Tuesday 13 February 2018
Shoba Mary Thomas
28-year-old Shoba Mary Thomas is a Masters of Science (Research) student from Universiti Malaya and a recipient of the Yayasan Penyelidikan Antartika Sultan Mizan (YPASM) Berth Support to Rothera Research Station in Antarctica grant.
As part of her second polar research expedition which ended on March 5, she is studying microbiological communities in maritime Antarctica. Her research paper sketches the effects of environmental variability and regional change on the diversity and survival of these microorganisms.
Thomas shares, “The Antarctic is an important place because of the global effects on seawater … the sea levels are rising, and global weather patterns are all determined from there."
Rothera Research Station, where Thomas has now spent a total of six months, is run by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), and located on Rothera Point, Adelaide Island on the west of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The station lies south of the Falkland Islands and south-east of Punta Arenas in Chile. In Rothera, scientific research is actively carried out all year round, even during winter.
Thomas is studying microbiological communities in maritime Antarctica at the Rothera Research Station, south of the Falkland Islands, Argentina.
Rothera is able to accommodate around 100 people in the summer months (mid-October to April) and during the winter (April to mid-October) it is kept running by about 20 dedicated staff.
Just how did a girl from Kelana Jaya, Selangor end up in polar research?
“Funnily enough,” she says, “after Form Six, I was offered microbiology at UM and I had no idea what it was! I wanted to be a doctor but I’m so glad that didn’t work out … it was a bullet dodged and I got to go to Antarctica instead!”
The SM Seri Aman schoolgirl who did her STPM at SM La Salle in Petaling Jaya says that studying microbiology turned out to be a blessing.
“It is so much fun looking down microscopes at cells. Also, I always enjoyed playing around in dirt when I was a little girl, and now I am being allowed to do it for my degree … much to my Amachi’s dismay!” Thomas says, referring to her grandmother’s vexation at the unladylike occupation.
Thomas is one of several Malaysians who have been sent by the YPASM to Antarctica. YPASM was launched in 2012 with a mission to sustain Malaysia’s presence in polar research and strengthen research capacity in global frontier sciences.
“In my final year as an undergraduate, I found that although my project was great, my friend’s work was so much more interesting and so I started looking out for polar projects like hers.
“I was lucky to be at the right place at the right time as my supervisor Dr Geok Yuan Annie Tan was involved in polar research, so I stayed on with her. I was very excited. The ecosystem is so unusual in Antarctica. I would like to continue with polar microbiology even after my Masters.
The young scientist is the eldest of four siblings. Her parents – Alexander Thomas and Achamma Mathews – passed away in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Thomas and her brothers have managed to fend for themselves, with much encouragement and support from family and friends. There have been ups and downs, but embarking on this polar adventure was never a point of concern for her.
“I was not afraid. The BAS takes good care of you. I had to attend a one month pre-deployment course in Cambridge, during which they prepare you for what to expect. You learn basic first aid, Malaysians are put through a sea survival course, you get a kit bag with an outer jacket, boots, gloves and thermal wear,” she explains, sharing how her research liaison, Prof Dr Peter Convey, a terrestrial ecologist and senior research scientist at BAS, was particularly helpful in the assimilation process.
“My biggest worry really was that I had not planned out my science properly … remember, there are no shops in Antarctica to buy stuff!”
Whether it is petri dishes, chemicals or filters, Thomas says it is imperative that planning is precise for the three-month stay.
Thomas arrived at the Rothera Research Station on Nov 30 last year.
When not in the laboratory, Thomas was able to pick up many news skills, including co-piloting a Twin-Otter plane and seeing some amazing wildlife.
Among the skills Thomas has to acquire is flying a small plane.
“I also learnt how to snowboard and I learnt to drive a rib (which is a little boat with a 40cc engine that can seat up to six people).
Thomas said another thing she quickly grasped was independence.
“Over there you have to do things for yourself and there’s a certain degree of maturity that comes with that. One learns how to adapt. I learnt to become resourceful.
“I also learnt to do a lot of physical things … I hadn’t realised how ‘unphysical’ I was in Malaysia!”
Strangely, the weather was a breeze for Thomas, who reckons temperatures ranged between 7°C and -5°C.
“But with snowstorms and blizzards it can get rather cold at times. Winters are much worse though, and no Malaysian has ever wintered in Antarctica yet!”
Women in science
All said, Thomas is super thankful for the opportunity that she has been afforded.
“From a work perspective, the samples collected will allow a better view of the trends of bacterial responses, as more data points improve resolution. This gives more meaning to the analysis and the conclusions drawn from the analysis,” she offers, in true geek fashion.
She is also grateful that everyone – in Antarctica, Britain and Malaysia – has been very supportive of women in science. “I have faced no discrimination at all when it comes to work.”
“I never thought I would ever get these opportunities … I always had such average dreams! I guess 18-year-old me would be pretty impressed with what I have done! Although it wasn’t exactly a dream of mine, when the opportunity presented itself, I’m glad I grabbed it.
“I do think that for many young women, we don’t dream big enough and that’s a shame because there’s so much that young Malaysian women can do,” she says, citing other female researchers and scientists who juggle families with young children and research work as her inspiration.
The National Antarctic Research Centre has many brilliant, hardworking female scientists that Thomas looks up to.
“As I am early in my career as a researcher, they are my role models,” says Thomas, adding that the foundation for being strong originated at home, from being raised by strong women.
“Mum (and Dad too!) allowed me to be me – scabby knees and weird childhood interests in creepy crawlies and everything. That freedom that they gave me to pursue my interests has been instrumental in shaping me.”
Read the full article here
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