BiocatCode Expander Stories:

Beyond the Bench #5

Diego

Hello everyone, I’m Diego! 😊

Almost two years ago, I decided to shake up my scientific journey by moving from my home country, Italy, to a completely new one — Czechia. My goal? To contribute to an exciting and innovative research field offered by BiocatcodeExpander!

A typical day as a PhD candidate starts with me waking up (a success on its own!) and getting my daily dose of caffeine to be fully functional once I arrive at Enantis. My research focuses on incorporating non-canonical amino acids into fibroblast growth factors, with the aim of giving these powerful proteins new or improved properties.

No two days are exactly the same — they’re usually a mix of lab work, office tasks, and meetings. After work, I make sure to squeeze in some social time. And what better way to do that than enjoying a Czech beer with friends at a local bar?

Right now, I’m in Spain, spending part of my PhD in beautiful San Sebastian. Here, I’m working with Cecilia, learning new techniques to incorporate non-canonical amino acids, especially azidohomoalanine. This secondment will last three months, until the end of August. I’ve also had the chance to spend four months in Winnipeg, Canada, working with Jan Hendrik — another incredible experience!

Can’t wait to keep collecting exciting data and making progress!

Cheers,
Diego