Placement Information
Year you started your placement
2014
Placement period
May – August, September – December
Supervisor’s name
Vahid Sandoghdar
Project Details
Overview
The Nano-Optics division (Vahid Sandoghdar) at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light focuses on the light-matter interactions on a nanometer scale. By combining concepts from quantum optics, laser spectroscopy, cryogenics, optical imaging, scanning probe technology and nanofluidics, multidisciplinary topics are explored. I have joined this division for my eight-months long Co-op placement under the direct supervision of Siegfried Weisenburger on one of the projects related to optical nanoscopy at cryogenic temperature on biological molecules
Project objectives
The goal of this project is to gain insights on the internal structure of nanometer-sized biological molecules such as proteins by localization of attached fluorescent tags under cryogenic temperature (~4K) with Super Resolution Microscopy techniques, as well as to study the photophysics of organic dye molecules at low temperature.
Research outcomes
This project is currently ongoing. For the past four months, I participate in daily lab work such as beam alignment, data acquisition, and CAD drawing of microscope parts. I also contribute to the project by writing Matlab programs to make simulations as well as to analyze acquired data.
Project status
Completed
Expected completion date
12/29/2014
My Co-op Experience at MPI
Why did you apply for a placement with Max Planck Institute?
The Max Planck Institutes are famous for their dedication towards science and technology. The Sandoghdar division is especially famous for its contributions in the field of optics. I was very excited about the possibilities to learn from the best in the field and be a part of this new and exciting research. I was also ecstatic to be able to live in Europe and to experience the German Culture.
What recommendations do you have for students who wish to participate in MPI-UBC exchange program?
Be confident and show your passion for science during your interviews. When you are here, take the opportunity to travel and see Europe. Germany is at the perfect location for you to use as a home base to travel to European countries. I highly recommend Vienna and Amsterdam. Last but not least, don’t be afraid to try new things. Enjoy the pretzels, Weisswurst, desert, and most importantly, drink a lot of beer.
Tell us about your travels and cultural experiences in Germany and the rest of the Europe
Just to reiterate, beer is extremely important in German culture. In some regions, people drink beer for every meal of the day. The biggest festivals are beer festivals, and every city (however small it may be) holds their own ‘Oktoberfest’ every year. Although German people are generally nice, they are brutally honest during presentations, and ask the toughest questions. But that is what everyone expects from a prestigious institute. They are also punctual; however this doesn’t mean the trains are always on time, and people don’t follow traffic rules as closely as Canadians do, but they are way better than the Londoners. In the city where I am, everybody (even cashiers) speaks English. So if you want to learn some German, you will have to put in some effort.
As for traveling, you will be naturally attracted by the countless landmarks left behind by history. In the last four months, I have been able to visit six countries and around fifteen cities. Each city offers a different adventure and numerous eye opening experiences. This is for sure the trip of a lifetime.
