BiocatCode Expander Stories:

Beyond the Bench #9

Emilia Iglesias Moncayo

Hi everyone!

A bit more than two years ago, I started my Ph.D. journey in the BiocatCodeExpander consortium at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Moving to the Netherlands has been a wonderful experience, not only on an academic level but also on a personal one.

My Ph.D. project explores the design of new artificial enzymes using noncanonical amino acids based on secondary and tertiary amines. It has been a fascinating journey that has allowed me to combine my interest in chemistry with my curiosity about biology. I am very grateful to have great colleagues who are always willing to discuss science and help to keep the project moving forward. Besides work, it is always great to enjoy borrels together and to learn new techniques in the boulder gym.

However, not everything is just science. Amsterdam is a wonderful city to live in, and after two years, I am happy to share that I have picked up certain essential Dutch skills while biking that I hope will serve me well later on in life. Furthermore, I am a big fan of kruidnoten, stroopwafels, and oliebollen, which help me get through the Dutch winter.

Being part of BiocatCodeExpander has also allowed me to meet other great Ph.D. candidates across Europe and learn from them. They inspired me and have helped me overcome challenges in the laboratory on multiple occasions. In 2024, I had the opportunity to complete a secondment in Spain, and I am currently in Atlanta learning more about computational approaches to the design of artificial enzymes.