University of Groningen
Liposome interactions with biological systems: a journey into cells Yang, Keni
DOI:
10.33612/diss.123825197
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Publication date: 2020
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Citation for published version (APA):
Yang, K. (2020). Liposome interactions with biological systems: a journey into cells. University of Groningen. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.123825197
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Acknowledgements
On 1st October, 2015, a flight took me from Beijing, China to the Netherlands. It was my first time abroad and everything was unknown, fresh and full of possibilities to me. To be honest, because of the large culture gap between Asia and Europe, the language barrier, and the long distance from my family and friends, I felt a little lost in my initial days abroad. However, I was lucky to be surrounded by supportive supervisors, kind colleagues and caring friends, and the four and a half years of my PhD study turned out to be an enjoyable journey in the end. This part of my thesis gives me the opportunity to express my gratitude to those people who helped me and shared this journey with me.
First of all, I would like to thank my main supervisor Prof. Anna Salvati. Dear
Anna, you are a patient supervisor who is willing to explain all the details to us PhD
students and guide us to learn and grow step by step. You always give us the best support and encourage us to pursue our goals. I imagine it was not easy for you to settle down in a new country, start up a new academic career and take care of kids all at the same time. But I want to say you really did a wonderful job and were always available to us anytime we needed your help. After four and a half years of PhD study, I have learnt from you not only how to do research precisely and critically, but also how to be a supportive and responsible person. Special thanks also to my other main supervisor Prof. Klaas Poelstra. Dear Klaas, despite your busy schedule, you are always willing to help. Thanks for writing my recommendation letter during the summer holidays, helping me think about my thesis title, and teaching me how to write clear and defendable propositions. When the coronavirus epidemic broke out and my family was concerned about me, I really appreciated the calls from you and Anna that helped us feel less worried.
I would also like to thank Dr. Robbert Cool, Prof. Peter Horvatovich, Prof. Jan
Jacob Schuringa and Dr. Marc Stuart for helping me with my research projects.
Dear Robbert, when I first started my PhD, I knew nothing about size exclusion chromatography so I went to you asking for your help. Even though we were not in the same department and you barely knew me, you offered me all the help I needed. You helped me package the column, set up the FPLC, and explained every parameter.
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I really appreciate your selfless assistance. Dear Peter, it was a nice experience to cooperate with you on my first PhD project. This cooperation make me realize that R software is a powerful tool to present big data. Though I had little knowledge about R software, you were always patient while explaining the underlying principles to me. Dear JJ, I really enjoyed every meeting we have had over the past years. I have always been inspired by your various ideas about our projects, your expertise on AML study and your passion for science. And dear Marc, I want to express my gratitude for your help with Cryo-EM, but more importantly, for your explanation on how to make a good EM picture and suggestions about how to improve the purity of cell membrane isolation and the coating efficiency of lipids on silica surface. I would also like to thank Prof. Geny Groothuis, Prof. Barbro Melgert, Dr. Leonie
Beljaars and Dr. Inge de Graaf for your interesting questions and discussions during
my presentations.
Additionally, I would like to thank my assessment committee: Prof. F. Stellacci,
Prof. G. Storm, and Prof. W.J. Quax, for taking the time to read my thesis and for
your insightful comments.
During my four and a half years of studying for this PhD, the PTT department has felt like a big family, and for this, credit is due to my lovely colleagues. They are
Catharina, Eduard, Ilse, Gillian, Roberta, Daphne, Hector, Natasha, Amirah, Valentina, Aldy, Harita, Raquel, Sarah, Jan, Marina, Fransien, Laura, Habibie, Shanshan, Anienke, Gwenda, Natalia, Viktoriia. Dear Catharina, thanks for
helping me take care of cells, train Masters students, look for stuff around the lab, translate my thesis summary into Dutch, and all your other assistance through these years. I have really enjoyed doing experiments along with you, because you always find tricks to make things easier. Dear Eduard, thanks for taking care of our computers and always trying to help us fix problems in the lab. Because the efforts from you, Catharina and Ilse, our labs are always tidy and in a good order. Dear
Gillian, I think our department is lucky to have you. You are professional at work,
always do your best to help me and other people, and always bring us happiness.
Roberta, we started our PhDs on the same day. If people ask what impresses me most about you, I would say your big smile☺, which always brings a smile to my face too. Daphne, the ICONAN Conference we attended together in Munich gave me
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the chance to get to know you better. You are a reliable colleague and friend, and people can count on you to do things well. I admire your kindness towards animals and your efforts to protect the environment. Hector, thanks for your help with measuring small vesicles with flow cytometry and your patient explanation of each step. You are a smart and hard worker, and are doing a good job on your projects.
Natasha, thank you for bringing me into the CRS BeNeLux & France Local Chapter.
I really enjoy working with you on this team. Though you have taken the lead in the Local Chapter, you respect our opinions and appreciate our efforts. More importantly, you are the girl who dares to pursue your goals, expand your contacts and chase your dreams. This always inspires me and I have learnt many things outside the lab from you.
Now I would like to thank my officemates for making my time at work more interesting and fun. Amirah, I still remember the jokes we made. Well, how time flies and I cannot believe you are already a mother. I know you will be a good mother and I wish you a happy family and a bright career. Valentina, my pretty girl, it was nice to have you around to talk about science, labs, people, food, culture and everything. Even now, I still enjoy our frequent conversations. I do not know why but I just need it. I wish you a wonderful time in Canada and big success in academia.
Aldy and Harita, my current officemates, you do not know how lucky I feel to have
you in the office, especially in this final period of my PhD, full of deadlines and pressures. We talk a lot, laugh a lot and find solutions together to try to help each other. Aldy, thanks for telling me to “Just do it instead of thinking too much” and the ping-pong time we shared in the afternoon. Harita, my smart girl, you learn fast and you know many things outside the lab. You helped me to realise that people have many sides and to learn to accept people who are different from me. We need to catch up and talk over drinks after coronavirus. Also, thanks for always helping me correct my English.
Additionally, I would like to thank my Masters students, Barbara Mesquita,
Karolina Tran, Catherine Saunders and Sander de Weerd, for working with me
and helping me with the research projects. It was a nice experience to show you what I have learned and a good chance for me to improve my explanation skills.
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Special thanks to my friends for their support and companionship after work. They are Yuecheng Cui, Wenxuan Zhang, Yang Zhang, Yizhou Wang, Yana Geng, Hao
Guo, Haogen Fu, Wenjia Wang, Shanshan Song, Yehan Tao, Huala Wu, Bin Liu, Lin Zhou, Yu Tian, Xiaoxiang Ren, Jingyao Li, Qian Wang, Siwei Chen, Deng Chen, Xingyu Zhou, Xiaoying Fang, Daili Peng, Tian Liu, Zhangpin Xiao, Fangyuan Cao, Gaungcai Xu, Chao Guo, Baojie Zhang, Jielin Zhang.
Dear Yuecheng, Wenxuan and Yang, my life in Groningen has become so different since we built up the close relationship. The care and attention you showed on me made me realize that I am a girl who deserves to be loved and taught me how to love people. I hope our relationship is long-lasting and that we all have a bright future. Yizhou, Yana, Hao and Haigen, I still remember the first day we came to the Netherlands together by the same plane. Thanks for the helps through these years and the delicious dinners you prepared. Yizhou and Yana, I appreciated to have you girls around to support each other in the beginning and the end of our PhD study. Wenjia, my lovely neighbor, thanks for the company and frequent greetings during coronavirus outbreak. I would also like to thank my friends Miaozhen Huang,
Chenlong Deng, Yi Yu, Yangyang Guo, Xingchi Su from the Chinese badminton
community. Playing badminton with you guys is one of the happiest parts of my weekends.
Last but not the least, I would like to express my great gratitude to my parents and my wider Yang family. Dear dad and mom, thank you for respecting every choice I made and giving me the best support. When the Chinese new year comes and kids go home to stay with their family, I am far away from you and cannot manage to give my company. However, you barely complain about this, and only keep telling me to take care of myself. My Yang family, no matter where I am, thinking of you gives me strength and I know you always have my back.
亲爱的爸爸妈妈，感恩您们的养育之恩，感谢您们对我成长道路上每一个选择的支持和尊 重。每当新春佳节、阖家团圆之际，我却在异国他乡不能陪伴你们。可是你们对此极少抱 怨，只是不停的叮嘱我注意身体。感恩我的杨氏大家庭对我的关爱和照顾。我知道，无论 身在何处，您们都是我坚强的后盾。
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To the other people I would like to thank, although I do not have space to thank you all individually here, please know I keep all your helps and your supports in my heart.
Keni Groningen 03-04-2020
