Author: frankklont

Lab cleaning is an annually recurring event in many academic departments which typically evokes mixed feelings when it is announced but leaves a univocal feeling of satisfaction when it is completed. Such cleaning days are perfect for tidying up the department, restructuring workspaces, finding back lost items, finding potentially useful items from which you did … Continue reading Track 21 – Relax, take it easy (Mika)

It is 0659 hours on September the second 2020, and my vacation has officially started. My bike and me are currently in the train to Grenoble, and we are both ready for the 140 km bike ride from Grenoble to the beautiful city of Embrun in the French Alps where I aim to refuel my … Continue reading Track 20 – The Logical Song (Supertramp)

The day started off with a blue sky and a warm sun shining down on almost 50,000 ambitious runners who were ready to embark on a legendary journey of 42 kilometres and 195 meters through the streets of Rotterdam. In the hours before the start, all signs indicated that it would be a warm and … Continue reading Track 19 – Education (Pearl Jam)

You might have noticed in the past year that I have a tendency to deflect questions on what I am actually doing here in Switzerland. Please excuse me for any of my evasive maneuvers, but I find it difficult to describe my work in a clear and (sufficiently) complete manner, and I also find it … Continue reading Track 18 – Think (Aretha Franklin)

I am back! After two (lonely) weeks of working from my studio in Geneva followed by six (cozy) weeks of working from my partner’s apartment in Groningen, my heart is overflowing with joy because I could resume my work on University premises this week. I feel blessed that I can see my colleagues in person … Continue reading Track 17 – All the small things (Blink 182)

My first blog post appeared online roughly one year ago, and in that post, I elaborated on my first encounter with my current supervisor and on the grants I applied for, which could allow me to join his research group last year. Unfortunately, none of those applications turned out to be successful, as I discussed … Continue reading Track 16 – Looking back (John Mayall)

2020 has only just started, and I already brought three publication-celebration-cakes to work this year. The corresponding publications all report on research which I conducted myself, so-called ‘original research’, and feature my name as the first author, thus explaining why I had to bring the cake. One of them describes a project I carried out … Continue reading Track 15 – Niks mooiers as dat (Daniël Lohues)

On October 28, 2015, I walked from our lab in the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy to the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). In this hospital, close to its side entrance, I met up with a young woman. She would help me with transfering approximately 1,000 blood samples from the hospital's sample storage facility to … Continue reading Track 14 – Happy together (The Turtles)

Personal circumstances brought me back to Groningen on Wednesday, December 11, and these circumstances also gave me the opportunity to stop by my old department. I actually wanted to stop by for quite some time now, as I wanted to know how everyone is doing, hear about the group’s ambitions for 2020, and get some … Continue reading Track 13 – I heard it through the grapevine (Marvin Gaye)

I was so happy this morning when I opened the window blinds of my studio. I could finally see Mont Salève (a.k.a. the balcony of Geneva) again, which had been masked by clouds in the past weeks. I could not wait to climb this mountain again, and fortunately, I bought some decent trail running shoes … Continue reading Track 12 – Don’t eat the yellow snow (Frank Zappa)

Quite some people told me in the past years that I am obsessed with my weight. And, convincing these people of the opposite is quite difficult for me, for example due to the balance next to my bed and the fact that I use it every day. Other things that are not helping me either … Continue reading Track 11 – Green onions (Booker T. and the M.G.’s)

Not only my lab work got going again this month but also the academic year kicked off in September. Thousands of ambitious students are eager to learn all kinds of new things here at the University of Geneva, and three of them joined our lab to carry out their Master’s research projects. To them I … Continue reading Track 10 – Learning to fly (Tom Petty)

I started as a postdoctoral researcher in Geneva three months ago, and this is already the sixth blog post I am putting online since I left the Netherlands. Surprisingly, none of my posts thus far described what I am doing here or what I am planning to do. Please do not get me wrong, I … Continue reading Track 9 – Painkiller (Turin Brakes)

Let me start by stating that I am part of the problem and that I truly regret my wasteful behavior. I am not looking for excuses. I am not hiding from my bad behavior. I just am sorry. And I promise to do better from now on. When writing this text, I am waiting for … Continue reading Track 8 – Leaving on a jet plane (John Denver)

Proteins. We all known them from the ‘Nutritional Facts’ tables on food packaging materials, but did you know that thousands of different proteins are working together in our bodies to let us live the way we do? I would say that this is quite fascinating, just like that it is quite fascinating that there is … Continue reading Track 7 – High hopes (Pink Floyd)

“It is bad…Cancer… Not sure which type… Metastases everywhere…Acute problem with the spine… MRI is scheduled for today… Followed by a puncture procedure… Based on those results, we will get to know the type of cancer… In the meantime, spinal stabilization is warranted.” [long pause] My father does not have an outgoing personality. He occasionally … Continue reading Track 6 – Alone (Downface)

I am only one week here, and I have not done much more than handling all kinds of administrative matters. Still, my fingers are itching, and I cannot wait to start writing about my experiences of my postdoc life. It is, however, difficult to decide on what I will write about first as I can … Continue reading Track 5 – Easy lover (Philip Bailey & Phil Collins)

We pack our bags and leave the room The time has come, we know We walk towards the parking lot Honey, please, let us take it slow Our car out there, it waits for you Off to Groningen you will go I, instead, will take a train And wake up in Geneva tomorrow It will … Continue reading Track 4 – Goin’ home (Toto)

It is maybe because I am Dutch, but I have too many pens to choose from as a result of the greediness that strikes me every time when I see free stuff. I know, you probably think that I should stop being such a softie complaining about my First World problems, but please hold your … Continue reading Track 3 – Faith (George Michael)

The excitement I experienced in the past months while I was waiting for the outcomes of my grant applications was obviously new to me but felt a bit familiar as well. It reminded me of the period between the moment you submit a manuscript for publication in a scientific journal and the moment, typically many … Continue reading Track 2 – You can’t always get what you want (The Rolling Stones)

It was a hot Summer day in the last week of August 2018 when I was walking towards the Fortezza da Bassa conference center in Florence, Italy. My appetite for lunch was only just satisfied upon eating my favorite sandwich from Caffé degli Innocenti, a cute café which I passed every day that week on … Continue reading Track 1 – I’m so excited (The Pointer Sisters)