Fotowettbewerb 2023
Überblick über die eingereichten Bilder für den Fotowettbewerb "Hut ab!"
Ausstellung der Fotos beim Fotowettbewerb "Hut ab!"
Doktorhut von Alexandra Hildebrandt
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Multisensory integration in complex rhythmic motor tasks
Beschreibung / Description:
Innerhalb meines Promotionsprojektes habe ich mich mit den visuellen und auditiven Einflussfaktoren auf die Gestaltung des Weitsprunganlaufs beschäftigt.
Auf meinem Doktorhut haben meine lieben KollegInnen auf sehr kreative Art und Weise nicht nur meinen experimentellen Aufbau, sondern ebenso meine wunderbaren (Promotions-)Jahre in Jena verbastelt.
Grundlage des Hutes bildet die Outdoor-Weitsprunganlage auf dem Gelände des sportwissenschaftlichen Instituts, auf der ich den Großteil meiner Experimente durchgeführt habe. Dafür haben meine KollegInnen nicht nur Rasen auf meinem Hut verlegt, sondern sogar auch eine echte Sandgrube in den Hut eingebaut! Darüber hinaus haben sie die Anlaufstrecke auch mit vielen Meilensteinen - ob beruflicher oder privater Natur - sowie auch Erinnerungsfotos und Hobbies (u.a. die Rope Skipping Quaste) versehen. Die Silhouette des sportwissenschaftlichen Instituts ist zudem auch deutlich sichtbar. Ein absolutes Highlight auf meinem Hut ist die Mini-Soundanlage, die nicht nur eine liebevoll zusammengestellte Playlist abspielt, sondern ebenso meine jahrelange Tätigkeit als Zumba-Trainerin beim Unisport in Jena repräsentiert und somit zum Tanzen einlädt. Trotz der aufwändigen Gestaltung war deshalb am Tag meiner Verteidigung auch ein Freudentanz zu den bekannten Rhythmen mit Hut auf dem Kopf gar kein Problem. :)
Alles in allem ein wirkliches Meisterwerk meiner fantastischen KollegInnen, das mich stets an eine tolle und herausfordernde Zeit erinnern wird!
Doktorhut von Anna Schröger
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Spatiotemporal biases in manual interception – effects of visual and auditory information processing
Beschreibung / Description:
„Mit dem Masterabschluss in der Tasche hast du dich nun entschieden, deine wissenschaftliche Karriere weiter voranzutreiben. Du bist sicher: Ein Doktortitel muss her! Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, musst du dich nun den zahlreichen Herausforderungen im Cañal-BruLab stellen.“
Und schon verwandelte sich mein Doktorhut in ein einzigartiges, persönliches Escape-Game mit vielen spannenden Rätseln eingebettet in Erinnerungen aus den vergangenen 3,5 Jahren. Über einen QR-Code, der auf einem Flugticket zu meinem Auslandsaufenthalt in Kanada versteckt war, gelangte ich zu einer App, die mich durch das Spiel leitete. Für den Fall, dass kein Internetzugang vorhanden war, lag noch eine ausgedruckte Variante parat. Ziel des Spiels war natürlich der erfolgreiche Abschluss der Promotion. Das heißt in diesem Fall: an das Herzstück, also den Inhalt der - als Dissertationsschrift getarnten - Box zu gelangen. Dazu musste man über mehrere Rätsel und Aufgaben einen Code für das Zahlenschloss an der Box finden. Versteckt waren neben einer Miniaturversion der Promotionsurkunde Shotgläser, um mit den ehemaligen Kollegen anzustoßen.
Ein kleiner Auszug zu den eingebauten Erinnerungen und Spielen findet sich in diesem kurzen VideoExterner Link.
- Wichtigstes Stück auf dem Hut war der ‚annaloge Browser‘: eine als mein Desktop getarnte Mappe mit Trennfächern, die an Tabs im Browser erinnern… da hab ich wohl immer zu viele gleichzeitig geöffnet ;)
- Weitere Hinweise und Spielmaterialien waren in dieser Mappe versteckt und thematisch den Browserfenstern zugeordnet – z.B. im Tab Google-Scholar Minitaruversionen meiner Publikationen, auf der Homepage der Arbeitsgruppe meine eigenen Beiträge (in denen ich Tippfehler suchen sollte), im Fenster Solitär ein personalisiertes Kartenspiel mit allen Kollegen darauf, bei Outlook eine Mail von einer Kollegin mit einer Aufgabe für mich.
- Bei einer Dissertation zum Thema Illusionen, darf eine solche auf dem Hut natürlich nicht fehlen! Mithilfe einer Bastelanleitung bekam ich eine kleine Drachenfigur, die die Hollow-Face-Illusion zeigt. Im Gegensatz zum Original hatten meine Kollegen darauf ein paar zusätzliche Linien eingezeichnet, die erst zusammengebaut und im richtigen Winkel gehalten den Hinweis auf das nächste Rätsel lieferten.
- Und natürlich mussten meine Befunde auch in einem Anwendungsbeispiel unter Beweis gestellt werden: Kann man nur mit auditiver Information einen Tischtennisball in einen Becher treffen? Ja es geht!
- Eine kurze Version eines Rope Skipping Seils an der Quaste erinnert an das gemeinsames Hobby der Doktorand:Innen.
Doktorhut von Anthony Chukwubuikem
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Investigations of the periplasmic physiology of phenazines in Pseudomonas for improved mediated electron transfer in bioelectrochemical systems
Beschreibung / Description:
The hat is a summary of my PhD time and life. The figure (sky blue-far right) with tentacles represents the microorganisms which I worked with ability to generate electric currents. The black (block) on the front top represent the electrodes used for current generation while the two small transparent boxes with white cover and red projections represent the mud watt used to light LED using bacteria in the soil. Other figures on the top (pipette, falcon tube, 96-well plate, Eppendorf tube etc.) represent Lab materials I used during my work. Outside the Lab one can also see things that I love doing: The Figure of a man with microphone shows how much I love singing; the guitar behind showed that I played guitar alongside and the musical staff projecting from the top represent my skills in writing and scoring music. Far behind are the Maps of two great Nations: Nigeria (green-white-green), the land of my birth and dream; and Deutschland (black-red-gold), the land of great opportunities. At the body of the hat, one can see some pictures; a very important one is that of my son David Ekene Chukwubuikem seriously watching and supporting me as I make my last report as a PhD student sitting in his room.
Credit: Kudos to the wonderful team of the Bio Pilot Plant of Leibniz-HKI Jena for their exceptional creative inclinations.
Doktorhut von Franz Josef Hack
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Guanidinhaltige Nanopartikel als nicht-virale Vektoren für den Transport von Nukleinsäuren
Beschreibung / Description: Der Doktorhut ist geschmückt mit vielen alltäglichen Situation aus der eigentlichen Laborarbeit, aber auch all den privaten Ausflügen und Momenten mit der Arbeitsgruppe. Dabei fällt der JenTower sofort ins Auge, der zentral den Hut schmückt und Jena wie kaum ein anderes Bauwerk verkörpert. Neben vielen Accessoires aus der Zellkultur sind auch pharmazeutische Arzneiformen wie Tabletten oder eine Salbenkruke sichtbar, die klassisch für den Apothekerberuf stehen. Es wurde aber auch gern gewandert (s. Bilder unten am Hut), asiatisch gekocht und gegessen (Essstäbchen, Origami) und guter Kaffee getrunken (Kaffeebohnen). In der Kooperationsarbeit wurde stets über den „chemical or biological point of view“ fachlich diskutiert, der im Fernglas metaphorisch symbolisiert werden soll.
Doktorhut von Friederike Richter
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Strategies to optimize cationic polymers for gene delivery via endosomal escape
Beschreibung / Description:
With this contribution I’d like to thank my very dear colleagues and friends not only for making this magnificent, gorgeous, fabulous, and admirable hat, but also for accompanying me through all the positive and negative “peaks” on the way to the doctoral degree. This hat will always remind me of all the thrilling experiences we had and our insightful talks in the offices (aquarium) and hallways. =)
On the hat, the laboratory part represents my enthusiasm for biochemistry and everything about research, (green) cells, microscopy, and spreadsheets. This was very beneficial for my PhD studies on novel polymers (e.g., p(LAMA)) transporting genetic material into different cells to make them shine green. The kitchen on the other side represents my other great passion – baking, eating, and making cakes and chocolates as well as tasting new creations ever so often, which was also very helpful for writing papers and getting new ideas in the lab. Apart from that, my dearest colleagues integrated a lot of other things I really like: themselves ;-), green, hiking in the mountains, nature, owls, France and Lego (which I know took them so long that they almost got kicked out of the shop).
I really think that all their effort should be honored, and the prize will definitely reward the artists with a lot of well-deserved pieces of cake and cups of ice and coffee for celebration. =)
Doktorhut von Isabela Santos Valentim
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Circadian clock disruption promotes systemic proteotoxicity via chromatin-mediated gene suppression in C. elegans
Beschreibung / Description:
My PhD was about sleep/circadian rhythms and how this is related to neurodegenerative diseases, using C. elegans as an animal model. My lab colleagues did a great job by depicting not only my lab work, with many sample tubes, neurons, aggregated proteins, and sleeping masks for studying sleep, but also, my hobbies and things I’m passionate about! :)
Doktorhut von Jan Sperrhake
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Semi-analytic modeling of stacked metasurfaces
Beschreibung / Description:
This is one of the most detailed and complex PhD hats I have ever seen.
I spent my time as PhD a researcher in the nano and quantum optics group at the Institute of Applied Physics. My thesis dealt with questions surrounding tiny nanostructures and their interaction with light. I developed methods to describe how light behaves when it interacts with a succession of nano-structures constructed, in a way, like a wall of Lego bricks. Each layer of this stack of bricks added, in essence, complexity to the transformation light would experience when going through the brick wall – top to bottom.
As it turned out, my group chose to build my hat in a similar fashion, layered with multiple levels of complex detail. How awesome is that! Since a PhD is a very personal journey, the hat combines many aspects from my personal life that were intermingled with my PhD.
The first thing to note are the three protruding layers with checkerboard patterns. This, in fact, represents the famous 3D chess from Star Trek – a show I am very fond of. Each level represents in turn a step in my career. Importantly, there is another chessboard on the actual top of the hat (below the 3D chess board levels). This is, and I kid you not, a sand filled Zen-chess-garden, combining my love for Japanese culture and chess. There and across the entire hat, hand painted (!) miniature figures were placed (from bottom to top: Yoda & myself as a hobbit, Spok & Gollum, and Darth Vader). These set up a roll-playing game which I had to act out with a colleague for about an hour – going through my life layer by layer.
The green glowing portals you see on each level were the way I navigated across the hat and my life. Amazingly, the portals were activated with a 3D-printed portal gun (bottom left of the photo) from the show Rick and Morty. I could point the thing at a portal and it would light up by means of a laser, activating the portal. My mind was blown!
What is difficult to see in the picture is a small display on the portal gun that shows cartoon pixel images of my life stages. I could dial through them to find my destination. I can’t imagine the amount of work that must have went into that one item.
You might also have noticed another portal that is blue. This is of course a Star Gate from the so named TV series – and of course the Star Gate has the same “activation sequence” as in the show.
Other things of note are the base of the hat – which is an artificial aquarium (I like aquascaping) – and a metal X-Wing model on the very top (left) that must have been a pain to build.
Overall, the story of the hat starts with my time as a cook in Canada (the stove on the first level) and starting my physics journey in gravitation theory (3D-printed worm hole on the right). This transitions to my PhD phase (second level with the funny looking Lego thing – basically my thesis) and finishes with the start up (Xsight Optics) that I founded at the end of my PhD (third level with the TV showing me, my co-funder, and the TV-guy from The Simpsons).
Needless to say, this hat is full of so much loving detail and skillful work (CAD modelling and 3D-printing, painting and drawing, electronics and programming) that I think this must surely be the best hat I have ever seen.
Doktorhut von Jasmin Finkelmeyer
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Organic layers with tunable supramolecular structure and morphology to investigate their influence on optoelectronic thin film properties
Beschreibung / Description:
Auf dem Hut sind schematisch die Moleküle gezeigt, mit denen ich gearbeitet habe, die Herstellungstechnik der Molekülschichten, die Charakterisierungsmethode der Molekülschichten, sowie die Fragestellung und das Hauptergebnis meiner Dissertation, und natürlich auch meine Hobbies und Interessen.
Doktorhut von Jobst Ziebell
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
The Functional Renormalisation Group, its Mathematics and Applications to Asymptotic Safety
Beschreibung / Description:
Dieser wunderschöne Hut zeigt Aspekte meiner Arbeit sowie einige meiner Hobbies. Auf der Tafel steht die Wetterich-Gleichung in einer leicht abgeänderten Form, die ich schaffte mathematisch sauber herzuleiten. Die Zusammenfassung der zugehörigen Veröffentlichung ist auf der Schallplatte aufgedruckt. Ich fahre sehr viel Fahrrad, sodass man mir sogar eines auf den Doktorhut geklebt hat, was ich sehr sympathisch finde :)
Oben drauf sind auch Schlittschuhe und ein Hochbeet. Das Notenbüchlein unten habe ich bekommen, weil ich im Chor singe und die Fliege passt zu meinem üblichen Outfit auf Lindy Hop-Tanzveranstaltungen. Oben auf der Schallplatte sind auch einige Tanzschritte als Fußspuren abgebildet.
Doktorhut von Julien Klaus
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Visualizing, Analyzing and Transforming Tensor Expressions
Beschreibung / Description:
Eigentlich müsste man den Hut von zwei Seiten betrachten. Auf der einen Seite ist das Universitätshauptgebäude aus dem viele verschiedene Köpfe erwachen. So haben wir einen Kopf mit der Programmiersprache Python, einen mit dem Sommercamp Informatik Jena, einen mit der Bürokratie der Universität, einen mit dem DR.FSU und einen mit den Flyern vom Data Science Day. Alles Dinge die ich neben meiner Promotion gemacht habe (Data Science Day und Sommercamp war ich Hauptorganisator, DR.FSU zwei Jahre im Vorstand) und die mir viel Mühe und Arbeit beschafft haben.
Auf der anderen Seite stehe ich auf einem kleinen Podest als Herkules umringt von Erstsemesterstudierenden, welche ich gegen diese Übermacht verteidige. Ich habe viele Jahre den zweiwöchentlichen Vorkurs Informatik angeboten und dort lernt man unter anderem Python. Aber auch bei Fragen und anderen Anliegen der Erstsemester war ich immer gerne behilflich.
Natürlich braucht es dafür viel Kaffee.
Doktorhut von Mai Anh Tran
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Microbial communication – an interplay of producer, transporter, and receptor
Beschreibung / Description:
This hat is made by my amazing colleagues – the Hellmich lab. It perfectly combines my PhD life with hobbies and my pets, one of which is shown in the picture. I am a trained chemist, as the blue flask shows, who moved to structural biology and biochemistry for my PhD. In the center you can find my research topic: my purple dancing protein in a lipid nanodisc. The structural determination of this protein was one goal of the thesis. And yes, the protein also dances on the hat and adopts multiple “conformations”.
In our lab, I’m responsible for chromatography systems, and of course this must be represented by the FPLC.
Usually, it is impossible to have a zoom meeting with me without my cats showing up on camera. That’s why there are cats all over the hat, even hidden between the pictures. My cat once ate my polymer sample, which I carried in my jacket pockets. Luckily, the polymer was not toxic to them – at least not at that concentration – and it was fun explaining to my collaboration partner why I ran out of polymer. This story is represented by the colored open tubes, but this time they are filled with colored sugar instead of actual polymers. The globe shows my origin – I’m German with a Vietnamese background, and the plants, coffee, pan and crocheted cat ears show my hobbies.
You can find lots of memories trapped in pictures on the hat that were collected during the PhD time. Big thanks to the Hellmich team for this beautiful present!
Doktorhut von Michel Pannier
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Aspects of Holography and Higher Spins in Three-Dimensional Asymptotically Flat Spacetimes
Beschreibung / Description:
This extraordinary hat construction was realised through the joint work of many of my colleagues, friends and students and comprehensively summarises the various stations of my academic and private life during my student and PhD phase in Jena.
Amongst references to the famous physicists ball (Omega!), the physics student council and its secret intelligence agency (some confidential files are attached) one may find all different kinds of research and teaching items: The thinking and pipe-smoking graduate is sitting on a corner of the hat, dressed in music festival clothes. Small boat-shaped printouts of publications are floating on a river of Sternburg beer (in some sense quite accurate, actually), while a sign post indicates the several research trips to Vienna, Brussels and Mons. A piece of very expensive Hagoromo chalk and the all-important blackboard-wiper are typical teaching insignia. Attached on a cord is a black hole (Don’t touch!) and a white rabbit (our favourite field theories are name after the author of “Alice in Wonderland”; and they’re actually really weird…).
A replica of Pickle Rick symbolises the necessity to never give up, to continue fighting even against the most overpowered enemies, manly by having smart ideas – the ideal description of a PhD project in theoretical physics.
The spinning sharks are a moderately good pun with respect to the higher-spin part of my PhD: “high” vs. “Hai” – get it?
Oh, and of course the most important fuel to research is… coffee! So naturally, there is also a detailed reproduction of my FSU coffee mug (filled with some of the most ridiculous quotes of the graduate).
Last but not least, the gentle observer might recognise the eighth wonder of Jena, my favourite refuge, Quergasse No. 1, which was always the right place to celebrate the breakthroughs and recover from the breakdowns.
Doktorhut von Najmeh Abbasirad
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Automated dual-tip scanning near-field optical microscope for investigation of nanophotonics systems
Beschreibung / Description
During my PhD, I developed an advanced automated dual-tip scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) to comprehensively study nanophotonic systems. Diverging from conventional optical microscopes, the cutting-edge near-field scanning optical microscopy technique surpasses the resolution limitations, enabling the observation of intricate sample details that would remain concealed under conventional microscopy.
A pivotal aspect of my work was the realization of an automated dual-tip SNOM, wherein two probes, composed of tapered optical fibers, were meticulously positioned at a nanometer distance from the sample surface. The groundbreaking accomplishment of my research lies in the successful automation of these two tips, ensuring seamless scanning without any risk of collision.
Let's begin with a vivid depiction of the map of my hat with a yellow hexagon adorned with illustrations on its corners. The yellow hexagon symbolizes a gold flake, representing one of the samples I thoroughly investigated using the dual-tip SNOM. Two yellow knobs on the hat facilitate the placement of the two needle-like probes over distinct illustrations related to different phases of my doctoral journey.
Initiating with an illustration of a screwdriver and an open-ended wrench, this particular depiction encapsulates the technical aspects of my research. The electronics intertwined with the dual-tip SNOM are notably complex. The lock-in amplifier is a standout component of the dual-tip SNOM electrical controller, which was expertly drawn on the hat’s surface. The initial game was to build a closed circuit to light up an LED.
Beyond the technical realm, the remaining illustrations on the hexagon map portray the countries I traveled to during my PhD. These visuals serve as symbolic representations of the countries. Each country is denoted by a distinctive symbol on the hexagon map, such as the Tudor rose badge representing England. Each illustration on the map took me through different stages of my PhD life.
Throughout my academic pursuit, I had the opportunity to partake in four of my dear friends' weddings, which took place in the United States, Hungary, England, and Iran. Remarkably, none of these joyous occasions occurred in Germany, prompting my colleagues to create delightful red boxes. Each box featured a photo of me at a specific wedding on one side and a snapshot of me with the bride on the reverse side. Engaging in a delightful game, I relied on these photographs to deduce the corresponding wedding and country. This game rekindled numerous pleasant memories and added an element of enjoyment to my doctoral hat.
Positioned at the heart of the hat, is a miniature representation of my apartment in Jena where was decorated with a myriad of captivating Iranian handicrafts, as I deeply admire the rich heritage of my home country. Among my treasured possessions was a small Minakari (Persian enamel) plate embellishing the dining table. Additionally, an elegant Iranian carpet adorned my apartment. Serving Iranian cuisine and giving the Iranian handicraft as a present to my international friends made my colleagues award the certificate and introduce me as an ambassador of Iran in Germany. The certificate is elegantly hanging from my Ph.D. hat as a tassel.
Notably, my creative colleague utilized artificial intelligence to craft a movie, presenting me with a commendation from the German chancellor for awarding the certificate.
Among my diverse interests, cooking holds a special place as my favorite hobby. A delightful game featured on my hat involved blindfolded attempts to identify various spices. The small spice jars on the hat added an aromatic touch to the design, showcasing my culinary passion. I take great pride in being acknowledged as a skilled cook among my friends.
Immersing myself in the ethereal melodies of classical Iranian music brings me immense joy. The jukebox adorning my hat stands as an exceptional piece, meticulously designed and crafted from scratch using a 3D printer. It performs its function by pulling its arm, thereby playing a selection of different songs. Engaging in a captivating game, I was challenged to identify the names of the songs and the singers. During a delightful moment when a jukebox played the lively Macarena music, my dear colleagues performed the Macarena dance, uniting their efforts to create a heartwarming and unforgettable experience.
As an active member of the OSA student chapter in Jena, my hat showcases the blue OSA logo, expertly rendered through 3D printing. This logo represents my commitment and involvement within this esteemed organization, amplifying my dedication to optics and photonics.
I am deeply appreciative of the tremendous time and effort invested by my colleagues to create such a remarkable hat. Their dedication and creativity have crafted a masterpiece that forever etches the memory of my defense as a special and cherished day. Once again, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of them.
Doktorhut von Nina Kreuzenbeck
Title of Dissertation:
Natural products from fungi associated with Macrotermitine termites and analysis of their genomic and biochemical origin
Description:
In meiner Doktorarbeit habe ich mich mit Naturstoffen und deren Biosynthese aus Pilzen, die mit pilzzüchtenden Termiten assoziiert sind, beschäftigt. Unter anderem war ich dafür auf Forschungsreise in Südafrika, bei der ich auch selbst Termiten ausgraben und die assoziierten Pilze isolieren durfte. Deswegen ist auf meinem Hut die Pilzgartenstruktur mit Pilz und Termite modelliert. Weiterhin habe ich während meiner Doktorarbeit insbesondere Terpene des Futterpilzes Termitomyces sp. detektiert und isoliert. Das Molekül, das mich dabei am meisten beschäftigt hat, war das Sesquiterpen Drimenol, vorne rechts im Bild als Modell nachgebaut. Für die Isolation und Strukturaufklärung habe ich insbesondere Glasvials, HPLC Vials und NMR-Röhrchen verwendet. Die Petrischalen, der Drigalski-Spatel und die Eppi-Tubes stehen für den mikrobiologischen und molekularbiologischen Teil meiner Arbeit in dem ich sowohl Pilze aus dem Pilzgarten isoliert als auch die Biosynthese verschiedener Terpene in Termitomyces sp. aufgeklärt habe.
Der Rest des Hutes zeigt insbesondere meine verschiedenen sportlichen Aktivitäten, die ich neben der Doktorarbeit gemacht habe:
- Bouldern: unten links im Bild sind modellierte Bouldersteine zu erkennen
- Crossfit: hinten links auf der Hutoberseite ist ein CrossFit Gym nachgebaut, mit Klimmzugstangen, Ringen, einer Box zum Draufspringen und Kugelhanteln
- Kickboxen: meine Chefin und ich sind in einem Kickbox-Duell dargestellt, meine Figur steht dabei auf einem Termitenhügel, wir tragen beide bayrische Tracht da ich ursprünglich aus Bayern komme
- Joggen: in Jena bin ich am liebsten im Wald um die Lobdeburg gejoggt, deswegen bin ich als Joggerin zwischen den Bäumen dargestellt, dabei laufe ich aus Jena weg in Richtung Schweinfurt da dies mein neuer Wohnort ist
- Yoga: die Flamingos auf der Plattform hinten rechts führen Yogaposen aus, da ich auch Yoga gemacht habe
Hinten rechts auf der Hut-Plattform sind außerdem verschiedene Pflanzen abgebildet, da ich in meiner Wohnung und auf meinem Balkon viele Pflanzen hatte. Anstelle der Kordel ist ein Flamingo platziert worden, da ich in unserem Doktorandenbüro im Sommer gerne Flamingos dekoriert habe.
Der Hut ist sehr besonders, da er nicht klassisch schwarz ist, sondern rot mit weißen Punkten. Meine Kollegen haben dieses Muster gewählt, da ich in meiner Wohnung Küchenausstattung in diesem Muster gesammelt habe.
Doktorhut von Rachael Akinyede
Foto eingereicht von / Picture handed in by:
Beatrix Heinze and the Küsel group PhD students
Eigentümerin des Hutes / Owner of the hat:
Rachael Akinyede
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
The dark side of primary production in temperate forest soils
Beschreibung / Description:
This elegant piece of art a.k.a, “My Ph.D. hat” tells a complete story of my life and times as a Ph.D. student at the Küsel lab, and in a much more relaxing way than my thesis ever could. Kudos to my super creative Küsel minions!
Me, the Forest, the Soil Cores, & the Book: My Ph.D. story begins right in the middle of the hat, where I with a shovel in my hand, began digging into soils in the quest to find the seemingly unknown CO2-eating bugs and how they do their “doings”. I always dug up a whole deep profile, as you can see from the color gradient of the soil in the transparent tubes. All my soil diggings happened in the forest; hence huge trees constantly backed me up. The branches and falling leaves were not enough to keep me warm so I always had my neck shawl on even while at the office reading through a tone of “soil-full” scientific literature.
The carbon molecules & the lab tools: Since CO2 gas was my only ally, I formed a close relationship with the entire Carbon family: 12C, 13C, 14C, especially her seldom-seen cousin 13C. Over and again, 13C was a very useful detective. Taking its ride through the syringe, it made sure to track every single dark path that the entire family flowed through, from the bottle into the soil and the bugs and out again. The illumination of this dark path became my miracle!
The microbes: I became intrigued to know more about the way of life of these superbugs. From then on, I began spying on their DNA, hence the many Eppendorf tubes. I was just determined to find clues to explain what makes them such good CO2 suckers!
The singing Eppendorf tubes: Somewhere along the line, I had an “Encounter” with a Choir in Jena. Because of my obsession, my colleagues decided to create a choir out of some of my Eppendorf tubes, named the “Eppichoir”. They are designed to be such good singers that my CO2-eating superbugs are drawn up the long Ph.D. career ladder by their sonorous voices.
The summer grill: In the middle of all these, one thing I NEVER forgot to do every summer was munch on some grilled plantains mingled in spicy dip sauce, a lavish Nigerian cuisine that often got my colleagues longing for more.
The pictures: Now that it’s all ended, what I have left to hold on to are the beautiful lasting memories of my life and times as a Ph.D. student.
Doktorhut von Sarah Koswig
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Influenza bei Krebspatienten in der Saison 2017/18 in Jena, Mainz, Köln und Magdeburg.
Beschreibung / Description:
Dieser fantastische Hut wurde mit viel Liebe von meinem Freund Timo mit Hilfe seiner 3D-Drucker gebastelt. Ins Auge springt zunächst das Volleyballnetz mit dem Sandfeld und dem Beachvolleyball, die für viele Stunden, die ich beachend im Sand verbracht habe, stehen. Gegenüber dem Volleyball klebt ein schleimig-grünes Virus symbolisch für das Influenza-Virus in meiner Arbeit. Daneben steht eine Obstschale mit Äpfeln und dunklen Weintrauben, die beide häufig als Nervennahrung herhalten. Hieran schließt sich eine Wiese mit Gartenzaun, Baum und Gartenhaus an. Sie stehen für unseren Schrebergarten, der ebenfalls von einem roten Zaun umschlossen wird und in dem auch ein rotes Schwedenhäuschen steht. Der Baum ist ein ausladender Kirschbaum, von dem man im Frühsommer wunderbar naschen kann. Nur der Rasen ist in natura selten so vorbildlich gemäht. Neben dem Gartenzaun fahre ich als frisch Promovierte mit Doktorhut und Urkunde auf meinem blauen Fahrrad vorbei. Auf meinem echten blauen Fahrrad trage ich statt Doktorhut allerdings meist vorbildlich einen Helm. In der Ecke liegen ein paar Würfel, die für meine Leidenschaft für Brettspiele und viele Abende im Spielecafe stehen. Gegenüber der Quaste baumelt der Umriss der Insel Sylt, symbolisch für die vielen Urlaube, die ich dort seit meiner Kindheit verbracht haben. Die Kappe wird verziehrt von diversen Büchern, die meine Leidenschaft fürs Lesen und mehrere prall gefüllte Bücherregale symbolisieren.
Doktorhut von Teresa Mayer
Dissertationstitel / Title of Dissertation:
Whose microbiome is it? Adaptive interactions of keystone species in plant microbiomes
Beschreibung / Description:
My PhD project focused on the microbiome of different Arabidopsis thaliana populations in Jena.
In the first year of my PhD, I was doing field work a lot, identifying the populations throughout Jena. Arabidopsis loves to grow in between cobblestones. This is all represented by the cobblestones, the city-sign displaying “Jena”, the JEN-Tower and the small map showing where in Jena I have identified A. thaliana populations. After I had identified an A. thaliana population, I brought five plants to the lab and grew them there until they flowered and produced seeds. I collected the seeds to conduct further research with it. This is represented by the “Arabidopsis Lottery”: Five PCR tubes which contain seeds of A. thaliana.
The second year of my PhD project I performed experiments with the plants in so-called “microboxes” (represented by the small plastic box, which looks a lot like the microboxes I used). In there the plants could grow axenically, and I could control their microbiome.
In the third year of my PhD, I was mostly doing PCR to identify the microbiome of the plants, which is represented by the grey miniature 96-well plates and the PCR-tubes all over the place.
The three signs on top of the hat represent the following:
- JSMC: Two years during my PhD thesis I was a speaker of our graduate school JSMC.
- Twitter: I twittered about my research, conferences and other things.
- Spotify: I was most of the time listening to music or podcasts while doing lab work.
The to do list on the corner of the hat: Apparently, I am a very organized person. I love to have “To Do lists” that I could mark off.
The last point on the To Do list “Take pic lunch for Tony”: My boyfriend Tony is a chef and therefore I always took pictures of my food for him, because he was always interested in what I was eating.
The second to last point on the To Do list “Pet cats!”: My boyfriend and I got two cats (a black-white one and a grey-brown striped one) from the shelter in Jena. From that time point on they were - and are still - my highest priority. I absolutely adore them. Consequently, they also take a big part on the bottom of the hat.
The cord represents part of my values which I always tried to live and defend actively. A few examples explained:
I volunteered my time with “Letters to a pre-scientist”, a non-profit organization that conveys penpals. One pen pal is a scientist, and one is a student from a school in a socially week neighborhood. The goal is to introduce science to these students and the possibility that they could become a scientist themselves.
I also volunteered for the non-profit organization “Dragonfly Mental Health”, which is working towards better working conditions in academia.
I started volunteering my time in school with the organization Amnesty international and with Amnesty I have been fighting for the rights of refugees.
My boyfriend originally moved to Jena with me, however after 2 years he left Jena because he did vocational training close to the town where we come from. From that on, I travelled every weekend in my car (a small white Kia) from Bogen to Jena, which is represented also by the two city-signs, the car and the street.
Before I defended my PhD thesis, I already got a job at the “Schülerforschungszentrum Berchtesgadener Land” in Berchtesgaden, which is why the street ends at the city-sign “Berchtesgaden” and in the mountains.
This was a dream coming true. I was looking for jobs near the mountains because I love hiking. I have always been a very sportive person, which is represented by the black and white sign on the border of the hat:
- the bike, because I was always biking to the lab
- the person who hikes and climbs because I love hiking and climbing – if possible, in the mountains, if not in the climbing hall in Jena
- the person who swims because I also like to swim
Also, I started Stand-up paddling in Jena after I did a course at the university and bought my own stand-up paddleboard, which is displayed on the top of the hat.
A last little detail, I needed a while to discover myself: The tree on top of the hat has a face (which you can see on the picture if you look close). It has the face of the Deku-Tree which is an important figure of the video game “Zelda”. I am not playing video games anymore, but I used to play them and loved the game Zelda and am apparently still talking about it.
Thanks again to all my colleagues who worked together on designing this very detailed, complete and wonderful hat!