‘You Need to be Exposed to Different Research Environments’

This is the opinion of PhD graduate Steffan Sønderskov. He explains:

‘During my time at the Institute of Biophysics in Beijing I learned to work in labs together with people who have a different cultural background than me, and I met some very competent people with whom I have started research projects’.

During his PhD studies in China, Steffan Sønderskov also achieved competencies with exceptional equipment.

‘I got to use special equipment that just recently became available in Denmark, but only for molecular biologists. Actually, I am supposed to use the same equipment during a research stay in USA related to my postdoc, and it is a huge advantage for me that I already have experience with it’, Steffan Sønderskov says.

Captures the Fine Details

The result from Steffan Sønderskov’s PhD research is a microscopy method to analyse the cell membrane. A cell membrane is the partition between a cell and its surroundings and consists of different electrically charged materials like proteins and phospholipids.

‘With the analysis methods we have developed, we can look into the electrical charge of the materials on a nanoscale. This makes it possible to decide how certain materials collaborate and affect each other. We are especially curious about the phospholipids, because their electrical charge influences how cells communicate’, Steffan Sønderskov explains.

His PhD serves as the scientific contribution to further studies:

‘It is basic research. It can be developed within both the nanoscience and the biological field. We have published some high-impact scientific articles on the subject, and other scientist within the field have done the same. So, the analysis method is currently a hot topic and is experiencing great progress’, Steffan Sønderskov says.

On 1 March 2020, Steffan Sønderskov will take up a postdoc position at iNANO, Aarhus University.