It has been a little over a year since the start of my academic journey in Graz, Austria. Reflecting on the year that passed, there were more than a few highlights! Getting acquainted with the workspaces and meeting my new labmates, exploring and shopping in my new city, learning about the project and having experiments work wonderfully or fail hilariously, traveling for conferences and training events with all the members of our consortium, welcoming friends and family to my new home. A few unfathomable moments were also spread throughout the year, like an unexpected house visit from a bat in the middle of the night (alternative Batman origin story?). Every one of these experiences was laced with anxiety, excitement and at times pure wonder, and even though the passing months seemed heavily packed and difficult to get by, looking back I feel like it was all part of a dream.

Time really flies when you are having fun!

For my thesis, I am focusing on incorporating non-canonical amino acids into enzymes, replacing residues that play crucial roles for catalysis or active site architecture and thus directly influencing the mechanism and biochemical properties. So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed the development of my project since it has allowed me to utilize knowledge I gained during my studies and has led me to learn from and collaborate with brilliant researchers on new techniques and ideas. It has been a challenging, but also quite rewarding process.

On another note, moving from my home city (Athens) to Graz came with a mild shock towards day-to-day routines, but also a sense of validation in my decision. The city offers many choices for leisure activities and spending free time with friends, while its size and rhythm of life make it ideal for the needs of a doctoral student. Strolling around the city centre really feels like a fairytale, especially during wintertime and the holiday season.

Bonus: Waking up super early was never really my thing, although ever since moving into my apartment, the stunning views have made breakfast overlooking the sunrise a daily habit!!

That is all for now! Getting lost in everyday problems and feeling that no progress is being made is common, but taking a few moments to reflect on the past months and suddenly nothing is left but a feeling of gratitude. Exciting events await in the near future: conferences, my secondments and of course collaborating and exchanging ideas with the fellow researchers from our consortium. I will tell you all about it in my next post.

Until next time, may the bands on your SDS-PAGE look crispier than ever!!
Ody