I have the best job in Australia: I work with native Australian spiders, using their venom to discover new, environmentally friendly insecticides. We collect the spiders, rear them in the lab, milk them, and then fully characterise the venom. This work is part of a global effort to tackle insecticide resistance, the lesser known twin of antibiotic resistance, but a problem that will also have a huge impact on the population.

My group is one of the hundreds of research groups around Australia performing an essential public service: to discover and innovate so we have the best technology to navigate our environment. A recent report showed advanced sciences in Australia contribute $145 billion to our economy, and employ about 7 per cent of the population (about 760,000 jobs).

Funnel-web spiders have the potential to be crucial in the treatment of stroke patients. Credit:Gary Brown

What is less well known is who is behind the science: many people imagine an old, white man behind a microscope or in a laboratory, working alone and late at night. The late nights might be true, but the rest isn't entirely accurate. I am a researcher in a group of about 25 - about half women, most under 45. Research is incredibly collaborative and we spend long periods of time in training – not just in school, but learning new techniques and how to use cutting-edge equipment. We teach at universities and train students.

Science communication can be a key to unlock increased public awareness about our research and offer us a skill set for a lateral career move. Having an advanced degree gives us an analytical ability that is useful in a variety of ways: for promoting our own work, creating links with industry and government stakeholders, and as a keystone of career development. It also puts a human face on science, which, so far, we haven't done incredibly well, as our lone genius cliche implies.