Of lab work and latitude

So after a week of training and basic safety overviews and paperwork, I am now screening my gorilla samples for pathogens. I have looked for Plasmodium (all came back negative) and now I am looking for polyoma virus (a few positives so far). The techniques I am learning here are similar to the ones I learned back in my lab, but they do things a bit differently and it is interesting and helpful to see a new perspective . It has even helped me improve my skills and understanding of the protocols a bit more. Last night  a new shipment of fecal samples came in (hurray!) and these we will extract RNA from so that we can screen for  retroviruses. I spend almost all of the day in lab (from 8am to 6 or 7pm), but the people are fun and the work isn't too bad, so I don't mind. I am getting a lot of info for my thesis, so it will definitely be worth it. In the evenings it is nice to come home and relax or stop at a cafe or pub on the way home. All the food here is so delicious. I found this vegan burger joint just down the street from my flat and I am in love. There are also lots of falafel shops and Indian resteraunts I want to try. 

A girl from Tel Avi is now living in the other room and we've hit it off quite nicely. She is also vegetarian, so we go forage together :)

This weekend I am going to Dresden to visit an old family friend and I am excited to see another side of Germany. In the meantime, I am planning trips to Munich and the black forest, with lots of help from native Germans in the lab. They also help me with my language skills by forcing me to speak only in German, which is a struggle, but I know it's the best way to learn. There is always some music festival or open air market here and I love just walking around the city. Last weekend I was just biking around and I found a hoard of cyclists taking over the streets, so I just joined in and rode for about 10 km to huge park in the south of the city. Unfourtunately, it's a bit colder than the summers I am used to in Atlanta, but that's northern Europe for you. I really can't complain :) 




 Until next time!


 Liebe Grüße, 

Kristen