During International Day for Women and Girls in Science, we’re talking to some of the inspiring women scientists who are making their marks at Nutreco. Gemma Arturo Diaz, who works at Trouw Nutrition’s MasterLab in Spain, talks about how she defied expectations and chose her own path to follow her passion for science.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your role in Nutreco
I have been working at Nutreco for 17 years and have held various positions related to the laboratory. Since 2021, I have been the manager of the biochemistry laboratory at Masterlab Spain. On January 1, I joined the Masterlab Boxmeer team, in the Netherlands, where I am preparing to be successor to the role of International Analytical Quality Manager.
What inspired you to pursue a career in science?
Being from a different generation, choosing science was something of a rebellious act for me. While my family expected me to become a teacher or a nurse, I was fascinated by biology. I decided to pursue it, even when everyone told me it had no professional prospects.
Can you share a moment in your career that made you feel especially proud?
Without a doubt, the most special moment of my career was when I saw my name in a scientific paper for the first time. It was also incredibly rewarding, during my first symposium, when other researchers approached me to discuss my work.
How do you hope your work will influence the scientific community and animal protein production in the future?
In my new role, I aim to help Nutreco’s laboratories improve through intercomparison exercises – These are known as Ring Tests that evaluate the performance of laboratories by comparing their results on the same sample. This helps ensure consistency, reliability and quality improvement in our laboratories; in addition to harmonisation of the quality system. As Nutreco’s latest quality campaign stated: “Quality data feeds quality decisions.”
Can you share a fun or surprising fact about your research or field of expertise?
When I tell people I work in a laboratory, they usually assume we do blood tests. When I explain that we analyse animal feed, they often ask, “But does that really need to be analysed? It’s interesting that something we take for granted – how the precise nutrition in feed can have such a huge impact on animal health and productivity – is not always known outside the industry.
