Travel Grant Awardees - Ekaterine in South Africa

Text by Dr. Ekaterine Gabashvili

I am grateful to the JSMC Postdoc Program for the travel grant that allowed me to attend ISME19 in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference featured insightful presentations on the spatial structures and functions of microbial communities in subsurface habitats, chemoautotrophs in deep-sea ecosystems, hydrogen-utilizing lithotrophs, and activity-based metagenomics.

I presented our research on microbial communities from the silver mine, a project I was actively involved in, from field sampling to shaping the study. The poster attracted significant interest and positive feedback, helping me expand my professional network. Exploring Cape Town, including Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope, added a cultural dimension to the trip. The JSMC travel grant was essential, especially for me as an international researcher from a junior research group, and it greatly contributed to my achievements. I value JSMC dedication to postdoctoral development and its mentorship culture, which fosters a supportive and collaborative research environment.

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