Rosa’s secondment at VUA

One of the most important aspects of working in research is learning how to connect with fellow scientists and share knowledge.
The MSCA-funded PhD programs actively promote international collaboration by including mandatory secondments at other universities/companies, covering 30% of the PhD duration.

As part of the MSCA doctoral network BiocatCodeExpander I had the opportunity to spend the past three months at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) Amsterdam, working within the Drienovska Lab, led by Ivana Drienovska, for my first PhD secondment. During this time, I acquired knowledge in genetic code expansion techniques, focusing on the selection of optimal orthogonal pairs for the incorporation of non-canonical amino acids into proteins. Beyond acquiring new technical skills, it was a chance to see how research is conducted in a different country.

I want to send a special thank you to my fellow BiocatCodeExpanders Emilia Iglesias Moncayo and Jan Hendrik Illies for all the support during these months and for making me feel at home in Amsterdam.

It was amazing to have the chance to discover the lively and beautiful city of Amsterdam. I’m truly grateful for this experience and already looking forward to my next PhD secondment!

Rosa

Emilia’s secondment at University of Rovira i Virgili

We are pleased to announce the successful completion of Emilia’s secondment at the SINCAT group at the University of Rovira i Virgili, under the supervision of Dr. Omar Boutureira. Emilia, a PhD student from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, has been working on the design of artificial enzymes with new non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) as part of WP3.

During her secondment, Emilia focused on the chemical synthesis of new ncAAs. This research is relevant in the biocatalysis field for diversifying the types of ncAAs currently available and thereby unlocking new-to-nature catalysis.

Outside the laboratory, Emilia enjoyed the beautiful beach in Tarragona, and we hope you do too!