Nov 7, 2024
From Crystals to Culture: Our Hamburg Research Expedition
This summer, our research group—Lena, Nic, and Kelly—set off on an exciting two-week journey to the University of Hamburg. It wasn’t just our first trip as a team outside Sweden; it was a chance to work, learn, and live together in a completely new environment. Even though the team had high expectations, the experience exceeded them in every way.
We began by taking the night train from Linköping to Hamburg, arriving early in the morning, tired but filled with excitement. Our first mission was to find some much-needed coffee before heading to the DESY guesthouse. After settling in, we made our way to HARBOUR to meet the fantastic team there. Our PI, Nick, joined us for the first week, adding to the sense of collaboration and adventure.
As part of the trip, we had the opportunity to step out of our usual routines and into new roles. For Kelly, this meant experiencing crystallography beyond the computer screen for the first time. She finally had the chance to see real crystals up close for the first time—an experience that felt almost magical. Not only did she see them, but she also had the opportunity to harvest a batch of crystals herself. For someone who spends most of her time in front of a computer, being in the lab was a refreshing and thrilling change. Kelly was honestly a bit surprised at how well she managed—guess she is not just a computer nerd! Who knew she also had some hidden lab skills?
On the other hand, our resident magician Lena, a true master of the lab who returned to her natural habitat, spent much of her time in the lab, setting up crystal plates and collecting data. Though she had only done this a few times before, this experience was by far the most informative. With the support of the HARBOUR team, Lena’s confidence grew, and she gained invaluable knowledge. She also had insightful discussions about our projects, exchanging ideas and building connections, and Lena is already eager to see these wonderful people again.
One of the highlights of our time in Hamburg was visiting the T-REXX endstation at EMBL. This experience not only deepened our understanding of how crystallography data is collected but also introduced us to the concept of exploring crystallography in the fourth dimension—capturing dynamic changes in crystal structures over time. It was a hands-on, eye-opening experience that helped us understand time-resolved crystallography in a much more intuitive way.
In addition to lab work, Nic and Kelly explored new ideas for data analysis. We even organized a hackathon in a secluded office on the ground floor. During the hackathon, we began developing a web application called Nautilus to explore multi-dataset crystallography, with Nic focusing on clustering and visualizing unit cell parameters and reflections, while Kelly focused on assessing dataset quality using a set of electron density metrics and identifying outlier residues to capture notable changes. The hackathon was intense—imagine being locked in a “dungeon” for hours, coding and solving complex problems together. Despite the challenges, it was exhilarating, and the camaraderie we built made it all worthwhile. If you asked us if we would do it again, the answer would be a resounding yes!
Outside of work, we made the most of our weekends, diving into Hamburg’s vibrant culture with enthusiasm. We explored bustling streets, enjoyed massive portions of local cuisine, savored beers at traditional beer gardens, and witnessed the joy and excitement of Pride Month. Lena, in particular, was thrilled to find authentic ramen, something she had been missing back in Linköping. We were captivated by the stunning architecture of the Elbphilharmonie, and perhaps the most memorable moment was our six-hour adventure in Miniatur Wunderland. Completing a scavenger hunt there made it the perfect team-building activity.
None of this would have been possible without the incredible people at Hamburg HARBOUR. Their warmth, patience, and enthusiasm made our journey special. Their passion for research was truly inspiring, and being surrounded by people who love what they do left a lasting impression on us.