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 DC6 – Pornpawit Siricharoensang!
Where are you from?
I am from Thailand – it is a place of year‑round summer with beautiful beaches and forests. The place I am from was laid back yet full of culture and vibrant culinary scenes. The people are the most memorable part, they are friendly, and the country is known as the Land of Smiles.
How did you adapt your new environment?
To bring a piece of what makes home a home, I brought spices from my country so I can always recreate the dishes. I keep in touch with people who are far away so I don’t lose connection, while also finding new relationships to build my new life.
Work experience & research
My background in bachelor was biochemistry in Thailand. I had the vision of integrating intelligent made design into the foundation of biology and that led me to join Prof. David Leigh during my master to research on Molecular Machines. This experience eventually continue as my position as a PhD candidate in the Otto group to probe to remake the mechanic of life itself.
Future professional plans
I wish to leverage expertise outside the conventional laboratory environment. The understanding of system complexity is fascinating for applications in other fields that deal with nonlinear dynamics, such as finance, engineering, and medicine. I would like to work in industry because I enjoy working directly with people. Additionally, industry is more agile to change, allowing me to tackle problems and implement solutions day to day.
Hobbies
I love spending time with people. Being at a concert or part of a large project excites me — it’s as if I’m becoming part of history being written. I also love learning about ancient history, particularly oral tales. I believe literature is a lens that condenses history through the lived experience of the author. Marcus Aurelius is a good starting point for those interested in the topic.
Short project summary
My work in the Otto lab focuses on building a complementary chemical system to the Disulfide chemistry. We are trying to explore whether we can use different system for different purposes, and integrate them together to leverage new properties.
A day in my life
My morning ritual starts with stretching and some coffee to lighten the day. At 9:00 AM I arrive at the lab to work on my project, with lunch and coffee breaks here and there to keep me energized. In the afternoon Shana started rambling about her favorite gacha character. After work I like to grab a coffee back in the city or visit the gym with friends.
My take on synthetic biology
I became fascinated by biological complexity, which led me to study molecular machines and realize how difficult it is to achieve any functionality. That made me appreciate that, to understand biology’s complexity, we must also try a synthetic approach to life. Fundamental science has intrinsic value, it answers whether something is possible. Technically, advances in synthetic life tools translate to practical uses in real biology. Our ability to create, control, and maintain cellular level entities can be highly useful in therapeutic medicine.
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!