Of Mini-Pigs and Men?
It’s not just mice and rats that are used for metabolic research at CBMR. Research Assistant Ann Normann Hansen from the Barrès Group has been working with a different kind of animal to help her understand how diet can change the epigenetic marks that are passed onto offspring through sperm – the mini-pig! First of…
My muscles are diabetic! – Understanding the genetics of organ-specific Type 2 Diabetes
By Sufyan Suleman, Research Assistant Are you always thirsty? Has your appetite increased, or do you urinate more often than you used to? Do you feel tired even when you are well rested? If you answer yes to these questions, there’s a chance that an important hormone called insulin is not working properly. Insulin helps…
Laughing at (with?) science
By Kristin Hussey The lockdown has brought many challenges but one of its unexpected benefits has been the growth of digital conferences, lectures and events that allow us to tune in no matter where we are in the world. My favorite science comedy night in London, Science Showoff, even moved itself to the virtual world,…
How the pandemic led me down a research rabbit hole
By Mario García Ureña Sometimes being a researcher – or a student aiming to be one – is a lot like being Alice in Wonderland. The book is often read as a critique of Victorian era nonsensicality, but because of its fantastical setting and myriad of characters, it can be interpreted in a thousand ways.…
Faces of CBMR: Florentina Negoita
Florentina Negoita started a Postdoctoral Fellowship at CBMR in April, when she joined the Sakamoto Group. In this interview, she explains the factors that led her to pursue a career in research, the reasons for joining CBMR, and the scientific questions she hopes to pursue. But we start by asking how she has faced the…
A virtual R course with Leo
Many of us find ourselves with the opportunity to learn a new skill while we are working from home. Bioinformatics is central to much of the research at CBMR, and is a specialist skill that takes many years of training and experience – so much so that many lab scientists don’t get the chance to…
Faces of CBMR: Pamina Gräsle
Pamina Gräsle carried out a three-month internship with the Sakamoto Group, with support from the Erasmus+ programme. Originally from Germany, she has now returned to Heidelberg University to start her MSc thesis project in biochemistry. Before she left, she took the time to answer some questions about her time at CBMR and what brought her…
The lockdown thaws as CBMR’s labs start to slowly reopen
On Monday, some CBMR staff returned to their laboratories for the first time since the University of Copenhagen closed its doors six weeks ago. But it’s not a return to normal – far from it. The government has allowed for a controlled and limited reopening, which have required new comprehensive health and safety guidelines limit…
Faces of CBMR: Danial Ahwazi
Danial joined CBMR in January 2017 as a Master student before spending almost two years as a Research Assistant in the Barrès Group. He now works as Staff Scientist in the Sakamoto Group where he is designing new molecular tools to assess non-insulin dependent glucose uptake in vitro and in vivo. Danial has also helped…
Faces of CBMR: Postdoc Greg Robert Markby
In February, Greg started a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Sakamoto Group, where his fiancé Fiona also secured a position! Read about Greg’s decision to join CBMR and what initially inspired him to pursue a career in the natural sciences. Why did you decide to join CMBR? Joining the Sakamoto Group as a postdoctoral researcher was…
Love in the Time of Corona
By Postdoc Opal Huang The nationwide shutdown in Denmark due to the coronavirus outbreak was not entirely unexpected, observing other European countries’ trajectory of mounting infected cases and deaths. The first few days was unbearable, with the overwhelming amount of news on the media brewing into fear and anxiety in isolation. The unflinching reality of…
Faces of CBMR: Postdoc Fiona Louise Roberts
Fiona Louise Roberts started a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Sakamoto Group in February – weeks before the University of Copenhagen closed its doors in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Still, she has managed to find ways to stay busy and use her time productively. Find out more about Fiona, why she joined CBMR, and her…
A day in the life: Platform Manager Mie Mechta
As everyone settles into daily life working from home, I spoke to Mie Mechta about how she is juggling managing the Single Cell Omics Platform and parenting two young boys. Here’s a normal day in Mie’s life, alongside her husband and kids. 5:30 – The kids wake up between 5:30 and 6:00. As myself and…
Productivity starts with positivity
Cells have been frozen, flights have been canceled, data quickly stored on shared drives, and lab meetings have become virtual. With the lockdown set to continue for another two weeks, here’s how CBMR’s Barrès Group has been coping with our new reality. The lockdown is forcing us, and many others, to be creative how we…
A day in the life: Jessie Preston
The University of Copenhagen has now been shut down for almost two weeks, so how are CBMR staff getting on at home? PhD student Jessie Preston shares her daily routine, which involves baking, starting early, but waiting until mid-afternoon to get ready for the day – why not? 7:15 – For the most part I…
Staying social and productive during the coronavius quarantine
CBMR PhDs and postdocs reflect on the impact of Denmark’s social distancing measures, and what it means for their work, family and social lives Danes were given little warning before the prime minister introduced stark social distancing measures on March 11 – measures that are now expected to last through until the middle of April.…
CBMR Voices 