Elana Kysil takes up her project to study environmental impact of advanced materials
Elana Kysil takes up her project to study environmental impact of advanced materials
In her project, Elana will examine the effects of some of the materials that were developed and characterized in other case studies on marine organisms as well as aquatic and terrestrial plants. In this short interview, she introduces herself and tells us what a well-sized backpack has to do with it.
Dear Elana, please tell us about your professional background.
I am a biologist by training. However, during the last several years my focus shifted significantly to mass spectrometry and its application to natural products research and biochemistry. My Bachelor’s and Master’s theses were to some extent related to neuroscience (genetic engineering of serotonin transporters in zebrafish and modelling of Alzheimer’s disease in cell cultures), but after getting my degree I spent more than two years in the mass spectrometry facility of Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry and gained some experience in plant metabolomics.
What will be your job in the project?
Here my aim will be to investigate the impact of advanced materials on aquatic and terrestrial plants and marine organisms including corals and foraminifera in controlled experiments. Such an impact might be seen on a level of biochemistry as well as on physiological, or sometimes even per se morphological, level (such as the incorporation of the nanoparticles into the skeleton of corals or foraminifera). Therefore, my task will be to address the changes in the metabolome [the metabolome comprises all characteristic metabolic properties of a cell, tissue or organism] of the affected organisms, but also other physiological reactions, such as uptake and excretion of the particles.
What made you decide to contribute to this particular project?
The rapid development of our society puts an enormous burden on ecosystems. Even though we, as humanity, start to invest substantial resources in applied ecology, yet the effects of water pollution remain understudied and surely underestimated. Even less prominent are real actions. Surely, we will not change the world with one, two, or even a hundred projects. But we might shed a couple of photons on the matter and hope that humanity still has enough time to make a difference.
Among the more grounded goals I also plan to broaden my knowledge in the field of metabolomics and further develop soft skills that a person needs to bring any project, disregard of the topic, to a successful “Conclusion” section: effective communication, planning, and exploitation of resources.
Where do you see the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge for me is to develop such kind of healthy self-confidence that I know my limits and that the other people in the project group can rely on me and trust me. Letting people down by ignorance or incompetence is the worst, everything else just needs time and practice to accomplish. I hope that I can also rely on the people around me because mutual trust and responsible attitude make great achievements. Growing such bonds with colleagues takes time and it is one of the most challenging and important things in life.
The other thing is to dive back to old-school biology again and work with whole organisms, not just molecules. It is like putting on the old winter shoes that you used to wear a lot in the past, but a very long time ago. I feel a vibe of Ruppert’s “Invertebrate zoology” and biological drawings on a seashore again.
How do you deal with the fact that you will be working at several institutes and that several research institutes are involved in your project?
Well, I had to move from country to country several times, to work in very different places, and finally, I have a comfortable middle-size backpack for traveling. So, I hope that I can handle it again.
Thank you Elana and welcome to the research alliance! We look forward to working with you.
Olga Kuharenko – PhD at the interplay of chemistry and biology
Olga Kuharenko – PhD at the interplay of chemistry and biology
Olga Kuharenko moved 1000 km to start her PhD project Cluster Tox at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden. Halfway through her project, she will move another 500 km to Saarbrücken to finalize her work at Leibniz Institute for New Materials. Read here why she chose this path:
Dear Olga, tell us about your professional background.
I completed my bachelor’s and master’s in chemistry at the Belarusian State University (BSU) in Minsk. During my studies I worked for four years at the Research Institute for Physical Chemical Problems of the BSU in the field of polymer chemistry. The projects I was involved in were mainly devoted to the synthesis of well-defined macromolecular structures, their characterization and application.
What will be your job in the project?
I will synthesize nano-sized hybrid polymer/inorganic advanced materials and investigate how their architecture and macromolecular functionalization influence their cellular uptake and intracellular targeting, stability, as well as toxicity. Understanding the behavior of these nanoclusters in living cells in the future could for instance be used to develop targeted drug delivery systems for cancer treatment.
What made you decide to work in this particular project?
I see the interdisciplinary nature of the research as a great possibility for my professional development. For instance, I will be gaining knowledge and hands-on experience in cell biology – a totally different research field with new investigation approaches, analysis techniques and so on.
Where do you see the biggest challenge?
For me personally working as a chemist and as a biologist in a highly interdisciplinary environment will be a main challenge and also the greatest benefit.
How do you deal with the fact that you will be working at several institutes and that several research institutes are involved in your project?
I see this as a unique opportunity that will broaden my horizon and give me new knowledge, skills and contacts useful for my future scientific career.
Thank you Olga and welcome to the research alliance!. We are looking forward to working with you.
Meet Arianna Borgers – PhD at IfADo in case study B1: dissolution control
Meet Arianna Borgers – PhD at IfADo in case study B1: dissolution control
As the first PhD student of the research alliance, biologist Arianna Borgers already started her work at IfADo in July. Here she introduces herself briefly:
Dear Arianna, tell us about your professional background.
I completed my bachelor’s degree in biology at the Westfälische Wilhelms University in Münster. As I was particularly enthusiastic about biomedical issues during my studies, I subsequently decided to do my master’s degree in medical biology at the University of Duisburg-Essen. During internships and my master’s thesis, I was mainly involved in cancer research at Westdeutsches Tumorzentrum (translates to “West German Tumor Center”) in Essen.
What will be your job in the project?
The topic of my dissertation belongs to project area B, so I will deal with the influence of advanced materials, more precisely metal oxide nanoparticles, on human health. In this context, I am planning to investigate how these nanoparticles dissolve inside cells, which cell responses they cause and to what extent they have a toxic effect on cancer, nerve or liver cells. Controlling the release of metal ions and the associated toxicity could possibly in the future be of great benefit in cancer treatment therapies, for example.
What made you decide to work in this particular project?
The project appealed to me immediately because, on the one hand, it involves a biomedical context related to cancer research and, on the other hand, it provides new, exciting topics and methodologies for me. I also really liked the fact that the doctoral program includes workshops on science communication, among other things.
Where do you see the biggest challenge?
I think the biggest challenge could generally be in the organization. Especially in such a current field of research, it is important to keep track of current developments while always keeping your goal clearly in mind.
How do you deal with the fact that you will be working at several institutes and that several research institutes are involved in your project?
I actually really like the fact that several research institutes are involved in my project. I am looking forward to the interdisciplinary exchange with the participating institutes and hope that this will provide me with some new food for thought and perspectives for my project.
Thank you Arianna! Welcome to the research alliance, we are looking forward to working with you.