A Day in the Life of: Zeus Nair, Senior Postdoctoral Associate at SMART AMR

The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) interdisciplinary research group (IRG) at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) aims to develop innovative and disruptive approaches to tackle one of today’s most pressing health threats – antimicrobial resistance. 

Part of this effort is Zeus Nair, Senior Postdoctoral Associate at SMART AMR. His work centres on uncovering the mechanisms that drive antimicrobial resistance in bacteria, combining hands-on laboratory experimentation with data analysis and hypothesis‑driven investigation. From early‑morning lab work to untangling complex biological puzzles, Zeus plays a key role in advancing understanding in a field where much remains unknown.

In this feature, Zeus shares what a typical day looks like, how he navigates the uncertainties of research, what keeps him motivated as a scientist, and the principles that guide him both in and outside the lab.

How do you typically start your day before work? What’s the first order of business when you get to SMART?

My day starts with a quick shower, a cup of coffee, and overnight oats or pastries. During my commute, I listen to music, catch up on the news or get lost in my own thoughts. By the time I’m at work, I’m mostly already in the right headspace to start work almost immediately. The first order of business would be grabbing a glass of water and quickly going over the experiment plans for the day before heading directly into the lab. I prefer to dive straight into experiments the first thing in the morning, while the lab is still peaceful and quiet. The early bird catches the worm (or rather, vacant lab equipment)!

Typically, I spend about 75% of my time in the lab and 25% in the office, though this shifts during periods of data analysis or writing. Administrative tasks such as data analysis, experiment planning and literature review are usually slotted in during longer incubation periods or later in the day. My lab work focuses on studying AMR mechanisms in bacteria, involving bacterial cultures for phenotypic assays, conducting genetic manipulations, microscopy and protein expression analysis.

As laypeople, we often see scientists depicted in popular media having their ‘aha’ moments where they work on incredible technologies that change the world. Have you ever had an “aha” moment? If so, can you briefly describe where you were and what you discovered?

I am convinced that such an “aha” moment as depicted in the movies rarely ever happens, at least not in such an exaggerated manner. At least personally, discoveries are more like the culmination of many mini-“aha” moments that we stumble upon. 

Typically, when trying to untangle AMR mechanisms, there is a huge web of interconnected unknowns. These “aha” moments take the form of making sense of parts of this web through hypothesis-driven and experimentally validated discoveries. Together, all these “small” breakthroughs build on each other and eventually unveil the bigger picture. This feels way more satisfying to me as compared to a single “aha” moment depicted in the media.

Research can be unpredictable, with setbacks and challenges along the way. How do you handle obstacles or unexpected issues that arise during your workday?

Research really is unpredictable, but I always remind myself that every failure or unexpected result is informative, no matter what the outcome is. As they say, “negative data is still data!”

Failed experiments are simply feedback that something is not right in your protocol and needs to be adjusted; and unexpected results just tell you that what you thought you knew about the biology probably isn’t quite right. I don’t take these setbacks too badly and instead use them to drive further investigations. Consulting and bouncing ideas off other lab members also really helps in problem-solving.

What advice do you have for young scientists beginning their careers to navigate their own "day in the life" of a researcher?

My advice would be not to take failures too personally, whether it be chasing down hypotheses that led to dead ends or mistakes made experimentally. What matters is that you take each challenge as a learning opportunity and adapt as you go along – either by honing your technical skills or readjusting your hypothesis. 

Also, do not feel ashamed to share your challenges with other lab members and to brainstorm ideas to move the project forward. This has helped more times than I could count! But of course, in the beginning, it can still be quite challenging to get used to. Do also remember to be kind to yourself, and having a good support network certainly helps too. 

What excites you the most about your work?

The problem-solving nature of my work and teasing apart mechanisms excites me the most. Uncovering AMR mechanisms is sort of like working with a giant multi-part puzzle, where so much is unknown. Which also means that there is so much left to discover! To discover something unknown in this complex web and knowing that you’re probably one of the first people to uncover this makes it particularly satisfying.

What are your weekends usually like? How do you spend your time outside of work?

One of the things that I spend my leisure time on outside of work is strength training at the gym, which really helps me decompress from work and empty my mind of worries. I am also a huge fan of video games and am particularly fond of strategy and single-player role-playing games – the ability of these to inspire wonder and accomplishment through progression really speaks to me. 

All things in moderation, of course! Apart from spending time on these things, if there are no plans of meeting up with friends, my weekends are also spent mostly with family, with at least one dinner each week that we’ll have outside of home as a “treat” for the week.

However, certain experimental set-ups can sometimes demand longer than normal working hours or visits to the lab on weekends. When this happens, I would sacrifice a gym session or two and reward myself with some good food at the end of the day. But no matter what, I will try my best not to sacrifice time with family too much. They are my pillar of strength, and time with them is all too important.

What is one thing you can’t live without and why?

Coffee, definitely coffee. I’m a self-proclaimed coffee addict, and this has to be my all-time favourite beverage. There is something warm and comforting about having a cup of coffee with some pastries to start the day, or as a mid-day pick-me-up. There is also so much in the way of variety, brewing styles and flavours to discover. All-time favourites are definitely Vietnamese iced coffee and flat whites.