The reason why Katy has chosen tenacity as one of Ÿnsect’s values is that, in her opinion, it’s unthinkable to give up at the first hurdle encountered in Research. And indeed, tenacious is the perfect word to describe Katy! At 27, she’s already come a long way: after a BCPST preparatory class and a 3-year degree in cellular and molecular biology, she completed a master’s degree in animal genetics in Paris, for which she did several internships in population genetics (in cattle, as well as on a yeast from an insect microbiota!). She then completed a thesis on the genetic diversity of rainbow trout at INRAE. She discovered Ÿnsect as a seasoned researcher when Eli suggested she join a young genetics team in a slightly mad venture. Wrapped up in the challenge of starting up an insect-related genetics project, Katy didn’t hesitate to embark on the adventure.
Today, Katy is a genetician engineer working in our R&D labs near Paris. Her daily mission is to select the best insects to be the parents of the new lineages. Thanks to her, our insects will be able to grow faster, bigger and healthier. Every day, she switches from the office, where she studies data to understand insect genetics, to the lab, where she helps the technicians gather the information she needs.
Rich daily life, rich skills too! According to Katy, to join her team, rigor, curiosity and passion are essential. And because they’re so passionate, they’ve decided to adopt a family of stick insects in their office. Attention all enthusiasts: it’s everyone’s turn to look after them during holidays!
