PhD candidates explain the most thought-provoking proposition in their thesis. This time it’s Janneke Elzinga, who received her PhD in microbiology on 31 May. She investigated the modelling of host-microbe interactions in the intestinal mucus layer in vitro.
‘You can find numerous peanut butter flavours on the market, but most of the flavour combinations fail to create a more satisfying blend than the original taste. I use peanut butter as a metaphor for fundamental science. Scientists increasingly add buzzwords to their paper title or link their proposals to current trends to attract attention and increase the chances of getting a grant. For example, when COVID hit, scientists from different fields tried to incorporate COVID into their research, even if it was outside their area of expertise. And I’ve seen microbiology researchers attempt to integrate the trendy topic of AI into their study, even though it’s a completely different field that doesn’t really fit with their research.
Before incorporating a trendy element, scientists should ask themselves whether they possess the necessary basic knowledge in that field, and whether these subjects can genuinely complement each other. Which peanut butter flavour do I like most? Well, I particularly enjoy cucumber and apple flavours as they can truly enhance the original taste of the peanut butter. Whereas I am not a big fan of chocolate sprinkle flavour. Both peanut butter and chocolate sprinkles are already fine on their own. When combined, their flavours tend to detract from one another.’
