“It’s a super easy way to get motivated people involved in your project.”
A postdoctoral researcher in the group of Ruth Schmitz-Streit at the University of Kiel, Katharina is interested in understanding whether microbes living in the deep sea can degrade plastics. Maria, from Cadiz, joined the group for a 5-month SEA-EU masters’ internship just as Katharina was getting herself set-up in the lab following a recent move from her previous position in Bergen in Norway. Maria’s arrival was very timely. In the wet lab, Maria set up cultures with samples Katharina had collected in Norway, and established protocols using molecular biology approaches such as PCRs and DNA isolation. Maria also supported Katharina’s work with literature research and implementing new methods.
“It was a very good fit, and Maria was able to learn lots of different methods,” says Katharina. Maria had already finished her Masters’ thesis back home in Cádiz, and Katharina says it was helpful that the time they had together was not focussed on her thesis. “She could also do work that was perhaps more risky, more exploratory in nature, because she did not need to get specific results,” she says. “We had the freedom to try new and different approaches.”
Aside from the support for her research, Katharina said it was a pleasure to have Maria in the group. “We learned a lot about Maria’s life in Spain, and she really enjoyed the relatively cool summer weather here, and was pleased to be able to experience the Kieler Woche.” To others thinking about supervising a student via the SEA-EU master internship programme, Katharina highlights tResearch Intern Maria in the lab in Kiel.he streamlined advertising process and responsive and helpful university support she received getting Maria established in the lab, adding “It’s a super easy way to get motivated people involved in your project.“
Further reading:
Read more about Katharina and her research.
Join Katharina for a Masters’ Internship on polymer degradation using microbial communitites from arctic hydrothermal vent sediments.
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