University of Groningen
Deciphering the antiviral potential of tomatidine towards mosquito-borne viral infections
Troost-Kind, Berit
DOI:
10.33612/diss.161786279
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Publication date: 2021
Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database
Citation for published version (APA):
Troost-Kind, B. (2021). Deciphering the antiviral potential of tomatidine towards mosquito-borne viral infections. University of Groningen. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.161786279
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Acknowledgements
I cannot believe how quickly the last 4 years have passed by since I started my PhD journey. I feel immensely grateful for receiving this opportunity but most importantly for the support system that made this possible. Looking back, the PhD surely would not have been possible without the support of my supervisors, my colleagues, my friends and my family. I therefore would like to take this opportunity to try to put my gratitude into words and thank everyone that has been part of this journey.
First off, I would like to thank my supervisor Jolanda Smit. Jolanda, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity, although there was no open PhD position available at the time. When I came to the lab as a master student, I was instantly fascinated by the topic but also by your way of supervision. I knew immediately that I wanted to stay and I am so grateful you made this possible. You always had an open ear for me and instantly picked up if something was wrong with me or if I was stressed out. You found this perfect balance of reassuring me but also pushing me to get out of my comfort zone if needed. I am truly grateful for that and could not have asked for more. I also want to thank you for guiding me through my project and teaching me not to put too much pressure on myself and that it is ok to have insecurities. I have grown so much, both scientifically and personally, thanks to you.
Next, I would like to thank my co-promotor Izabela Rodenhuis-Zybert for her positivity, critical input and for always having an open door and ear for me. Iza, I truly believe you are one of the most positive and passionate people I have met in my entire life. Your spirit and passion for life and science is contagious. Thank you for always challenging me scientifically and reminding me that it is ok not to know everything. I also very much value our little bets over scientific questions which of course, you mostly won .
I also would like to take this opportunity to thank my reading committee Prof. Harrie
Kampinga, Prof. Nicole Zitzmann and Prof. Toos Daemen for their valuable suggestions
on my thesis.
I am lucky to say that I had the chance to work with a group of truly wonderful people during my PhD within the Immunology and Virology group. Toos and Anke, thank you for all your critical questions, discussions and conversations during our meetings and all the life conversations during lunch breaks and borrels. Debbie, we unfortunately only met briefly but it was a pleasure meeting you in person at the lab outing and I wish you all the best for the future in our group. Jolanda O. and Gina, you are the past and the present organizers of our group. Thank you for keeping everything organized and helping me with countless questions. You made my life much easier. Marijke, Jacqueline, Annemarie, Baukje-Nynke,
Denise and Heidi, thank you for keeping the lab organized and for making sure that we are
not drowning in chaos.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to all my fellow PhD students, who have created a supportive and positive working environment and have opened my eyes to the beauty of different cultures of the world. I will miss this international working environment very much.
Mayra, Pepe, John, Stephanie, Cesar, Julia, Elias, Alfredo, Liliana, Beto, Nilima, Andres, Lennon, Vinit, Bram, Ellen, Gabi, Georgia, Amrita, Aurora, Federica, Darshak, Shipeng,
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Milena, Yoshita, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the lunch-breaks, parties,
dinners, borrels and all the conversations we shared about life, growing up and life as a PhD student. Mayra, you introduced me to Virology and taught me everything I needed to know before starting my PhD. Working with you has made me a more organized, disciplined and driven person. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, advice and honesty when needed.
Gabi, Georgia, Lili and Alfred, thank you for welcoming me so kindly into the office
and making every day work so much fun. Alfred, I will never forget your creative song compositions and I am very grateful for your positivity and also all the sweets you regularly provided for us. Georgia, thank you for all the conversations about life and for always having an open ear for me.
Julia, I was very happy to meet a fellow German in the lab, even if we initially did not share
this excitement :P. Thank you for organizing all the fun potluck dinners and parties, you have such a proactive and fun spirit. Thank you for teaching me that a work-life balance is important and for getting me back into running (at least for a little while..). Lili, I can certainly say you were the rock throughout most of my PhD journey. I am so grateful that you always took the time to answer my countless questions and that you supported me through all my ups and downs of the PhD. But most importantly, I want to thank you for your friendship. I cannot wait to see and hug you again when this pandemic is over.
Ellen and Federica, thank you so much for being my paranymphs but most importantly
my friends. Ellen, we started this journey together. Adapting to the new PhD environment together made us bond immediately (at least after some initial weirdness :P) and made the whole experience much easier. Thank you for always cheering me up, making me a caffein addict, drinking countless special beers with me (I think the DOT owes us some special discount for the future) and beating me so ruthlessly in Catan. You are a true friend and I can always count on your loyalty and honesty. Fede, we only became close when you entered our office but it actually feels like I have known you for a very long time. I would like to thank you for your grounding spirit and for your patience and empathy when I needed a friend to talk to. I always enjoyed our dinners, game nights and especially the Harry Potter night so much.
Arjan and Lianne, I also want to acknowledge you in this thesis. It was a pleasure working
with you, and I want to thank you for all your patience while I was learning how to teach. I wish you all the best for the future both in your personal and professional life.
Furthermore, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my close friends outside the lab who have been with me through all the ups and downs of the last 4 years.
During my time in Groningen, climbing has become a great passion of mine (to say the least ). Having a hobby to release stress and meet new people has been absolutely amazing and has certainly impacted my work as well. Therefore, I would like to start by acknowledging the beautiful people I got to know on the wall. Sam, you introduced me to this sport and have been my mentor ever since. Your passion for climbing is absolutely contagious. Thank you for your encouragement, your faith in me and the countless laughs on the wall. Vania, I will miss our relaxing climbing sessions, always remember that you are a strong and independent woman. Tim, climbing with you was always fun, even if we sometimes were struggling to walk or hold a pipette for several days after the Monday trainings. Thank you for all the great memories. Anne, we only really met a couple of months ago but I would like to thank you for
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Acknowledgements
the great sessions we had together, the relaxing atmosphere while climbing and your way of pushing me to try my hardest.
Julia P., sometimes I am still amazed how quickly our relationship evolved from climbing
buddies to super close friends. We somehow instantly clicked (despite your love for carnival :P) and even though we are only friends for a couple of years now, we have been through so much together. You know me so well and can pick up instantly if I need a hug, someone to cheer me up or just someone to talk to. I also want to thank you for making the quarantine time bearable and surprising me with flowers and even confetti. Leo, we also met through climbing but became close rather quickly. I very much value your friendship and would like to thank you for your understanding and all the deep conversations we shared. I also miss all the climbing and boulder sessions and your way of encouraging me to try harder.
Laurita, you were one of my first friends here in Groningen. After meeting you in my first
Master internship in the UMCG and sharing this experience (and even our desk ) we bonded quickly. I deeply value you as a friend and will forever be grateful for the support you showed me throughout these years. I always knew you were just one lunch break away when I needed someone to talk to. Thank you for all your helpful advice and for teaching me to handle my insecurities and fears in a better way.
Helene and Luise, even though on the opposite of the Netherlands, we are going through
this PhD experience together. I could not have asked for better study buddies in the Bachelor or for better friends to experience Scotland with. Lui, you were one of my first friends when I moved out of Remscheid and have been on my side very since. Your humor and positivity have always cheered me up. Thank you for the countless parties, crazy dances, study weeks and bike tours. Heli, the time in Scotland really made us bond and by now I could not imagine not having you in my life. You have always supported me and you were my partner in crime in so many situations that people started assuming we are sisters :D. Thank you for all the cheese plates, Christmas packages, wine evenings and emotional moments we shared together, you are truly special.
Mixi, Lulu, Gül and Debbie, you have been by far my longest friends. Although we didn’t
get the chance to see each other that often since I moved to the Netherlands, I always knew I could count on you. Being away from home for such a long time made me realize how special these ‘old’ friendships are. Mixi, I want to thank you for all the exciting things we experienced together. You are such a positive and adventurous person, I really admire that about you. Thank you for always supporting me and being there for me. Lulu, you are one of the kindest people I know. Thank you for always believing in me and understanding me. No matter what is bothering me, talking to you always makes me feel better. Gül, even though we lost touch for a while, I always knew I could count on you. I am glad we reconnected and I want to thank you for your friendship, kindness and encouraging words. Debbie, I have literally known you my whole life and you have always been an inspiration to me. You taught me to have confidence in myself and to be brave enough to aim for things that seem too hard to reach. Thank you for your loyal friendship over all these years.
Frank, I want to thank you as well for supporting me throughout my education.
Last but most certainly not least, I would like to acknowledge my family who has shown me unconditional support and love throughout this time. Mum, I want to deeply thank you
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for giving me this opportunity and for always supporting me in my education. I could not have done this without your encouragement, love and support. I also would like to thank you and Claus for the frequent visits to Groningen and the endless food you brought whenever you visited. Claus, thank you for your kindness, support and love throughout the years. You always showed true interested in my work and encouraged me to continue. Jordis, I would like to thank you for always having an open ear and giving me advice on life when I need it. You keep reminding me of how important mindful living is and encourage me to take a step back and breath before acting. This has helped me a lot during the last four years. Peter, thank you for always believing in me and being there for me.
Dax and Norbert, I would like to thank you for welcoming me so openly into the family
and for all the deep conversations, fun evenings and encouraging words we shared together.
Malte, I do not think I could ever put into words how grateful I am to have you by my
side. You are the love of my life, best friend and travel buddy. I want to thank you for your unconditional love, support and loyalty. Every day I spend with you makes me a better person. You have taught me patiently to have more confidence in myself, see the positive things rather than focusing on the negatives and rationalized all difficult situations I encountered throughout the PhD with such a calmness that it was contagious (even to me). I would also like to thank you for the countless hours of proof-reading my thesis, for helping me with the formatting and bearing with me when I was most impatient to finish. I cannot wait for our new adventures to begin.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I hope we can all meet again when this pandemic is finally over.
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