We are delighted to highlight Miglė Jakštaitė’s activity within the CLASSY project. She is a PhD Student at Radboud University, Nijmegen and she has brought key contributions to the project by applying her knowledge to demonstrate how to perform cell-free biosynthesis in flow while having control of enzymatic reactions. In this short interview she shares some insights into her work and experience as a doctoral researcher working within the CLASSY research and innovation action.
How did you get into this field of research?
I have gained prior knowledge of enzyme kinetics during my internship in the group of Prof. Wilhelm T.S. Huck, where I later decided to continue my PhD programme. During my PhD I expanded my expertises of enzymatic synthesis, microfluidics and enzyme immobilisation. Now I use all these fields daily in my research for CLASSY project.
Why did you apply for a researcher position with CLASSY?
I imagined it would be a great opportunity to closely collaborate with researchers from various groups within the consortium and that would result in many challenging projects. And I was right! Also having discussions and getting advices from other experts in the field is a highly valuable experience.
What is the most important quality you consider a researcher should have?
Curiosity – a quality which pushes you forward and doesn’t let you give up when you don’t get the results you were hoping for.
What is your favorite memory during CLASSY so far?
Our kick-off meeting in Zurich was quite memorable as we all met there for the first time and we could learn more about each other’s research interests. Also, filming CLASSY video in the labs was fun as well!
What are your aspirations for your research? (explain what you would like to do after your PhD)
After my PhD I would like to apply my knowledge in industry where hopefully I could continue working on enzymatic reactions.
Let’s leave science aside, what other hobbies do you have?
Dancing, hiking and dog walking!
