From the start of my placement search, I was determined to go abroad. After weeks of sending speculative applications, I connected with the Principal Investigator of the Microbiome group at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) in Barcelona. In August, I moved to Barcelona and worked alongside a team of young researchers for ten months.
The Microbiome lab at VHIR is divided into two main areas: bioinformatics and lab-based research. The group warmly welcomed me and patiently taught me everything I needed to know about the lab. Although everyone had their own research projects, we worked as a team and collaborated to advance each other's projects.
For the first few months of my placement, I worked on a longitudinal project involving over 1000 “healthy” participants to sequence gut bacteria in an effort to link diet and microbial species. Later on, with my lab partner Isaac Manjon, I was entrusted a project on explant tissue cultures from inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer patients. The VHIR is associated with a major hospital, which allowed us to work closely with patients and collect patient tissues directly after surgeries. We tested the tissue’s inflammatory response to various treatments.
Overall, my placement was a fantastic professional experience. Prior to my placement in Barcelona, I had never worked in a lab and lacked practical experience. Over the course of my placement, I mastered techniques such as spectrophotometry, PCR, qPCR, gel electrophoresis, and tissue cultures. This experience also gave me a better understanding of the scientific field and a clearer idea of the career paths I might pursue after graduation. On a personal level, undertaking this placement allowed me to learn Spanish and discover my love for living in an international city.
