Category: Faces of CBMR

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 challenge of carrying out research during a lockdown.

“Due to the current situation, my wet lab work is limited and so I am spending more time on literature reading and project planning. Reading is something that has often been compromised due to my desire to perform experiments and obtain as much data as possible for publication, but its value is sometimes underestimated.

“It turns out that the strategy has its advantages and I am getting a lot of new ideas through reading papers as well as brainstorming sessions at our virtual group meetings. I have also been fortunate, to some extent, because I have been allowed to perform some experimental work this month in Lund, Sweden. My current project is a collaborative project with a lab in Lund where I recently did my postdoc and obtained some key results relevant for my current project at CBMR.

Why did you get into biomedical sciences?

Everything started with my passion for chemistry in primary and high school. I found it fascinating, followed every class, and joined the chemistry club. Due to my passion in chemistry, I participated national chemistry competitions and was happy to get prizes every year  – I got the first prize when I was in 8th grade!. I also found biology  interesting, mostly due to my many chats and discussions with my mother who is a biology teacher. When I became a university student, I decided to study pharmacy as my main subject, because I felt it is a hybrid of chemistry and biology for curing human diseases. After taking a one-year biochemistry course, I found it a most fascinating, useful, and also challenging field. I also realized that there are so many things within this field, which are not known, which makes it also even more fascinating and challenging. I was always a very curious person who asked many questions and tried to find solutions to problems. As a result of these many experiences and long discussions with my uncle who is a researcher in the area of sports medicine, I eventually decided to go for a research career in biomedical sciences.

What is the primary scientific question that you wish to address?

Over the past last several years, degradation and recycling emerged as essential biological processes for maintaining cellular and tissue homeostasis. A strong basis has been developed on the relevance of the processes for maintaining a healthy state of various tissues, and methods have also been significantly advanced recently. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still in its infancy. My project aims to identify the key molecular mechanisms underlying these processes in metabolic tissues. I hope that the findings of our study will provide exciting, new and useful information, which might be helpful later for developing strategies for treatment of different metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.

Why did you decide to join CMBR?

My long term career goal is to establish my own research group in the field of metabolic diseases, with a special interest in degradation pathways. Besides this, I have developed a personal interest in metabolism, exercise and nutrition. During my free time I like to read a lot in these areas and, as a hobby, apply the knowledge to my fitness training.

At this stage of my career, I thought that I needed to further extend my knowledge and experience in the field of metabolism. CBMR seems like a very successful and productive Center in the field. I was impressed by the Center’s high quality articles reporting novel and interesting findings, development of unique methods, and state of the art core facilities and equipment. It is a very attractive place to take my career and my knowledge to another level.

What sort of research experiences do you expect to get in the Sakamoto Group?

I have only been working in the lab for one month, but I feel like I have already learned so much. Although I have not been able to do wet lab work at the Center due to the lockdown, I have gained many other types of research experiences, which perhaps are even more important than physical lab work. The weekly Zoom group meetings are very stimulating and useful for gaining a deep understanding of the ongoing projects in the group. I gain a lot of new information and insights from the meetings and afterwards I often come up with new ideas or directions for my project or see the project from a different point of view. I feel that I am gradually broadening my knowledge and improving my thinking after each group meeting. I have improved my project planning skills and learned many tips for planning to get high-quality data. I also very much like the fact that there is excellent communications in the group. The group is very well organized and everybody knows exactly what they need to do – it seems to be a perfectly functional team. I am also very glad that I learned novel methods and sophisticated strategies within my project in order to (hopefully) get high quality data. I personally find this group as an excellent environment to do research and to develop as a researcher.

Keep up to date with the Sakamoto Lab on Twitter – Follow us @LabSakamoto

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 here in the first place.

What attracted you to CBMR for an internship?

There are multiple factors that finally brought me to CBMR for an internship. My previous internship was in Edinburgh, which gave me plenty of positive experiences from going abroad into an unfamiliar country with a different language and culture. I was very interested in doing a further internship abroad and I was recommended CBMR in Copenhagen. At this point, I had already heard about its good reputation and high-quality metabolic research. With help from my supervisor in Scotland, I finally got a place in the Sakamoto Group. I was very happy about that. Due to the remarkable friendliness and openness in the facility, I really felt welcomed by CBMR’s international and English-speaking environment.

You had funding from Erasmus+ programme. Can you explain the programme?

Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. Its budget of €14.7 billion will provide opportunities for over four million Europeans to study, train, and gain experience abroad. Internships that overlapped the current lockdown period could be funded until the end, which helped me to cover ongoing costs.

What sort of research experiences did you get in the Sakamoto Group?

To be honest, I was fascinated by the high level of organisation and motivation in the Sakamoto group. Firstly, I learned how much more effective research can be when you are well organised and focused. Secondly, I was very grateful for the guidance of my supervisor, Danial, who supported me through every single step in the first weeks of my internship. It was an inspiring time where I learned a lot about different techniques and the pros and cons of using different methods. The regular group meetings helped me to understand how important critical thinking in research is, and how essential good planning is for the outcome. After each Journal Club, the subsequent “questions, guys?” was a possibility to actively think about current research and clarify issues. Although the lockdown period was quite challenging, I also had great support while writing up my Master’s internship report.

What did you enjoy most about Copenhagen?

I must admit that the most fascinating thing for me was how Copenhagen is a real (!) bike city. I remember my first bike trip on the road with so many other cyclists and experienced the good infrastructure for bicycling. Unfortunately, I could not visit all places I wanted to, due tothe lockdown, but I really enjoyed the green parks and the city’s amazing architecture.

Do you have a final message for students considering an opportunity in Copenhagen or CBMR?

If you are looking for somewhere carrying out high-quality metabolic research, plus excellent support and equipment, CBMR is the place to be! The Center offers superb working conditions with an ideal environment for establishing international contacts, while gaining plenty of experience. In addition, Copenhagen is a perfect city to explore, with a wide range of cultural offerings to enjoy during your free time.

Keep up to date with the Sakamoto Lab on Twitter – Follow us @LabSakamoto

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 Professor Kei Sakamoto to set up his laboratory following his arrival last year and he aspires to start a PhD with Kei by the start of next year.

In this Faces of CBMR post, Danial shares how he spends his time outside of science and how it helps him maintain his mental health during the lockdown period.

So, what do you get up to when you’re not working on science?

Working from home because of COVID-19 has presented some major challenges to my work-life balance. I must admit that my initial response was to shift into a higher working gear. But I quickly found out that this was not a sustainable track to continue on. So I came up with ways to do the things I enjoy,and bring them into my 60m² apartment (now home office) that I share with my girlfriend and four cats.

Wait … how many cats!?

When the lockdown was announced we decided to contact the local cat shelter. The shelters are short on staff, which puts a burden on the organization and sometimes that means that their cats end up isolated in small rooms without much human contact. So we quickly agreed to open our homes to three four-week-old kittens and their mom.

I must admit, having kittens takes some adjustments. But I quickly started to experience what can only be described as paternal (purrternal?) instincts. Having something to take care of has brought a sense of routine into my daily life, and ‘playtime’ helps me to remove my mind from work and the pandemic. I also get to practice my newfound talent of amateur cat photography – I mean, the world can never have too many cat photos!

If you were wondering when I start my day, then don’t worry. Our circadian rhythm from before the lockdown period has been preserved as our beloved mama cat starts her morning calls between 7:30 and 8:30, so there is no other choice but to get up and start the day.

What do you do for yourself?

Besides the obvious workout I get from squatting down several times a day to wipe poop off surfaces, I also try to put in some form of daily exercise.

Just like many of my colleagues, I care a lot about my work and I try to make some progress every day. But this can be mentally fatiguing, so I run, bike or do strength exercises every day to blow off some steam and to clear my mind. Personally, I enjoy investing some time to get away out of my immediate environment. Instead of the usual round-the-block run, a trip to the forest or near a historical site is not only stimulating for the senses but really helps to ease the mind. It might also be a relief for my partner (and cats) to have me away for a while.

How do you stay social in this antisocial time?

Before the lockdown, our lab’s standard protocol was to get together for beers at least once a week. I truly enjoy all of my colleagues as they all have unique backgrounds and contribute to the great diversity at the CBMR. Naturally, we still wanted to keep in touch during the lockdown and one of the solutions has been “eBeers”. Skype, Zoom or Houseparty has given us the opportunity to see each other at least once a week for beers and games. Much like in the real world, we use these get togethers to touch base and to discuss the current world situation, or more important matters like what are good shows to watch on Netflix, and whether Carole Baskin really did kill feed her husband to her tigers.

Planning social activates, even if it is happening through a computer screen, has been giving me something to look forward to after long stretches of work.

Any final thoughts or advice for others in this period?

Try to find ways to introduce the things that make you happy into your new reality and remember to keep an open dialogue with work on how you prefer to progress. This worked for me and I hope it can inspire you! I can’t wait to see you all on the other side.

Find out more about the Sakamoto Group on the CBMR website , or follow the Sakamoto lab on Twitter – @LabSakamoto

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 extremely attractive as it fulfilled many of the aims I had for my next position, including being in a foreign country. I think travel is a privilege afforded to the academic community and one that should be jumped at when possible, especially when it is to such a beautiful and exciting city like Copenhagen. On top of experiencing a new country, CBMR has excellent facilities and a strong financial base. I was really blown away when I toured the laboratory space and saw the equipment available. I knew this would facilitate the type of research I wanted to be involved in. In addition, the Sakomoto group is performing the type of high quality and critical research that I want to be involved in, within a field that I am passionate about.

In your view, what are some of CBMR’s unique features?

CBMR is a truly unique facility, with almost evert piece of laboratory equipment you could need – this helps to facilitate our research and makes life easier for hard-working scientists! The layout of the Center, with such a large number of metabolic researchers in one space, also allows for easy and effective collaboration between groups as well as always having an expert available if you have a question about any topic. One final unique feature is the view! Being located halfway up one of the tallest buildings in central Copenhagen makes for fantastic lunchtime viewing.

“I was really blown away when I toured the laboratory space and saw the equipment available”

Why did you get into biomedical sciences?

As a ‘wee lad’ I was inspired by the events depicted in Jurassic park to become a palaeontologist. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t spell it, I knew this is what I wanted to be! As I grew older this passion morphed into a more general urge to understand the natural world. Over time I became particularly passionate about both biology and chemistry and I settled on a biomedical science course at university, as this covered a wide breadth of topics helping to fulfil my yearning to learn. This desire to continue to study and develop brought me through a Master’s, a PhD and, finally, led me here!

What is your primary scientific question you wish to address?

As part of the Sakamoto lab group, I want to contribute to increasing the understanding of cellular metabolic homeostasis in different contexts. I hope this research can answer fundamental biological questions that eventually better humanity, whether through the development of novel pharmaceutical agents for treating metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, or a better understanding of the beneficial effects of exercise. For me, this will involve investigating the role of the cellular metabolic regulator AMPK and its associated pathways in hepatocytes before expanding into different cellular contexts. 

“I want to improve my experimental design process, foster new professional relationships and collaborations that will benefit everyone involved and be part of exciting projects that lead to fundamental changes in how we understand metabolism”

What sort of research experiences do you hope to get in my group?

Working at CBMR and in the Sakamoto lab group affords many opportunities to experience new things and develop as a researcher. I would like to develop my skills in bioinformatics (specifically ’omic’ style analysis) as I envisage this being a large part of future research directives and a fundamental understanding would be beneficial. I would also like to gain experience in in vivo mouse model phenotyping and analysis as I feel this is an area I have not had a large amount of exposure too. Beyond technical skills, I want to improve my experimental design process, foster new professional relationships and collaborations that will benefit everyone involved and be part of exciting projects that lead to fundamental changes in how we understand metabolism. Through this, I would like to cultivate my own research questions and style before progressing to becoming an independent researcher.  

What do you want to get out of this globally-challenging period?

During this strange and different lockdown, it has been difficult not to feel a bit disheartened at being knocked out of the usual routine and having to abandon carefully planned experiments. However, I have found it is important to adapt and see the positives in the situation. It has given me ample time to get more up to date with the literature in the field, which I needed to do given my recent change in research focus. This has become so extensive that I am now working on a short review article so that I have a substantive outcome from all this work. Also I have been setting aside some time to learn some new skills. This includes beginning to learn how to use R and how to script, something that was completely new to me just a few weeks ago. I am also putting efforts into improving my Danish with Duolingo. This is still in its infancy but I can tell you, ‘Jeg spiser et æble’ for my breakfast as I write now. Outside of these mental challenges, I have also been exploring the local area with my fiancée during our daily exercise runs and coming up with innovative indoor workout routines for us both to enjoy, although she does not agree with the enjoyment part! 

Do you have a final message for students/postdocs considering an opportunity in Copenhagen or CBMR?

If you have the opportunity to join CBMR, I cannot recommend it highly enough. The Center’s culture is friendly and collaborative, and living in Copenhagen is incredible too, with a lot to offer. It’s clean, there are plenty of green spaces, and there is depth of cultural offerings, from its architecture, to the innumerable museums, art galleries and theatres and the huge number of shops, cafes, and places to eat. If you are considering a move, one major lifestyle change you will have to make is that you can bicycle everywhere.

Find out more about the Sakamoto Group on the CBMR website or follow the lab on Twitter – @LabSakamoto

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 research goals, in this interview, the first in the ‘Faces of CBMR’ series.

Why did you get into biomedical sciences?

When I was little, my family took a trip to New York to visit my aunt and uncle. During this trip my Aunt, with a flair for the eccentric, took me to see ‘Bodies…. The exhibition’. This was a fascinating collection of preserved human bodies demonstrating the intricacies, complexity and beauty of human anatomy. At this point, I became interested in understanding more about biology. This interest was a fire that kept on burning all throughout my high school education (Biology was my favourite subject, naturally) and inspired me to study medical sciences at undergraduate level, and continuing to post graduate level. As I continued studying in the biomedical sciences field, I started to really understand Aristotle’s famous phrase ‘The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know’.

What attracted you to join CBMR?

Having moved countries several times as a child, I was interested to experience a new country and research setting after completing my PhD in Scotland. I wanted to move to a new work place which offered collaboration, excellent quality facilities, a healthy work-life balance, and an environment for high quality research to be conducted. As a young scientist, I aim to work on all aspects of my career development with the hope to become an independent researcher by learning new techniques and collaborating with colleagues. CBMR offered all of these opportunities and more.

What is your primary scientific question you wish to address?
I am interested in understanding more about the complex mechanistic pathways of metabolism. Of course, this is a huge and diverse area, but that’s the intrinsic beauty of the metabolic field – there are so many different and compelling areas of research to discover and become involved in. I hope to contribute specific knowledge to the metabolic field, with my current focus being on cell signalling and adipose tissue. Later in my academic career I hope to merge my knowledge and practical skills from my PhD with my expertise in metabolic signalling gained working in the Sakamoto Laboratory… watch this space.

What sort of research experiences do you hope to get in the Sakamoto Group?

The Sakamoto group offers a fantastic opportunity to gain a wide range of skills and scientific engagement. I hope to gain experience in sophisticated experimental design to aid me in becoming an independent researcher. I also aim to expand my in vivo phenotyping skills using novel mouse models, CBMR’s state-of-the-art metabolic phenotyping facilities present, and collaborations with other inspiring metabolic experts at the Center. I aspire to contribute to high quality papers and gain experience in scientific writing, including grant applications and outreach activities such as this blog. Finally, I hope to increase my engagement with colleagues and deepen my knowledge through continued collaboration and scientific discussion. These are a few examples, I could go on!

What do you want to get out of this globally challenging period?

I joined the Sakamoto group in February of this year, and I was so enjoying finding my feet both in the research facility and with my practical skills. I have to admit that I was sad to be told we must work from home. Since I recently completed my PhD, I feel like a large portion of my last year has been spent finishing paper/thesis writing and away from the lab. Like many of my colleagues, I am looking forward to getting back to what we do best: practical work!

However, with great encouragement from Kei and all members of my group, we have all adjusted well to working from home and I have made academic and personal goals for myself. For example, I have been working hard to comprehensively read through literature to gain a solid understanding of my new area of work and, as a result of this, I am now planning a Review article.

I have also been trying hard to establish healthy routines for myself to keep my mind and body in good shape. I started the ‘Couch to 5K’ running program to help me get more active, I regularly speak to my friends via Zoom and Houseparty and we host quiz nights and drinks nights together. I have an almost daily ice lolly and walk in the sun (if it can be found). I have been cooking good quality food for myself and my fiancé, although admittedly I still have to guess some of the Danish ingredients and cooking instructions

I think it is important that we aim to be productive, to feel a sense of achievement and worth during this time. It is critical to balance this with self care, investing time in hobbies and whatever brings you joy. Above all, it has been important to behave in accordance with issued guidelines for safe behaviour. I hope to emerge from this globally challenging period healthy, with increased knowledge for my professional life, and increased knowledge of what makes me happy in my personal life and how to achieve this.

In your view, what are some of CBMR’s unique features?

CBMR has many amazing and unique features, and I keep discovering more. The building itself is a beautiful architecturally, offering a work place that is bright, well designed and enjoyable to be in. CBMR has wonderful facilities, which offers an opportunity to use top of the range, high quality equipment to let you answer many research questions and explore complicated concepts. In addition, CBMR is a very friendly place, whether it is breakfast together on Monday mornings, a coffee break with your colleagues, or young researcher socials on Fridays, there is always something to engage in.

What do you enjoy about living in Copenhagen? Have you had to make any lifestyle changes after your relocation?

Copenhagen is beautiful city and there is so much to explore! I had never visited Copenhagen until my interview for my postdoc and it captured my heart straight away. One of my favourite things to do is cycle my bike around the city and to enjoy sunshine walks along the Lakes. I find myself enjoying the outdoor green spaces here, including my local park which has great running routes. Another lifestyle change includes the increased consumption of good coffee, great craft beers and even better food. Copenhagen is a food heaven!

Final message for students/postdocs considering an opportunity in Copenhagen or CBMR?

CBMR and Copenhagen have spoilt me for other places. My working and professional life here are so happy and satisfactory, and it seems this way for most people! Denmark has one of the happiest and most content populations of people and I can fully understand why. For anyone considering an opportunity in Copenhagen or CBMR I suggest you reach out to current employees for a chat and to have your questions answered by locals, or international researchers who have made the move over here.

Find out more about the Sakamoto Group on the CBMR website or follow the lab on Twitter – @LabSakamoto