. “Together with the workshop and David Ruel from the Kempf research group, we developed a system to remove moisture from the tubes. It took several months, but it now works reliably,” he says.

 

Patrick sees the MLP as a vital backbone of research. “We make sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes, from decontamination to providing materials.” If his work is not done correctly, it directly affects experiments and results. But when everything runs smoothly, he knows he has contributed – at least in a small way – to scientific progress.

 

 

Susanne Bürgi – Culture Media Production

No culture media, no research: Susanne Bürgi works in the culture media facility, supplying researchers with everything
they need for their experiments: essentially this is “food” for bacteria, both liquid and solid on agar plates. “At first glance, it may sound simple, but the work is highly complex,” says Susanne, a trained chemical laboratory technician who previously spent many years in Basel’s pharmaceutical industry.

 

Her team follows strict SOPs (standard operating procedures) to ensure that all processes are standardized and reproducible. As part of the research infrastructure, the MLP carries significant responsibility: reproducibility begins with something as basic as clean and sterile glassware. “If something isn’t right on our end – for example, if a medium looks different than expected – we investigate immediately. That’s what makes the job exciting,” she explains. The mix of routine and new challenges, with clearly defined workflows, is what she enjoys most.

 

“Quality is our top priority. Since moving from the old to the new Biozentrum, the MLP has become far more professional,” she says. Washing and media preparation are now centralized, and quality control is one of the team’s core tasks. “We order and test raw materials, analyze problems, and ensure everything is sterile.”

 

Close contact with researchers is equally important. “Many are surprised when they see what we actually do, because much of our work happens in the background.” Susanne’s day starts early. Orders are reviewed, prioritized and executed: “Most requests are delivered within two to three days.” In addition to standard media, the MLP also develops customized “recipes” where possible. “Some are highly specialized mixtures with vitamins, minerals or amino acids that aren’t readily available,” Susanne says with a smile. “This allows more experimental research to take place.”

 

Facilities like the MLP are not a given everywhere, she notes. In many institutes, individual research groups must dedicate staff and funds to these tasks. “For our researchers, it’s reassuring to know that we save them time and allow them to focus entirely on their projects.”