What happens when you exchange your familiar university and surroundings for a completely new place for a few weeks? Viktoria Strashimirova, a Biomedical Sciences student at European University Cyprus, decided to find out. Through the European University Alliance SUNRISE, she came to TU Ilmenau for an eight-week internship. Between lab work, hiking and new everyday experiences, she not only got to know another university and an exciting research topic, but also discovered a new side of Europe.
At the Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Viktoria worked with PhD student Paulina Marczakiewicz-Perera on a topic that was new to her. Together, they investigated how small sections of plant leaves grow under different conditions. To do so, they cultivated sections of Nicotiana tabacum in microfluidic systems and regularly observed them under a microscope over a period of ten days.
“My internship focused on microfluidics and plant explants. For example, we varied the lighting conditions and the concentration of different hormones,” the student explains. “This allowed us to compare the conditions under which the plant cells developed best.”
In the long term, the method could help to more specifically select and develop plants with certain characteristics – for example, making them more heat-resistant. This was also one of the reasons why Viktoria deliberately chose the internship with Paulina: “I chose the plant-focused project because I think it could have interesting applications later on, for example in the pharmaceutical industry.”
But for Viktoria, the exchange which was financially supported through the Erasmus+ Internship program, was about more than gaining new academic experience. Through SUNRISE, the Bulgarian-born student had the opportunity to spend several weeks at another European university. “I also had the chance to explore Ilmenau and the surrounding cities,” Viktoria says.
Compared to her home city, which she describes as a very busy place, everyday life in Ilmenau with short distances was a welcome change: “It was so peaceful and refreshing to be able to walk to work instead of sitting in traffic.”
Curious to find out what’s in it for you?
You would also like to benefit from SUNRISE and make international connections? Then find out more about upcoming events and exchange opportunities here:
sunrise-alliance.eu/
www.tu-ilmenau.de/en/international/go-out
Impressions from the internship
