Welcome to our Meet the Researchers blog series, where each post features one of the DarChemDN researchers sharing insights into their personal journey and professional life.
Today we introduce DC10 – Lukas Herold!
Where are you from?
I am from Lampertheim, a small town in central Germany close to Frankfurt. My home town is known for growing phenomenal asparagus (I don’t like asparagus) and having the best ice cream in the whole region (at least in 1996).
How did you adapt your new environment?
Adapting to the Netherlands and especially Groningen was not very hard for me. The Netherlands is culturally not very different from Germany, only their food takes getting used to. During my studies I lived in Heidelberg for a few years, the vibes there are very similar to Groningen, as both are student cities of similar size.
Work experience & research
During my undergraduate studies I joined numerous research groups in different fields of chemistry. I worked on gold catalysis, semi-conducting carbon nanotubes, metal-organic frameworks, 4D printing and psychoactive substances.
Future professional plans
In my future I probably want to go into industry. I am still undecided on where to go from PhD. It also does not have to be chemistry, as long as it is fun.
Hobbies
In my free time, I like to work out and going for coffees or matcha. I recently bought a camera to get into photography.
Short project summary
I work in the lab of Sijbren Otto at the University of Groningen. In my project I am aiming to integrate artificial self-replicating molecules with compartments. My goal is to couple self-replication to growth and division of these compartments and by introducing a pool of self-replicating molecules achieve Darwinian evolution based on the compartment growth and division.
A day in my life
I start my day with a coffee and a healthy breakfast before heading to the lab. There, I usually have another coffee while reviewing my experiments and planning the day ahead. After a long day of work (hopefully a successful one) I like to unwind by going bouldering, which helps me clear my head and reset.
My take on synthetic biology
What I love about the synthesis of de novo life, is that the research is very diverse and you need to keep thinking outside the box to make meaningful progress.
This blog series is set up by Kalliopi Fourli and Lukas Herold the DarChemDN outreach team.
Follow DarChemDN on LinkedIn and stay tuned for more updates on our journey in exploring the origins of life and the development of synthetic life forms!