Emile Danvin
Hi, I’m Emile, and I joined ChromRare to study the epigenetic mechanisms that govern developmental programs, aiming to better understand Kabuki Syndrome. This first year of PhD has been a mix of challenges, adventures, and a lot of exciting learning.
First, going from the calm of Strasbourg to the great entropy of Naples was a real change. But despite the initial impression of chaos, I felt incredibly welcomed and quickly found myself at home. A year later, I can honestly say that I’ve never loved a city so much, and I’m glad I was able to learn Italian.
Then, my first steps in the lab weren’t always as smooth as I expected, for example I learned that it can take some time and effort to obtain the cell lines of your dreams. And when it came to analysing the first data… I have to say that my bioinformatics skills were almost non-existent. I could barely open a spreadsheet in R, and analysing OMIC data seemed out of my reach. But thanks to courses, the help of colleagues, and a lot of trial and error, I managed to carry out my first RNA-seq and ATAC-seq analyses from scratch.
Looking back, I realize that I learned a lot!
After the ups and downs of the start, I feel on the right track and I’m very excited about the next steps.
#PhDLife #LabDiaries #ChromatinBiology #Epigenetics #ResearchRollerCoaster #GrowthThroughScience #MSCA #EUHorizon #ChromRare
