After a first long secondment experience at our beneficiary LUMC- Leiden University Medical Center, Ceren packed her suitcase again and went this time to a….more or less familiar place.
Read her words below.
In early 2026, I had the opportunity to carry out my secondment at the Durdagi Lab in Istanbul, Turkey and it turned out to be an experience I will not forget.
Lab Experience
The focus of my time at the Durdağı Lab was on computational approaches to better understand the molecular consequences of the PRPH2 c.584G>T mutation associated with CACD. Specifically, I worked on modelling the mutant PRPH2 protein using AlphaFold and running molecular dynamics simulations to explore how this mutation affects the PRPH2–ROM1 binding interface. By comparing the structural behaviour of wild-type and mutant complexes, we gained valuable insights into how this amino acid substitution may disrupt protein–protein interactions and contribute to the progressive retinal degeneration observed in patients. It has been incredibly exciting to approach the same disease from a completely different angle, and I look forward to integrating these computational findings with the wet lab work back at my home institution (University of Alicante).
A huge thank you to Prof. Serdar Durdağı for welcoming me into his lab and making this secondment possible, and to Ioannis (our DC5), without him, none of this would have been nearly as fun or smooth.
Life in Istanbul
Living in Istanbul was something else entirely. As a Turkish person, it might seem like I would feel right at home, but honestly, I had never had the chance to spend this much time in Istanbul, and it genuinely surprised me. The city is beautiful, chaotic, overwhelming, and magnetic all at once. Even getting lost in the crowd felt like part of the adventure rather than an inconvenience.
I have to give a special mention to Ioannis, who made both lab life and the Istanbul experience so enjoyable and easy. His company turned a great city into an unforgettable one. I am truly grateful for that.
Ceren, PhD student at University of Alicante, Spain in secondment at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul.