This month, as part of FORGENOM II Open Office project Journeys to Science, we bring you an interview with young scientist Daphne Welter, who currently works at the Genomics Core Facility at the prestigious European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

Daphne originates from the United States, but her scientific journey brought her all the way to Europe, where she is not only involved in research, but also actively contributes to scientific education and outreach. She has visited Slovakia several times through EMBL training courses, so we took the opportunity to ask her not only about her career, but also her impressions of Slovak scientists and researchers. In the interview, she shares how her childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian transformed into a passion for microbiology, what drew her to the European scientific environment, and why she keeps a detailed “lab notebook” even in her kitchen.

Let yourself be inspired by her honest perspective on the challenges of a scientific career, as well as her enthusiasm for communication, learning, and endless curiosity.

Daphne, how did your scientific journey begin? Was it a childhood passion, a coincidence, or something in between?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian because I loved animals so much… but as I grew into a teenager, I realized that it might be difficult for me to see animals in pain and to deal with people who are stressed/distraught over their sick pet. Somehow, I always stuck with the idea I should stay in science in some capacity. When I started in university, I got a job as a researcher, first in tinkering with mass spectrometers in an analytical chemistry lab… but I really fell in love with science when I took my first microbiology course. From there, I decided that graduate school was the next logical step. I wanted to learn as much as I could.

I know you come from the United States  – what was the reason you came to Europe and started to work at EMBL?

In graduate school (in the US, that is what we call continued education past Bachelor’s degree, including both Master’s degree and Doctorate), I eventually joined the group of a PI who moved from the US to Germany to start a new lab. At the time, I didn’t (personally) know any Americans who had lived abroad except for a month or two as a “study abroad” trip, and I thought it was an exciting opportunity. And once I got to Germany, I grew to love the culture. Even in a demanding graduate school program, there was much better work/life balance in Germany than in the US. I also had an unfortunate experience where a friend of mine had a medical emergency and stayed in the hospital for a couple of days…which ended up costing him 40€. In the US it would have been thousands of dollars, not even including the cost of the ambulance ride. It was impossible to imagine moving back to the US after that.

As happens with many graduate students, during my studies I struggled more and more with burnout and defining my relationship with science. Did I enjoy research? Did I belong in the scientific community? When I finished my PhD, I looked at what I learned and what I liked and disliked, and decided to try scientific support rather than independent research. That’s how I ended up at the Genomics Core Facility at EMBL.

What does your typical day at EMBL’s GeneCore look like?

Something that is both a blessing and a curse, is that every day at GeneCore is different! On any given day, I might be preparing samples to be sequenced, running the sequencers or doing other instrument maintenance, sorting inventory, doing sample quality control, consulting with customers about their sequencing needs, teaching courses, providing one-on-one training or support for a customer’s project, or even doing data analysis. On one hand, you can never be bored with such a dynamic task list. On the other hand, it can be tiring and difficult to switch mindsets quickly to tackle different tasks.

Is there something about your work that never stops exciting you? Even after all these years?

It is difficult to say, since what I have been doing in the lab has changed so drastically throughout my research career. Broadly speaking, communication has always and continues to thrill me. When I have developed a talk on a topic I know inside and out, worked out a logical flow I am happy with, and have delivered the talk calmly and with conviction, I get a lot of satisfaction. I was just a trainer in a course on circular RNAs where I was one of the trainers covering the sequencing practicals, and a couple of the students told me that my talks were some of the best parts of the course. That made me really happy!

During EMBL trainings, you have also visited Slovakia. What was your first impression? How would you describe your experience with Slovak scientists and researchers?

I have been involved in two courses taught by EMBL which were hosted by Tomáš Szemes in the Comenius University Science Park. It was a really interesting experience! While setting up the course, it was emphasized to us that funding was difficult for most labs to come by. Coming from a sequencing facility, we are used to advising our customers on how to balance “keeping the budget under control” versus “doing the protocol as per manufacturer instructions”… But I found the Slovakian students were not only talented experts in their fields but also next-level at reducing costs as they work. It was really impressive to me that they manage to keep in mind cost saving measures while exploring cutting-edge topics.

If you could share one message with young people considering a career in science, what would it be?

I think more than ever, we need young people to be curious and critical. If you’re thinking about going into science, do it! My number one piece of advice would be, be proactive in pursuing your interests. Talk to people! If you participate in optional activities and internships, it may give you the resume to get your foot in the door with really amazing opportunities. For example, my favorite thing I did as a graduate student was that I arranged to visit a field station to pick up some samples from a collection they had. This “field work” experience allowed me to join the TREC expedition from EMBL, which was the best thing I’ve ever been paid to do! And it was very competitive to be allowed to join, there were many applicants for very limited positions. I was lucky that I already had some relevant experience.

But after going through graduate school, I cannot help but give a little warning. It is really difficult. You can prioritize having a topic and project that you really love, or prioritize finding a PI and a lab environment that you will thrive in. Don’t be surprised if you don’t find both together. Have a plan and develop a support network. I don’t think any of this is super original information… And anyway, people told me graduate school is difficult and I didn’t appreciate what it meant, before doing it myself.

What has been the most interesting or challenging project you’ve worked on so far? Can you recall a moment when something went wrong in the lab, in a way that still makes you smile?

One of my favorite projects was when a customer approached us and said, “based on spectophotometric data, I think I might have a nucleic acid associated with my protein, but I don’t know what it is, even if it is DNA or RNA! Can you sequence it?” It was a fun problem to solve, to create a library prep protocol for a molecule we knew almost nothing about. With my friends I affectionately called this project “dumbseq”, in contrast to the single cell sequencing protocol “smartseq”, because it felt so silly.

I’m afraid that in a sequencing lab, when things go wrong, it is not very funny. These experiments are usually extraordinarily expensive. With regards to things going wrong in a funny way, from my time in a gut microbiome lab, my former colleagues and I have quite a few funny stories about poop. That is not for the weak of stomach though, I suppose. 

Do you have a scientific “dream” – something you’d love to experience or achieve one day?

I am really interested in science communication and outreach, and I have dabbled in freelance scientific illustration. There is a microbiology museum in Amsterdam, there are amazing children’s books on some scientific topics (for example, I cannot recommend The Squid, the Vibrio, and the Moon enough, if you are interested in microbial ecology). If I could be involved in a project like those, in a marriage between science, art, and communication, I would be really satisfied. The closest I have come is, one year for an EMBL open house, I worked on a cooperative, multiplayer video game simulating working in GeneCore called “OverClustered” (based on the popular video game “OverCooked”). It helped our customers appreciate the challenges we face as a core facility, and was also extremely fun to play! (We won the open house “best presentation” award by a landslide!)

Is there a scientific quote or idea that has stayed with you over time?

I really like the quote from Mythbusters, “Remember kids! The only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down!” I write absolutely everything I can think of in my lab notebook. I am really shocked when I meet scientists who aren’t keen on keeping records. I also keep a journal every day, and have a very detailed “lab notebook” in my kitchen, where I write about cooking. So maybe I am just a bit obsessive…

What is your recipe to relax after a long and hard day in the lab?

I actually surprised my parents and teachers by going into science at all.. They all thought I would be an artist when I grew up. Now, art serves as an amazing hobby to stay active while resting the “logic” part of my brain. Drawing, painting, cooking, playing music - you name it, I probably do it! Or at least, I have tried it. I am what I like to call a “hobby enthusiast”. Much like how in ecology, a diverse habitat is more stable, I think keeping one’s activities diverse keeps one healthy and sane.

Thank you note

We sincerely thank Daphne Welter for sharing her story, insights, and enthusiasm with us. Her openness about the challenges and joys of a scientific career, her inspiring journey from the United States to EMBL, and her supportive words for young scientists remind us that curiosity and perseverance truly shape the path of discovery.

We also greatly appreciate her connection to Slovakia through EMBL training courses, and the recognition she gave to the creativity and resilience of Slovak researchers. Her perspective enriches the FORGENOM II Open Office Journeys to Science project, and we are grateful for her time, energy, and encouragement.