Undergraduate Research Opportunities Testimonials

Former Undergraduate Research Opportunities (URO) participants on their research internships in Matter to Life

Laura Márquez Cianci

“My name is Laura and I am a Biomedical Research undergraduate student from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. I was really excited when I first found out about the Matter to Life URO-program, as it is an amazing opportunity for any student seeking hands-on research experience in Germany. As part of this program, I studied how bacterial motility and chemotaxis affects microbial community structure and biofilm formation in Victor Sourjik´s Systems and Synthetic Biology  lab at  the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology. For this, I learnt a wide range of molecular biology, microscopy and microfluidic techniques, while meeting many extraordinary people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. The interdisciplinary nature of this program is definitely unique and enriching for any scientific career. I enjoyed living in Marburg fairytale town and visiting nearby cities and castles. Experiencing autumn and snow for the first time was also something unforgettable. The support from the URO-Matter to Life team was exceptional and always made me feel more comfortable and secure in a foreign country. I would definitely recommend this program to adventurous and curious students who want to explore new research pathways and living in Germany.”

Ananya K Ajay

“I have always been fascinated by how structure and dynamics determine function, particularly the structure of proteins, the way they fold and perform their functions in the context of life. As someone who has been working on understanding protein folding from a computational perspective, I deeply enjoyed the chance to understand peptides from the perspective of chemistry and peptide synthesis, which I experienced during my stay at the Thomas Lab at Heidelberg University. My principal investigator was very energetic and vibrant, deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of the lab and passionate about her research. She was always willing to lend a helping hand, and assigned me a supervisor who was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. My supervisor guided me throughout the internship and helped orient me as I learned to understand peptides from the perspective of chemistry. I was introduced to peptide design and learned how the chemical synthesis of peptides works. The opportunity to work on Peptide synthesis helped me gain a more interdisciplinary outlook, something that I will carry forward with me throughout my career. All the lab members were very helpful and friendly. All of us (including the Professor) had lunch together every day, and this experience of having lunch together with the entire lab helped me feel like a part of something bigger than myself, and I cherish the sense of belonging that this brought. Apart from my research in the lab, I also had the opportunity to travel to multiple places in Europe and explore its culture and heritage, both within and outside Germany. Thus, the internship offered me an opportunity to learn on all fronts – both inside and outside the lab. I recommend this internship to any student who wants to work in an interdisciplinary environment and understand and appreciate the beauty of life in all its forms.”

Riddhiman Biswas

"My internship experience in the Max Planck School Matter to Life Undergraduate Research Opportunities (MtL URO) program in Munich will forever be treasured. The program provided an exceptional opportunity to delve into cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research while allowing me to gain firsthand experience of living in a major European city such as Munich.
Working on a project related to simulating protein-protein interactions under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Martin Zacharias at the Technical University of Munich was incredibly rewarding. Prof. Zacharias and the entire lab team were always available to guide me, answering my persistent questions as a newcomer to molecular dynamics and theoretical biophysics. This allowed me to dive deeper into the phenomena out of sheer curiosity and encouraged my growth as a researcher. The interdisciplinary nature of the lab, with members from diverse scientific backgrounds ranging from computational physics to wet-lab biology, while being the only bioengineering major myself, broadened my scientific perspective. I believe this would be invaluable as I progress in my academic and professional journey.
Living in Munich, a city with an extremely rich history, was an added bonus, as now what I only could see in photos was the very street and neighborhood that I visited. Not to mention, the extensive transportation network allowed me to easily explore the beautiful surroundings such as the Bavarian Alps and even visit other neighboring countries. I am indebted to the MtL URO coordination team for providing me this pivotal moment both in my life and academic career, and I will always cherish the memories from Germany.
All in all, the experience I had in the MtL URO program was almost surreal, and I urge any undergraduate student who is passionate about research and eager to grow both scientifically and personally to not hesitate and apply."

Li Jing Hu

"The Matter to Life URO program is an incredible experience I can only recommend! I did my internship at the De Laporte group in Aachen where I worked on a project outside of my comfort zone. My supervisors were very supportive and at the same time gave me a lot of independence. Not only did I learn new techniques, I also developed my research skills as well. In addition, it was incredibly valuable to be in such an interdisciplinary group and come in contact with difference research topics related to biomaterials and biomedicine. Outside of research, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Germany and getting to know the local customs. Aachen is a cosy student city so there were always student events to look out for and new people to meet. Furthermore, it is also very convenient to explore other cities such as Cologne or Bonn with public transport.
Lastly, I believe the large and supportive Matter to Life network makes the URO program really special. There were two get-togethers organised with the other URO peers where we learned about each other’s projects, the research from some Matter to Life faculty, and also explored Göttingen and the beautiful Heidelberg. It was really cool to see what other URO participants were doing, exchange experiences and I am sure stay in contact after the program as well! If you like to challenge yourself, conduct state-of-the-art research in the life sciences field and experience what it is like to live in Germany: Then definitely apply for the Matter to Life URO program!"

Jasper Krähe

"My experience during my Matter to Life URO internship was definitely one of the most relevant events for my scientific journey so far and also shaped my path to the position I am at now. The ten weeks I spent in Göttingen in the department of theoretical and computational biophysics gave me the opportunity to learn about topics that were completely new to me in an interdisciplinary environment and sparked my interest to go further into computational science in my career. What turned out to have the most value for me, having no prior research experience whatsoever, was the insight I got into actual research and the things I learned about science apart from the details of my project.
What also contributed to this were the contacts I made with the other UROs and people at the Max Planck Guesthouse in Göttingen, which not only helped me to think about my further scientific ambitions but also gave me many intercultural experiences. What helped to craft this episode of my life in this way was also the support from the URO administration and the incredible accommodation at the Guesthouse which I cannot praise enough. Although I grew up in Germany, Göttingen is now one of my favourite cities and I returned several times just to recapture a glimpse of my URO experience there.
I believe that the URO program is a great opportunity for anyone due to the broadness of research topics and I would definitely recommend it as it was my entrance into science and I hope it will be as well for many others."

Lasya Damaraju

"My experience in the MtL URO program is one that I will always remember and cherish. This program offers students such a unique, amazing opportunity. I enjoyed every aspect of the internship, from the fascinating research to my amazing lab members to the lovely city I was staying in. 
My time at the De Laporte Lab was extremely valuable. The entire lab focused on an interdisciplinary approach to research, with members whose backgrounds ranged from synthetic chemistry to bioengineering. This allowed me to explore completely new, intertwined aspects of biology and chemistry that I would otherwise never get the chance to research in. My mentors were patient and supportive, answering my frequent and constant questions. 
This allowed me to foster and appreciate a new kind of scientific inquisitiveness, broadening both my own scientific outlook and cultural lens through the chance to study in a town as historically enriched and picturesque as Aachen.
Through this internship, I was able to experience the study abroad life I longed for through my entire undergraduate career. I highly recommend this program for undergraduate students who are curious, motivated, and hungry for an opportunity to grow as a scientist and individual."

Kueyoung Kim

I am confident that, many years from now, I will look back at my time with the Matter to Life URO program as one of the most influential and defining periods of my life. Not only did I grow significantly as both a scientist and person, but I also built international connections and friendships that will extend throughout my scientific career. During my stay in the idyllic town of Göttingen, I always felt that I had a community of people from all over the world that I could lean on for support, whether it be discussing research with other group members over coffee, cooking dinner with friends I met at the Max Planck guest house, or exploring Germany with other students in the URO program.
Scientifically, my time with the Zwicker Group pushed me to approach problems from new perspectives and strengthened my ability to communicate not only across disciplines (as a chemistry student in a physics group) but also across cultures with scientists from all over the world.
Although navigating a new country and research environment was at times nerve-wracking, the experience of living and working in Germany has broadened my perspective on the world and contributed to my personal growth at a fundamental level.
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that the URO program has provided me, and I strongly encourage anyone who is interested in making the leap into a new environment to apply
 

Khanh Tran

"My experience as a Matter to Life URO candidate was truly one of the most enriching, memorable, and overall fun experiences of my life. I'd never gotten the chance to travel to Europe before, and Heidelberg – the city that I happened to land in through this program – perfectly captured the European charm I'd heard so much about. The housing stipend is quite generous, so I was fortunate to live in the heart of the city where I got to experience many cultural events and meet many kind people who were eager to welcome a foreigner into their culture. I was matched with an incredible research group at a very prestigious institute, where I also met wonderful people who would later become close friends and mentors by the end of the program. My mentor in particular served as a huge inspiration due to her clear passion for science and exceptional productivity in the lab. Through her mentorship, I was able to push the boundaries on what I thought I was capable of – I learned a new programming language from scratch and techniques/concepts from a field I had no prior knowledge of. This experience has given me the confidence to tackle projects in new fields with passion rather than hesitation. Overall, I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to learn from incredible scientists, improve their own way of thinking, and take a solo leap of faith into an incredible country with so much to offer."

Read the full interview with Khanh!

Irene Pellini

“How physics, biology and chemistry come together and are strictly entangled and mingled when it comes to the formation of life and the development, growth and death of living beings has always fascinated me. When I discovered the URO program, thus, I immediately knew that it was the right opportunity to nurture and explore this passion, thanks to its interdisciplinary nature and to its focus on life matters. During my internship I was involved in two different projects - one concerning the creation and enhancement of porous polymer-based microcapsules to trap bacteria, and the other one related to the development of a microfluidic device able to register small changes in pressure. In both cases I have been able to experience how the life of a researcher unfolds and could strongly develop my problem-solving abilities. Thanks to the multidisciplinarity of the research group as well as the availability of its members, additionally, I have been able to get some overview of other research in the fields of biology and chemistry and to learn useful techniques and skills broadly used in these areas. Moreover, the international environment and the experience of living in a foreign country have deeply contributed to my personal development, forcing me to face my insecurities and to overcome cultural and linguistic differences.”

Read the interview to learn more about Irene’s experience!

Llazar Shkurti

"I consider my research stay truly valuable, both in terms of my career and personal development. This internship not only provided me with first-hand experience in the research world but also enabled me to understand a bit more about my career trajectory. Exposure to Synthetic Biology during my research stay made me strongly consider this field as a potential candidate for my Master’s. Additionally, the MtL-URO experience provided an invaluable chance for me to network and build important professional connections. During my research stay, I learnt a lot of new lab techniques and methods, but, more importantly, I experienced what it is like to be part of a research lab. This does not involve merely performing experiments and following protocols; it also comprises keeping lab areas clean, engaging in team work and having weekly meetings & seminars to report progress and present research papers.
Another thing worth noting is the positive workplace culture in the lab. It felt like a community I was proud to be a part of. Everybody had a common goal: doing exciting & revolutionary science, but also networking and creating friendships. My professional relationship with my supervisor also grew stronger during the course of the internship. I felt that I was really being valued for my contributions to the lab’s research efforts."

Adrián Gutiérrez Cruz

“My experience as a Matter to Life URO candidate was incredible in all senses. In the first place, as I had never been to Europe before, most of the things were new for me. However, adapting to that was not too difficult and was something that I enjoyed it a lot. Germany is a beautiful country with a lot of places to visit and kind people to meet. This program allowed me to work in an exceptional research group at a very prestigious university, where I met incredible people from different disciplines and cultures, making the experience more enriching. I have learned a lot of new techniques and concepts that have improved my knowledge of my field, allowing me to be more prepared for future projects. In conclusion, I would encourage everyone who wants to improve their skills and have an unforgettable experience in an exceptional country, to apply to the Matter to Life Program. Doing research in Germany was unique for me, I discovered new ways of doing science and enhance my critical thinking."

Read the interview with Adrián!