When I joined the PhD program in February 2022, I didn’t just begin a research project – I stepped into a half-empty lab in a new country, at a time when COVID restrictions made everything feel unusually quiet and isolated. Being new to Germany and still learning the language added an extra layer of challenge. And as the very first PhD student in the group, my journey started not only with experiments, but with helping to build the space where those experiments would happen one day.
Building our lab bolt by bolt
The lab, partially prepared by my supervisor, Mario, had one fully equipped fume hood with a Schlenk line and a photoreactor for our chemistry. The rest was work in progress. Together, we spent the first few weeks with building my own fume hood, figuring out how to organize the space, and deciding what equipment should go where to make the lab functional for our specific needs. One of the most enjoyable parts of those early days was building the photoreactor ourselves. Every step felt like a small engineering project. Building on the design and with a lot of technical input and advice from Prof. Dr. Lukas J. Gooßen, and through close teamwork with my supervisor, Mario, we built a setup tailored to our research needs. We used Inventor to adapt the design, assembled milled parts, and built in adapters to control the LEDs via our phones. That collaborative, hands-on process not only helped us establish a reliable photoreactor with reproducible results but also laid the foundation for our group’s experimental approach and identity.
Beyond science: my bureaucratic bootcamp
Beyond the lab setup, there was a different kind of learning curve – managing everything outside the lab. Being the first PhD student also meant handling the administrative paperwork and the everyday hurdles of settling into a new country without senior students guiding me. Each bit of paperwork and bureaucratic hurdle felt like a small victory, teaching me patience, initiative, and self-reliance. Looking back, those early experiences of helping in organizing the lab taught me valuable organization and problem-solving skills that I know will benefit me in many professional settings.
From Germany to California: a scientific leap
I also had the opportunity to spend three months as an iGSS intern in Prof. Stephen Bradforth’s lab at the University of Southern California funded by RESOLV. It felt like stepping into a completely different world. As a synthetic organic chemist, moving into a spectroscopy-focused environment was both exciting and challenging. The experience not only broadened my scientific horizon but also gave me the chance to explore a new field, develop fresh skills, and appreciate how complementary techniques can deepen our understanding of chemical reactivity.
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