Nathalie’s secondment at UCV in Valencia

Science, Sunshine and a Spanish Schedule

What happens when you combine extracellular vesicles, a research lab, plenty of sunshine, and dinner times that seem to get later every day?

Well, you get a RETORNA secondment in Valencia, just like Nathalie did!

Following the third RETORNA Summer School and Annual Meeting in Tübingen, Germany, Nathalie travelled to the Catholic University of Valencia (UCV) for a secondment in Prof. Jorge Barcia’s laboratory.

During her stay, she learned the ins and outs of isolating and characterising extracellular vesicles while gaining hands-on laboratory experience and collaborating with Maria. Along the way, she also discovered another important aspect of scientific mobility: adapting to Spanish mealtimes.

Here’s Nathalie’s account of a month filled with science, new experiences and Valencian sunshine:

Lab experience

I am grateful for the chance to join Maria in Prof. Jorge Bracia’s lab for five weeks in Spain to isolate and characterize extracellular vesicles. Maria made sure to make me feel welcome and taught me how to work with the extracellular vesicles from start to finish. The lab was a lively and busy experience. It reminded me of very fond memories of my masters thesis lab with a bustling atmosphere.

Life in Valencia

Life in Valencia consisted of a lot of sun, amazing food and a lot of writing – at least for me. I was lucky enough to stay in the heart of the historic city centre to optimally enjoy the culture. The food was amazing, from tapas to paella and anything else you could wish for. However, I did struggle with the lunch and dinner time, and never actually managed to have dinner at 22.00h. Of course, I also visited the BioPark and Oceanographic, and all the other go-to touristic activities, to make the most out of my time in Valencia.

 

 

What better way to conclude a three-year doctoral journey than with a mobility in Valencia, balancing thesis writing, exciting days in the lab, and visits to the city’s most iconic places? Reading her words we had the feeling that while mastering extracellular vesicles proved achievable, adjusting to a 10 p.m. dinner schedule turned out to be a challenge of a different kind! :))))

If you are interested in knowing how the other RETORNA secondments went, check the Secondment section here and read our DCs’ experiences, achievements and feedback.

Greetings,

RETORNA team