Makho Nyathi

General Info

What will be your most valuable contribution to your TechWomen mentorship?

The knowledge and skills I bring will be valuable to the mentor as we embark on exchange of information and skills. I believe there are some aspects of the field that I know from my background that the mentor may benefit from. My unpacking the research interests and concerns that are currently topical in my country will be valuable to the mentor. Africa being a culturally rich continent the mentor will also gain from me insight into my cultural background.

The Top Three Things I Would Like to Learn or Experience During my Mentorship

1. Research project design, planning and grant sourcing.
2. Use of metagenomics in research surveillances and bioprospecting.
3. Strategies for business startup in Biotechnology services company.

Mentorship Characteristic

• Participate in a skills-building course, either provided by my mentor’s company or identify a free resource online
• Focus on technical skills building
• Identify a short-term project I can work on at the partnering company
• Have exposure to specialized industry techniques
• Exposes me to new tools and platforms

Ideal Company Type

My interests lie in microbial ecology, water quality research and bioprospecting for enzyme producing microbes and the use of metagenomics. I am also interested in monitoring the environment for antimicrobial resistant bacterial strains. I would like to engage with a mentor from a research group be it in academic research or product development. I hope to gain from the mentorship technical writing as well as strategy skills in biotechnology research. I would like a company that will expose me to latest tools in biotechnology and rapid methods of carrying out analysis even in low resource settings.

What are three adjectives that best describe you in the work place?

1. Reliable
2. Resourceful
3. Teachable

What impact will your mentorship have on your career and professional path?

With exposure to high-tech equipment and techniques I will be more open minded in my profession within the University. My mindset will not be limited to only what can be done in our laboratories, but I will be able to think outside the box to the techniques and equipment I was exposed to during the mentorship. I hope to gain from the mentorship skills in research design as well as technical skills that will enable me to confidently embark on a Ph.D. program which is the next step in my professional path.

After participating in the TechWomen program, how will you leverage your mentorship experience to make an impact in your home country?

Using my platform as a laboratory technician, I will impart the gained knowledge and skills to students who pass through my hands in the university and to the community through the university's engagement programs. I intend to carry out a Ph.D. project that addresses challenges faced by my community; I will be more equipped to achieve this with the guidance obtained from the mentorship program. When I eventually achieve my dream to open a biotech services lab, I will avail to my community cost effective, efficient and reliable services at their doorstep made possible by the TechWomen mentorship experience.

Work History

Years of Full-time Work Experience

18

Primary Professional Focus

• QA and testing
• Scientist and researcher
• Technical training

Education History