Visiting ETH-Zurich and the Environmental Microbiology group

Last year, Prof. Dr. Marie Schölmerich reached out for help with the shipment of samples collected from the pristine wetlands in Värmland. I was happy to assist a fellow female researcher, and after some logistical challenges—including a few lost samples—most of them finally arrived safely in Zurich.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Marie’s lab at ETH Zurich, where I gave a talk on colonisation factors in E. coli. It was a great chance to discuss ongoing research and explore potential collaborations on metagenomic sequencing of the Värmland samples. The data holds exciting potential for understanding microbial communities in these unique environments, and I’m looking forward to working together on this.
Beyond science, we also talked about the challenges of setting up a new lab as junior PIs—covering everything from recruitment to lab organisation. Marie shared invaluable insights, and I’ve already started implementing some of her advice in the von Mentzer Lab.
It was a fantastic visit filled with engaging discussions, new ideas, and valuable takeaways. Looking forward to future collaborations!




Read more on about the research in Schölmerich Lab)