My name is Dowine de Bruijn.
I'm a 4th-year PhD student
in Organic Chemistry.
My research focuses on finding
a water-soluble metal catalyst...
that we can use to modify
natural products.
The natural products that I mainly
focus on are antimicrobial products.
With the metal catalyst we try
to alter these natural products.
So that the properties become better,
and we can use them as therapeutics.
What I do on a daily basis is to screen
whether reactions are working.
I take the biomolecule,
the molecule produced by bacteria...
and try out different conditions with my
metal catalyst, to see if I can modify it.
I try different temperatures, different
reaction times, different lights.
When this is done, I have to analyze it.
To see if this reaction is working,
if I've altered the biomolecule.
With that new knowledge
I proceed and try more reactions.
What I like most about this research...
is that I find it fascinating how beautiful
the molecules nature makes are.
Even if they're not good enough
to use as therapeutics...
we can still use them as a source
to find new drugs.
I find it fascinating that we can
work together with nature, collaborate...
and then together make better drugs.
I believe a good scientist
is always curious.
Always excited to see the new results.
Even if the results aren't what you
expect, because often it doesn't work.
You screen and you screen,
and don't get the product you want.
But you shouldn't give up,
but stay excited.
And try to explore why it doesn't work,
or how you can get it to work.
