International Day of Women and Girls in Science

  • Published: 11 February 2025
For 10 years now, on the 11th of February, we celebrate the women and girls who have chosen to follow the path of science [1]. We believe giving everyone a chance to do what they love is important, and it doesn’t matter what gender a person is. In Solis BioDyne, 66% of our employees and 75% of our scientists are women and they are absolutely amazing in their work.

For 30 years, Solis BioDyne has offered great opportunities to those who are passionate about science, which is why we have employees who have stayed with us for a long time and also new people who have quickly found their place here. To give you a little insight into what’s it like to work in the company, we decided to do an interview with two of our employees.

Jana is our Technology Specialist who has been working in Solis BioDyne for almost 20 years (joining in the summer of 2005). She is making sure that the base production for our products works like a well-oiled machine. 

In the last months of her master’s studies, she stumbled upon Solis BioDyne’s job ad for a technology specialist position and decided to apply. After successfully defending her thesis, she got a call from our founder Olev Kahre, who announced that she had been chosen for the role. Jana believes being passionate about your work is important for a long employment relationship; if you lack the drive, having such a stable relationship simply isn’t possible. You also have to be able and willing to grow with the company.

Teele is our Product Development and Technology Specialist who has been working in Solis BioDyne for almost four years. She is making sure that you will get the best new PCR range products out there. 

Teele decided to apply for her position thanks to another one of our colleagues, Kadri, who informed her that Solis BioDyne was looking for a new employee. At that time, there were several candidates, so after the first meeting, she also had to complete certain tasks. Clearly she was successful as she has been with us now for years.


What is your first memory of Solis BioDyne?

Jana: My very first memory about Solis BioDyne was from the lab in University of Tartu. In our lab we used Solis BioDyne’s FIREPol® DNA polymerases (I specifically remember the red cap) and buffers for our PCR reactions. At that time, I couldn’t imagine that in the future I would be producing it myself.

Teele: I first became aware of Solis BioDyne 10 years ago when I was working at the University of Tartu in the Environmental Molecular Microbiology research group and was looking for an alternative to a well-known company's rather expensive dye-based qPCR product. By chance, I found a company called Solis BioDyne online and was very surprised to discover that PCR reagents were being produced in Estonia. I contacted them, and very quickly, I was provided with two HOT FIREPol® EvaGreen® qPCR mixes for testing.

What inspired you to work in a science/ biotechnology company?

Jana: I wanted to do something different from what I did at the University of Tartu and discover the interesting and fascinating enzyme world. At the university, I did not have the opportunity to get too familiar with proteins and I wanted to change that.

Teele: The opportunity to experience firsthand that my work has a real practical purpose and that its results (both good and not-so-good) can be seen very, very quickly.

What is your brightest memory about working in Solis BioDyne?

Jana: The brightest memory from working in Solis that first comes to mind is the time in the early years of my career, when we managed to produce a FIREPol® batch with the highest concentration that we had ever seen before, and we were so happy and proud of ourselves.

Teele: One of my brightest memories is definitely the development meeting on my first day at work. I still remember that moment when I was sitting there, listening to a very lively discussion, and thinking to myself that no matter how my journey in this company unfolds, I am already grateful just for this moment.

What does it mean to you to be a woman in science?

Jana: Women have participated in research since the beginning of the history of science and have made an important contribution to it. I am happy that I can be a little part of it. I am so proud that Solis BioDyne has many brilliant women scientists.

Teele: Personally, I have never felt that I was treated any differently throughout my scientific career because I am a woman.

What is the most valuable thing you have learned while working in science?

Jana: The key to success is the will to work, curiosity, a steady hand, working habit, order and precision. Also, while working in science I have learned the importance of teamwork - good teamwork is the key that takes us forward.

Teele: I must admit that working in science has made me agree with both Aristotle, who said, "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know," and one of Olev’s favorite sayings, "The devil is in the details."

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!

References:
[1] United Nations. (n.d.). International Day of Women and Girls in Science. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day