What do ancient Egyptian remains and modern biobanking have in common? More than you might think. Dr Jennifer Man, Director of Science at UK Biocentre, recently joined two podcasts, The Divergence Room and Lab to Lives, to discuss her journey into science, the challenges of managing millions of biological samples and why people remain at the heart of scientific progress.
Jennifer Man's interest in science began with a simple childhood curiosity: why do things grow, and what happens when you mix rose petals with mud?
That curiosity eventually led her to study biomedical science, followed by a Master's degree in forensic Egyptology, where she worked with human remains dating back to around 3,500 BC. It might seem an unusual starting point for someone who now oversees scientific operations at one of the UK's largest biobanking facilities, but Jennifer sees a clear connection.
When working with ancient remains, there is no opportunity to repeat an experiment. Every decision matters, and careful planning is essential to preserve material that cannot be replaced. The same principle applies to the millions of biological samples entrusted to UK Biocentre today.
"I knew how precious those remains were, and it really translates in a roundabout way to what I'm doing at the moment," Jennifer explained on the Lab to Lives podcast. "It's basically a snapshot in time of what's happened to that person."
Whether a sample is thousands of years old or was collected yesterday, it represents something unique. Once that material is lost or compromised, the opportunity to study it may be gone forever.
When Jennifer first visited UK Biocentre for her interview, the scale of the operation took her by surprise. As a cell biologist, she was used to thinking about scaling up experiments from a six-well plate to a 24-well plate. At UK Biocentre, she encountered dozens of automated liquid handlers processing thousands of samples, alongside automated −80°C storage systems holding approximately 12 million samples.
At its peak, the facility has processed 60,000 samples in a single day. Today, UK Biocentre is responsible for the care of around 35 million biological samples.
"I can't describe to you what 12 million looks like," Jennifer said. "It's at a scale that I still have to pinch myself to this day."
Managing biological samples at this scale requires far more than storage capacity. Every sample must be accurately identified, processed, tracked and protected throughout its journey. And when thousands of samples move through a laboratory every day, even a small error can have significant consequences.
That's why Jennifer places so much emphasis on the processes surrounding the science: how work is documented, how operators are trained and how deviations are identified and managed.
Automation plays a central role in UK Biocentre's operations, helping to standardise workflows, improve consistency and support the processing of large sample volumes. A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) provides traceability throughout the sample journey, recording information from the moment a sample arrives through processing, storage and retrieval.
But while technology makes large-scale biobanking possible, Jennifer is clear that it cannot replace the expertise of experienced laboratory scientists. Biological samples are inherently variable. They arrive from different clinics, collected from different individuals, and don't always behave exactly as expected. When something falls outside the standard workflow, people need to make informed decisions.
Scientists and laboratory operators are essential for verifying results, carrying out quality control, investigating deviations and, where necessary, recovering valuable material manually. The challenge is finding the right balance between automated efficiency and scientific judgement.
For Jennifer, the aim is to create systems that support scientists in doing their best work, while ensuring that every sample receives the attention it deserves.
One of Jennifer's most important messages to researchers is to think beyond the immediate needs of a study. Biological samples may remain valuable for years, supporting research questions and analytical techniques that weren't part of the original project. Decisions made during sample collection, processing and storage can determine which of those future opportunities remain possible.
Jennifer encourages research teams to consider the entire sample journey from the outset: from collection and transportation through processing, storage, retrieval and eventual analysis. What might researchers want to do with those samples five years from now? Could a particular processing step affect their suitability for genotyping or another downstream application? These are questions worth asking before a large-scale study begins.
She also recommends running a pilot study with a sample management provider before committing to a full programme.
"Let's see where one vial of blood can take you," she suggests.
A pilot can help researchers understand what a workflow can deliver, assess sample quality and volumes, and identify potential challenges while there is still time to address them. It's an approach that reflects Jennifer's experience across different areas of science, including cell and gene therapy, where she saw promising biological ideas encounter difficulties when they needed to be scaled up.
Successful large-scale research depends on thinking about those practical challenges early.
Jennifer's career has taken her through university laboratories, the public sector, start-ups and now UK Biocentre. For the first decade, she moved between research roles, often on 12-month contracts. While that might have looked unconventional on a CV, she considers it one of the most valuable parts of her career.
Each laboratory introduced her to new techniques, different ways of working and new colleagues with their own approaches to solving problems.
"All those years of moving from lab to lab, team to team, make me really and truly understand the complexities of a scientist," she reflected on The Divergence Room.
Those experiences also shaped her approach to leadership. Having worked with both supportive and difficult managers, Jennifer believes that scientists do their best work in environments where they feel trusted, listened to and comfortable raising concerns.
She is particularly passionate about supporting scientists as their careers develop, recognising that becoming a manager shouldn't be the only route to progression. Some scientists thrive when leading teams. Others make their greatest contribution by developing deep technical expertise or solving complex scientific problems at the bench.
"We shouldn't be treating every scientist the same," she explains. "They can lead in other ways as well, and there is a difference between leadership and management."
At UK Biocentre, this philosophy extends to improving the way teams work. When Jennifer joined in 2024, she spent her first months listening to customers, understanding existing processes and reviewing operational data before making changes.
One development she championed was a dedicated process and development team, giving experienced laboratory staff the time and opportunity to improve workflows without competing with the demands of daily operations. For Jennifer, meaningful improvement starts with understanding the people doing the work and using evidence to guide decisions.
After more than 20 years in science, Jennifer's day-to-day responsibilities look very different from when she first started. Rather than planning experiments herself, she now focuses on ensuring that the people, equipment, systems and processes are ready to deliver for UK Biocentre's customers.
That means working closely with colleagues across the organisation, from scientists and quality specialists to facilities, health and safety, HR and project management. It's a different kind of scientific challenge, but one she finds equally rewarding.
And although she admits to occasionally missing the laboratory bench, her definition of success has changed. Where she once measured achievement through her own experiments and discoveries, she now takes the greatest satisfaction in seeing others develop their skills, overcome challenges and succeed.
"Seeing others thrive under your management, there's no better feeling," she says. "And that for me is success all round."
From ancient Egyptian remains to the management of millions of biological samples, Jennifer's career offers a fascinating perspective on what it takes to deliver science at scale.
Listen to the full conversations:
Find out more about UK Biocentre's sample processing, storage and management services here.