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What was your research all about?

A strong analogy exists between human communication and bacterial communication. Just as humans have developed a wide variety of languages and dialects, bacteria have developed a range of signalling molecules. Some of these bacterial ‘languages’ are structurally very similar, like Dutch and German, while others are as different as Finnish and Chinese. Bacteria use these languages not only to communicate with each other but also to respond to the environment. This communication can be beneficial: for example, bacteria that fix nitrogen for plant roots can promote faster crop growth. However, it can also be harmful, as some of the most problematic and antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens rely heavily on signaling to establish and spread infection in humans.

During my doctoral research, we studied how bacteria use these different "languages." We then harnessed this bacterial communication to engineer communities that cooperate. Finally, we developed strategies to disrupt the communication of pathogenic bacteria and explored how this disruption could be translated into therapies to reduce bacterial infections.

How do you feel now that the thesis is ready?

I really enjoyed conducting the research, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to work on such fascinating topics. At the same time, it as a big challenge that stayed with me for several years. I postponed finalising the thesis for several times because it felt like a daunting task and other work was always piling up. However, when the rapid progress of our start-up necessitated its completion, the writing process went surprisingly smoothly. I realised that the thesis was essentially a cohesive narrative of all the work and articles I had produced during my doctoral studies—a story that had been in my head all along.

What did you learn about research?

The doctoral thesis was the biggest challenge I have faced to date. I encountered obstacles on the way, and there was no easy path to finding the answers. However, it taught me how to tackle challenges and approach significant, unanswered questions. Without undertaking this thesis, I would never have dedicated the time or effort to learn these valuable lessons. 

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