Amandine Pillonel
Lab technician
amandine.pillonel@unine.ch
D203
+41 32 718 2314
As a laboratory technician for almost 10 years, I divide my time between two laboratories at the University of Neuchâtel: the Soil Biodiversity Laboratory and the Functional Ecology Laboratory.
My work at the University has enabled me to explore a wide range of topics, including soil microbial species diversity, and soil physical and chemical composition. Managing two laboratories has enabled me to develop skills in organization, planning and communication. As a laboratory assistant, I support researchers and students in carrying out their projects, ensuring that protocols are respected and that results are reliable and reproducible.
My career path has enabled me to acquire expertise in several key areas:
Training :
- Apprentice training: I have had the opportunity to train and supervise apprentices, following them throughout their three-year training course, sharing my knowledge and experience.
- Supervision of collaborators: I supervise and support my colleagues, be they Masters, PhD or post-doctoral students, in laboratory analyses, guaranteeing quality work.
Planning and management :
- Planning experiments: I plan experiments methodically, organizing my work over several weeks with the help of IT tools. This enables me to manage time and resources efficiently, and to ensure the success of each project while anticipating possible complications.
- Order management and maintenance of laboratory equipment: I manage the ordering and maintenance of all the equipment we have at our disposal, to ensure optimal operation.
- Protocols and entry sheets: I ensure that all protocols are up to date and that data is entered on the appropriate entry sheets. I produce user sheets/guides and visual aids to optimize the use of certain equipment, in two languages (French and English).
Laboratory analysis :
- Safety correspondent: I look after the safety of my colleagues and the environment, respecting protocols for the protection and disposal of chemical and biological products.
- Soil and plant sample preparation: I take care of sieving, grinding or freeze-drying, which are essential steps in guaranteeing accurate and reproducible analysis.
- Soil physical and chemical analyses: I carry out various analyses such as pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), chemical element detection (CHNP), texture and granulometry, to assess soil quality.
- Soil biological activities: I examine the enzymatic reactions and biological dynamics that influence the soil ecosystem, such as organic matter decomposition and nutrient mineralization.
- Protist extraction: I apply filtration techniques to samples of soil, litter or sphagnum moss to isolate protists, which I then observe under the microscope.
- Molecular biology: I use a variety of molecular biology techniques on single protist cells, as well as on environmental samples such as soils and sphagnum mosses, to obtain unique genetic sequences or to analyze diversity within a single sample.
