Transitions award: visiting the University of Nebraska Medical Centre, Omaha (UNMC)-Mark Gainford

The DiMeN Transition Award provided me with an additional three months to gather data for my primary first-author publication. I spent one month in Sheffield completing preliminary experiments, followed by a month at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) where I had the opportunity to collaborate with Professor Vinai Thomas. I returned to Sheffield for the final month to process the data and begin drafting the manuscript with my supervisor.

The visit to UNMC was invaluable, as it enabled me to collect high-quality data using their state-of-the-art metabolomics center. The data we obtained was incredibly promising, offering new perspectives on the staphylococcal stringent response that had not previously been explored. Additionally, I gained valuable experience in improving my data visualization skills, especially when dealing with complex datasets involving numerous variables. I also developed a deeper understanding of the differences between microbiological approaches in metabolomics and protein expression, the latter being an area I had primarily focused on during my PhD.

The opportunity to expand my skill set beyond synthetic chemistry and microbiology, coupled with the chance to visit the lab of a leading keynote speaker in my field, was a major highlight of the award. I believe this experience significantly enhanced my employability, and the ability to secure funding for an international research visit played a crucial role in my success in obtaining a postdoctoral position at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology.

Overall, the Transition Award was immensely beneficial to my academic career. It allowed me to elevate my first-author publication to a new level, broaden my scientific network, and ultimately secure a position in a prestigious lab with strong industry connections. I would encourage any DiMeN student to view the flexible funding award as a valuable opportunity to advance their career, whether they are aiming for academia or industry.