Daniel Harper

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Attomarker Ltd

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

Since graduating from the University of Exeter I have been part of a research team in industry at Attomarker Ltd. My work is centred on the development of rapid diagnostic assays that utilise small volumes of blood collected in patient mail-away kits (or directly in clinics). I have particularly pushed the development of Attomarker’s Long COVID Immunity Spectrum Test, which aims to give patients and their doctors information regarding their immune response to over a dozen COVID variants which directly informs their treatment. Now, I am pushing this further by investigating several proposed mechanisms for Long COVID and developing assays to identify which class of Long COVID a patient has to better develop the available treatment pathways.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

Working in science gives me the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding. Working in a STEM field grants me the chance to explore this frontier with intelligent, exciting colleagues that aim to improve the lives of those affected by our work. It’s a good way to challenge myself, to grow skills, and of course learn more about the world we live in. My job is wonderful for teaching me new concepts, but even more so is the chance to develop these concepts for the community as a whole.

That and putting clear liquids into clear liquids is thrilling.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

I was part of 2022’s iGEM team, which was the highlight of my undergraduate studies.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

The teaching was research led, meaning these lecturers were at the forefront of their field and deeply cared for the dissemination if this knowledge. I met many interesting academics who were incredibly willing to give me time to gain insight, particularly those I worked directly with in a supervisor-student relationship.

What did you most enjoy about studying here?

Learning at a high standard from researchers, but more importantly getting involved in this research within the scope of my degrees and beyond.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

The campus is beautiful, it’s a leading research university, and I knew it would give me good prospects in the future. Definitely not the hills.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

Being educated at the University of Exeter gave me several skills, namely my research ethos, tenacity, and knowledge into the field of my study. More importantly was the skills I directly learned within research projects in the laboratory and beyond. Meeting connected individuals has been particularly useful, namely lecturers and researchers who helped me network and access my current career path.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

Network well, work hard to achieve highly academically, and most important of all is to gain access to as many extra opportunities as possible. I would not have my career without the opportunities I pushed myself for, including iGEM and my internship at Attomarker which precipitated into a research position.

What are your plans for the future?

I intend to undertake a PhD at another world leading university in the UK to gain further qualifications and skills. After that, I plan to continue my career in STEM as either an academic or within the world of industry I currently operate within.