“The command line doesn’t scare me now!” says Wojciech. A PhD candidate from the University of Gdańsk, Wojciech spent a month on a SEA-EU secondment in the group of Ruth Schmitz-Streit in Kiel. The goal of his internship: getting to grips with bioinformatics tools to complement his work on the molecular characterisation of proteins from Archaea living in extreme environments. His time in Kiel really helped him move his research forward he says. “I’m a lot more confident now about setting up analyses and model predictions.” He was also able to solve two other problems he’d been working on in the wetlab. “I mentioned I was having problems with purification and expression of my proteins, and the colleagues in Kiel offered to help.” A different protocol, some other reagents, and his problems were solved. “A fresh pair of eyes and perspective was really useful,” he says.
“Get yourself out of your bubble – it can be a real benefit to you as a researcher but also as a person.”
Outside of the lab, Wojciech had fun exploring Kiel, and gaining an appreciation for German techno music. He says it was a great to experience something new, but was also reminded of similarities. “A similar vibe, the connection to the sea, the people. Kiel reminds me of the area around Gdańsk. I had a really great time and I really want to come back,” says Wojciech, whose collaboration with the Schmitz-Streit group has continued beyond his time in Kiel. He stresses how valuable even a short research visit can be. “You can learn so much even in a month, and it is still a manageable block of time to leave the tasks you have at home.” He adds a SEA-EU internship is great chance to broaden your perspective. “Get yourself out of your bubble – it can be a real benefit to you as a researcher but also as a person.”
Further reading:
Read more about SEA-EU Secondments here
