Life Science and Technology

I decided to study Life Science and Technology, because of its interdisciplinary character. This entails basically that it combines courses and aspects from the complete range of natural disciplines. So, you will follow in your first two years courses covering all kinds of topics, where one may be more biology focused while another course may be chemistry oriented. For me this was ideal at the time since I did not yet fully know what fields I liked most and wanted to pursue. The first two years allowed me to figure out my own interests.

Currently, I am in my third year and doing the specialization Molecular Life Science which mostly combines chemistry and biology. I am really interested in all the chemical processes going on in the human body that allow it to function as it does. So, really focusing on the molecular interactions that occur between proteins and ligands. Before I started my specialization, I followed an introductory minor in Philosophy. Compared to LS&T this was something completely different, yet I found it a very interesting and inspirational half-year. So, I decided to also continue with the Bsc. Philosophy of the Life Sciences, which hopefully will allow me to apply a philosophical perspective to issues in the life sciences.

After my specialization, I am planning to continue my studies in the masters Biomolecular Sciences and Biology. In the Msc. Biology, I will follow the Science, Business and Policy track which among other things includes a half-year internship at a biotechnological consultancy company. In this way, I hope to be able – after my studies - to combine my academic skills and enthusiasm in a more business-focused environment.

I decided to study Life Science and Technology because I’m interested in the world of science. I think it’s super cool and fascinating how our body is composed of cells and even smaller; molecules that can form such a complex organism which can move, think and feel. I enjoyed math and chemistry in high school, biology was interesting most of the time and physics I either hated or loved depending on the subject. Now that I am in my second year of LST I know better where my interests lie, although I am still unsure what master’s I want to pursue after my degree. Luckily there are still many directions I can choose from since LST is so broad and interdisciplinary!

This year we started with a biology- and chemistry-related course (applied microbiology and bioinorganic chemistry) and also followed a three-week lab course, which was super fun! The second block consisted of more physics-/math-related courses. The variety in courses prevents boredom and creates diversity. Every student in our degree has different specialities and qualities which creates this great opportunity to work together and learn from eachother. Besides the scientific knowledge I have acquired so far, I’ve also learnt to step out of my comfort zone, to not be afraid to speak up and to actively participate in class (which I am still struggling with sometimes, to be honest).

Nobel prize-winner Ben Feringa recently mentioned in an interview he started studying again from a biomedical book, just like first years, so he better understands ‘the language’ of researchers in the medical field*. This felt like a confirmation to me of the value of our interdisciplinary bachelor. At the interface of different scientific fields, many awesome discoveries are still yet to be made!

*[ https://www.npostart.nl/het-wetenschappelijk-jaaroverzicht-2022/23-12-2022/BV_101408971 ] (at 40:55)

Science has played a key part in my life for as long as I can remember, however it was only in high school that I actually found a true passion for Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology. I knew I wanted to help people further on in my career, but I was not inclined towards becoming a doctor or going into one scientific field in particular. This is why, for me, studying Life Science and Technology at the University of Groningen felt like a perfect fit, since it is such a broad English taught bachelor's programme that perfectly intertwines vast theoretical knowledge with valuable practical laboratory work and scientific writing skills.

Considering LS&T encompasses courses from all the fields of science, I was expecting it to challenge me at times and was concerned about adapting to a more self-study approach and to cultural factors related to the Dutch higher education system. Luckily, despite the hardships I’ve encountered, I've also been greatly surprised by how everyone in university, from staff to fellow students, has always happily helped me understand and apply concepts we use in Organic Chemistry or Microbiology or even Quantum Mechanics.

After graduation, I'm thinking of doing a masters in a field that combines drug development with either neuroscience, immunology or genetics. They are all fields I'm passionate about and good entry points for the research I want to pursue in the field of neurodegenerative or autoimmune diseases.

Besides my studies, I'm active in the life sciences’ study association, GLV Idun, chairing the Career Committee in organizing various events throughout the year. I'm also working a couple of jobs part time and desperately trying to make time to go to the gym.

Overall, I consider student life to be a great and challenging time of one’s life, and doing Life Science and Technology at the University of Groningen has certainly helped me grow as both a (future) professional, but also as a person who can be independent, manage their time right, study efficiently and have fun with my friends.

I currently work as a PhD student in the Molecular Microbiology group, under the supervision of Dr Billerbeck (billerbecklab.com). During my undergraduate studies, I followed course units in general subjects such as ecology, maths, biochemistry and genetics, plus a Minor in medicine, and I found myself intrigued by immunology and microbiology.

I took part in the IGEM competition and started to develop an interest in synthetic biology and biotechnology. I really enjoyed all the research internships during my Master’s degree programme Medical and Pharmaceutical Drug Innovation, so I knew I wanted to continue in that direction.

We work with killer toxins. These proteins are produced by yeast, which likely helps to compete for nutrients by killing other yeast and fungi in its environment. Killer toxins are interesting for many reasons, one particular reason being the rise in antimicrobial resistance, which urges the need for novel effective antimicrobial compounds. Some killer toxins can kill important human pathogens, such as Candida glabrata, and may be helpful in fighting these infections in the future. We isolate yeast from the environment to find novel killer toxins, investigate the properties, activity and function of these toxins, and use directed evolution to engineer them.

When I arrive at work in the morning, I usually check whether the yeast or bacteria for my experiment have grown, or I analyse the results of experiments carried out the day before. We meet weekly to discuss our results and to help each other solve any problems we may have come across. I spend part of the day in the lab, doing experiments, and part in the office, analysing the data on the computer or planning new experiments.

It is amazing to see how life works at the molecular level, and there is still so much to discover about the world that we live in! Hopefully, what we learn will help us to build a better and more sustainable world. We have the freedom to follow our curiosity, to come up with hypotheses and to try them out in the lab. I like how my work is both theoretical and practical. Sometimes, when you encounter problems during experiments, it takes some time to figure things out – but with a little patience and perseverance, we are usually able to solve any challenges together.

Ik heb deze opleiding gekozen omdat ik de werking van het leven erg interessant vind. Hoe de mens zich heeft ontwikkeld en hoe we verder evolueren zijn vragen die me erg boeien. Bovendien vond ik biologie op de middelbare school erg leuk, vooral hoe cellen en ook dieren van binnen in elkaar zitten. In deze opleiding kan ik nog meer leren over het (menselijk) lichaam en evolutie, en ook alle vaardigheden opdoen die ik nodig heb om een succesvolle onderzoeker te worden.

Het doel van de opleiding Life Science and Technology is om het leven te begrijpen. Als je geïnteresseerd bent in alle vormen van leven, kom je dus al een heel eind. Omdat de studie bestaat uit vakken van verschillende vakgebieden, is er altijd minstens een vak per semester dat je echt leuk vindt.

LST is een heel technische kijk op de natuurwetenschappen. Het is veel meer dan alleen biologie, scheikunde of natuurkunde. De opleiding is voor een groot gedeelte samengesteld uit vakken die binnen andere opleidingen aan de Faculty of Science and Engineering worden gegeven, maar dan wel een beetje aangepast voor LST. Dat betekent dat je bijvoorbeeld dezelfde cursus celbiologie volgt als de biologiestudenten. Maar een vak als Optics is veel meer gericht op praktische toepassingen, zoals microscopen, meer dan een natuurkundestudent ooit nodig heeft. In de meeste gevallen combineer je de vakken op zo’n manier dat je er heel praktisch mee aan de slag kunt.

Los van de algemene indrukken: dit is een heel interessante studie. Ik vind het een van de moeilijkere opleidingen die er wordt aangeboden in Groningen. Niet omdat de vakken te moeilijk zijn, maar omdat je goed in alles moet zijn.

Hallo! Mijn naam is Thomas Westerhuis, 22 jaar oud en woon nu al bijna viereneenhalf jaar in Groningen. Ik ben ooit begonnen aan de Hanzehogeschool, aan de opleiding Biologie en Medisch Laboratoriumonderzoek.

Hier kwam ik voor het eerst in aanraking met de oneindige processen die nodig zijn om een cel goed te kunnen laten functioneren, vertrouwend op een nauwe samenwerking van een nog oneindigere hoeveelheid componenten. Ik wil deze complexiteit begrijpen en dat is waarom ik de opleiding Life Science and Technology doe.

Naast je studie kan je in Groningen ook terecht voor haar bruisende studentenleven. Of je nou een sport-, student- of studievereniging terecht zoekt, er is altijd wel een groep mensen waar jij je helemaal op je plek zult voelen. Ik ben zelf enthousiast geraakt bij GLV Idun, de studievereniging voor Biology, Biomedical Engineering en Life Science and Technology. Ik voelde mij er zo op mijn plek dat ik dit jaar de uitdaging heb aangenomen om voorzitter van de vereniging te zijn. Als voorzitter is het mijn taak om de vereniging en het bestuur te leiden. Ik houd mij bezig met de orde van de dag, maar ik zorg er ook voor dat we de doelstellingen van ons beleid behalen en onze lange termijn visie niet uit het oog verliezen. Ook heb ik veel contact met de universiteit en andere verenigingen, waardoor ik veel leer over verschillende soorten organisatiestructuren.

Ik kan het aanraden om naast je opleiding actief te worden. Het maakt niet uit of je dan bij een commissie of een bestuur gaat, of een student-assistentschap bij de universiteit doet. Vanuit eigen ervaring kan ik zeggen dat zo’n ervaring enorm leerzaam is en sterk bijdraagt aan je persoonlijke en organisatorische ontwikkeling. Wat ik vooral wil benadrukken, is dat iets doen naast je studie ook gewoon ontzettend leuke ervaringen met zich meebrengt.