‘We use the newest techniques to work on completely new products’

Because he wanted to use biological techniques to make new products, third year student Biology en Medical Research Melle Katerberg chose the minor Biotechnology.

'When i was little, I wanted to become an inventor, and make things that could help the world. During my studies I discovered little by little that I could actually do this, and the minor Biotechnology was a nice next step in this process. Biotechnological techniques are used more and more to solve various problems in the world, and I wanted to learn more about this.

The biggest part of the minor is the practical course, and during the whole semester you and a fellow student work on one big project. This year, some groups work on bacteria that can make bioplastics, and we try to breed micro-organisms that can make pigments. These pigments can be used as sustainable alternatives in for instance paint. This idea is quite new so we have a lot of work to do, but it is super interesting. And you really get to take charge of the project and decide what you want to try, so that makes it even more fun!

Besides the practical course, we also have several courses where we are taught the theory behind biotechnology. With all those classes and the project it is quite busy, and because you have to be quite independent you do have to learn quickly to plan your time well. This is also an advantage of course, because you can work at times that are convenient for you, but it also takes some getting used to.

I think this minor is a good choice for everyone that is curious about new techniques and people that like to work on biotechnological projects. You also have to be a little resourceful to find the right solutions, and you should be into puzzles. For me it is a lot of fun to work on these kind of new techniques and develop new products, so I hope I can also apply this in my future career.'