He believes that the mutual respect between technicians and academics is a one of the reasons for New Zealand's success in scientific research. John Wells began his career as a glass technician in 1970 at the Victoria University of Wellington. He gained additional training from technical companies servicing research laboratories at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the UK and subsequently at Massey University before joining the University of Otago's Chemistry Department in 1981. Since he began work in his chosen field, John has seen chemistry research equipment become more specific. Instead of large-scale experiments, more and more research is being done on a molecular scale, often involving micro circuitry.
Every day there are fresh technical challenges to resolve.