As DC9 Melisa Süner joined the MITGEST Doctoral Network at a later stage of the ongoing program, she was still becoming familiar with the different research groups and their areas of expertise, as well as with other members of the network. In this context, secondments provide an important opportunity to gain insight into complementary research environments, meet fellow doctoral candidates within the program, and develop relevant technical skills.
As part of this program, Melisa spent four weeks in the laboratory of Dr. Carlo Vascotto at the Institute of Molecular Mechanisms and Machines, Polish Academy of Sciences (IMOL) in Warsaw, Poland, with a group focused on mitochondrial biology. During this time, she learned how to isolate mitochondria, a technique directly relevant to her project at baseclick GmbH in Munich.
Melisa is developing Gapmers targeting mitochondrial RNA, with a focus on delivery to the mitochondrial matrix and functional activity in the mitochondrial environment. In this context, mitochondrial isolation is essential to assess whether the Gapmer is delivered to the mitochondria and to determine whether mitochondrial RNase H cleaves the RNA once it is hybridized with the Gapmer.
In addition to the experimental work, the secondment represented the first opportunity for Melisa to meet other doctoral candidates within the MITGEST network. During her stay, she met DC2 Eve Harding and DC1 Gkamze Impraimoglou Kafaz, who also introduced her to the city of Warsaw, and with whom she occasionally shared dinners. This article includes a photograph from one of these occasions, reflecting the collaborative atmosphere within the network.
“I would like to thank Dr. Carlo Vascotto, Dr. Veronica Bazzani, and the rest of the group for hosting me during this period and for providing this valuable opportunity. I greatly appreciated the support and the opportunity to learn from the team. The knowledge and experience gained during this secondment will directly support my ongoing research at baseclick GmbH.”
