Andi Reynolds

Professor Anderson

COMM 1010

February 10th, 2017

Interview Project

For this interview project, I will be discussing biotechnology and DNA

Sequencing. This is a career path I have always admired and respected
because of their intelligence and determination. I have always been
interested in medical lab work. Lucky for me, my best friend Devins father
just so happens to be very experienced in this field. This paper will include
information about Michael Powers credentials, information about what
biotechnology and DNA Sequencing, and an interview with Michael Powers.

The Interviewee:

Michael Powers is a senior-level technical specialist at the University of

Utah Sequencing & Genomics Core Facility. He has been employed at the
University of Utah for 8 years and is very experienced in this field. He has 24
years in biotechnology and science applications like assay design. Powers
graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Animal
Biology. He worked at the Mayo Clinic developing new screening assays for
the diagnosis of Homeostatic and Thrombosis disorders. Powers also worked
at Idaho Technology Inc. and worked with assay design and medical
diagnostic devices. Along with, he served as technical lead for projects like
Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Michael Powers has
been involved in the biology field for years and enjoys his work, he surrounds
himself in biology, his wife is even a biology teacher.

Facts on Biotechnology:
 Biotechnology harnesses cellular and bio-molecular processes to create
products and helps us gain knowledge that can improve our lives. Todays
biotechnology combats debilitating and rare diseases. A type of
biotechnology that helps fight diseases is DNA sequencing. DNA sequencing
helps to understand and comprehend the internal structure of genes in the
DNA. It deciphers which sequence codes for what kind of proteins. The
sequence of DNA can tell you if you have any disease or not. The sequencing
can help medicine find and possibly cure many diseases.

Interview with Michael Powers:

Me: Hi! Thanks so much for meeting with me today. I promise Ill be quick, I
just have about 10 questions I need to ask you and then Ill get out of your
hair.

Powers: No problem! Dev would have chewed me out if I tried to say no

anyway. Haha.

Me: Haha, so true. Okay so to get started how long have you been working in
the biotech field?

Powers: Hmm lets see, I graduated from the U of U with a BS in Animal

Biology in 1986. Wow, that was a while ago. So about 30 years, but about 6
of them were just assisting and interning.

Me: What made you think of going into lab work with primarily humans
instead of animals then?

Powers: Well at first I felt as though this field had more opportunities job
wise, but then I really started to enjoy what I was doing so I made a career
out of it and worked my way up.
Me: Thats awesome! What is your favorite part of what you do?

Powers: Just being in the lab, having the freedom to focus without many
distractions like other workplaces, thats one pro for sure. Also, the fact that I
know I may be helping someone find a disease they might have makes me
feel useful.

Me: It should, definitely more than I do on a day to day basis. What do you
think is the worst part?

Powers: Hmm, well if I had to think of one it would be that everyone in the
lab has their own way of doing things and then I get a little OCD.

Me: Everyone has their little OCDs I think. If you were going to work
somewhere else in the field where would it be?

Powers: Where ever will pay most. Just kidding, another bio lab that I could
play around in. Pretty much what Im doing now, I enjoy what I do. Ha-ha.

Me: Im jealous you make it sound so fun. Any advice for me going in the
biology field?

Powers: Its not always fun, but most of the time. My advice would be, stay
determined, people like persistence and integrity. But also have fun with it,
dont get discouraged during school. Just stay focused and try to understand
and enjoy what you are being taught.

Me: Okay thank you. So what about Biology interests you the most do you
think?

Powers: The way that DNA acts as a map of who you are, each little molecule
telling the cells who you are. Its fascinating.
Me: Yes it is and very cool. Do you have any bio hobbies outside of work?

Powers: I do enjoy outdoor activities like biking and hiking, which is a

physical science, but other than that no havent really thought of it.

Me: Really? I would have figured since the whole family likes science you
guys would have some sort of lab downstairs. Haha.

Powers: Pssh. You know Devin is an English major, wanted her to like it, but I
guess words are more interesting than life.

Me: Haha. So do you think that the Bio and Medical fields are as difficult to
get into as people say?

Powers: Depending on the sub-fields within those, some are not as difficult as
others, but anything medical is very competitive. Just stay focused and
determined and youll make it.

Me: Thank you again for letting me interview you. As if you had a choice.
Haha.

Powers: No problem!

To conclude, biotechnology is a very important career field that assists

in curing rare diseases. I admire and look up to those in this field who put
forth the dedication in the lab, without them we wouldnt have much of the
biological and medical findings we know of today. I am grateful to know
someone like Michael Powers in this field. I hope that with DNA sequencing
using biotechnology they are able to make more discoveries.
Works Cited:

Powers, Michael. Personal interview. 4 February 2017.

"What is Biotechnology?" BIO. N.p. www.bio.org. Web. Feb. 2017.

Dr. Mandell. "What is the application of DNA Sequencing in Medicine or

Pharmacology?" Www.researchgate.net. N.p., 14 May 2014. Web. Feb. 2017.