Name: Katharina Gerth
Organisation/Co-ordinator:
Nationality: German
Dates of Visit: 03-10-2005 - 03-03-2006
About why I came:
For
my study to become a Biotechnologist I had to attend a practical trainee
for a period of 20 weeks to improve my skills in Microbiology, Chemistry
and other scientific fields as well as to see how to work far away from
the security of the University. But I also wanted to improve my English
and get to know another culture, this is why I decided to go abroad. I
searched in the yellow pages of Ireland, Scotland, England and Norway
and applied at a wide range of companies. Most of the firms declined my
application. However, the ERI gave me a positive answer. Approximately
half a year before I arrived in Thurso I got in touch with my later supervisor
Diane Ruchonnet who helped me so much to organize my traineeship as well
as my accommodation.
There was only a wee problem…money…my application for a grant
at a German funding organisation was declined, but later Stuart Gibb managed
to organize some money for my time there.
When I arrived and started to work at the institute my focus was on the
project and I wanted to learn and read as much as I could. Finally I learned
more than laboratory working and writing of scientific reports, also a
lot about Scottish people and the life there, the language and culture.
About my project & working at the ERI:
My
project was: “Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of Antibacterial
Agents in the Brown Seaweed Halidrys siliquosa”
This theme included work with marine algae and a wide range of marine
bacteria which were sampled and isolated from the beach in Thurso. My
supervisor Diane Ruchonnet and I extracted the seaweed H. siliquosa in
Methanol and assessed this crude extract against bacteria to show their
sensitivity to the extract, if there is one. We also tested different
fatty acids against the same bacteria. The whole work was supported by
Dr. Kenneth Boyd and I also was given plenty help from nearly everyone
at the ERI.
The working atmosphere at the ERI is great; it was easy for me to communicate
with the staff during the first few weeks and make friends. The ERI combines
high quality lab work and a relaxed family like environment.
About living in Caithness:
Living
in Scotland means to live with every kind of weather. Living especially
in Caithness / Thurso means to live sometimes with snow, rain, hailstones
and sun in only one hour but above all with a lot of wind. But if you
have a good waterproofed jacket, this doesn’t matter. What is more
special for Caithness are the very friendly people. I’ve never felt
such friendliness in any other country and also not at any other place
of Scotland I’ve been.
Even though the winter at Scotland is difficult and the bus and train
tables are horrible in this season I’ve seen a lot. I visit the
“Duncansby stacks” and “Dunnet head” (northern
point of the British mainland), I’ve also been towards the west
to Durness. But the highlights were the walking tour at the Cairngorms,
the visit of Loch Ness with a night at Fort Augustus and the Burns supper
with Haggis (Haggis is not so bad!! ) and dance.
About
the future:
After
my time in Thurso I will go back to my University with a lot of new impressions,
knowledge and skills. I have to carry on studying one year more and will
write my diploma after. Everything what I’ve learned at the time
at the ERI will be helpful for my future: the language, working with micro
organisms, writing scientific reports and courage to do everything I want
to do.
The last five month showed me, that I had chosen the right subject and
I will carry on with scientific work. I am not sure, if I want to work
my whole life in research because it is a lot of theoretical work and
I prefer the practical work in the laboratory than to read papers and
write articles and reports.
Living in Scotland would be great because I like the mentality, but I
am not sure if I would get a good job and if I can handle the weather
longer then half a year.
