September 21, 2025

2 years since I began my PhD journey at the University of Graz, and it’s been a year of steady growth, collaboration, and lessons. Over this year, I had the joy to supervise a bachelor’s student as well as work alongside DC4 Annika Hein during her secondment in Graz. I also delivered a biochemistry introduction lecture at a high school in Austria as part of our science outreach efforts and co-hosted a podcast on Green Chemistry.  

On the research side, I solved protein crystal structures, explored protein dynamics through molecular dynamics simulations. Like any good research story faced a few setbacks, including failed experiments and that infamous bacteriophage contamination. But working with cofactor-bound proteins adds a splash of color (literally!), making research more fun. I also attended several workshops & conferences, and was fortunate to receive a poster prize at AmineBiocat 6.0🏆. Somewhere in between all that, I even began learning Python👩‍💻. 

Huge thanks to my supervisor Karl Gruber, my colleagues, and everyone who’s supported me on this journey. Ready for another round of experiments, surprises, and hopefully some good results. 🔍✨ 

Nikita Pal 

#PhDLife #ProteinScience #GreenChemistry #ScienceOutreach #StructuralBiology #WomenInSTEM #BiodeCCodiNNg #BiodeCCodiNNgDN