This week’s PhDetails is with Yixing Sui who is doing his PhD at the University fo Antwerp in Belgium. Sui did his BSc in Environmental Engineer in China, followed by an MSc in Environmental Sciences at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Starting from October 2019, Sui will work as a research fellow at the University of Greenwich, continuing work in microalgal biotechnology.
Well let’s start off talking about completely unscientific stuff: What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?
Well I don’t think I have a favourite. I am mostly attracted to slow-beats songs that tell a story. The ones that you can follow the emotions with or without understanding the lyrics. Of course I have been exposed more to this kind of Chinese music, e.g. 明天会更好-罗大佑, 再回首-姜育恒, 一场游戏一场梦-王杰 etc. Like I said, you (refers to non-Chinese knowledged people :P) should try to listen to these ones to see if you can get the story behind.
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980?
Again, no favourite, I guess I am more into a type of music rather than a specific artist/band. To be honest, I was a huge fan for a long time of Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, ahahah.
Favourite movie?
The legend of 1900
Do you listen to podcasts?
Yes, “classic phonograph”.
Where do you study and who is your supervisor?
University of Antwerp, Belgium. My promotor is prof. Siegfried E. Vlaeminck.
What year of your PhD are you in?
4th
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
I have a grant from China Scholarship Council for three years, and additional money from projects here in Belgium.
Do you have any publications?
I am quite happy that I have published three first-author papers about my PhD research, and two more in preparation. Besides, I was co-author in three papers as well, two published, and two in preparation. You can check out Sui's papers HERE.
Did you do a masters – where was it and was it about?
Yes I did my master at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. I studied environmental technology where I focused on nutrients recovery from wastewater using microalgae.
What are the best and worst bits about your labwork?
I only do lab experiments. I guess the best part is that most of the time I knew what I was doing…meaning I knew what to expect without big surprises. The worst is the constant concern about the experiment, particularly accidents caused by equipment rather than myself!
What is the worst thing you have had to do in the lab?
I get nervous to pipette in a 96-well plate for longer period. I am already a very patient and careful person, but this can make me slap someone (including myself).
How many PhDs did you apply for – what were you looking for?
Around 10. I was looking mainly at the topic that interests me. Location-wise, I wanted to stay around Netherlands. Looking back at my files, I realized that I also applied to Eawag once, on the topic of wastewater treatment (did not make it though).
What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?
Start making contacts already.
How often do you meet with your supervisor?
Bi-weekly.
What supervisor traits are important to you?
Responsibility and respect.
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
Bossy, inequitable and selfish.
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
Optimising microalgae production for novel food and feed applications.
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
Participating in science communication, winning the Battle of the Scientists contest and shooting a video explaining my research.
Have you had an academic lowpoint of the last year – if so what happened?
To start writing the thesis. And, mistakenly took a break thinking I will be more productive after the break…
Do you have a favourite paper?
Yes, I would recommend the paper “micro-algae as a source of protein” by E. W. Becker. It is a concise paper with quite layman style explaining why microalgae can be important to be a protein source. It is one the most cited paper in the field.
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
6th Congress of the International Society for Applied Phycology in Nantes, France. This five-day event gathered almost all people working in the field, giving a great platform for both young and experienced researchers to interact.
What hours do you typically work?
10 am to 6 pm (not a morning person at all).
How do you avoid procrastinating?
Anyone help with this one?
What motivates you in your day to day PhD life?
That one day I will look great at my public defence! The same reason that I go to the gym!
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your PhD?
I do a lot of sports normally, almost daily.
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your PhD what would you wish for?
A good technical support with millions of analyses!
What would be your dream job?
To actually apply my knowledge into implementation, which I believe is not too far away.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Ah, I cannot even see myself next week. But overall I think I will go to biotech industry, or open a restaurant.
One word to sum up your future in academia:
I think “bye-bye?”
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
Building a stronger body.
What essential tool hardware/software could you not do your PhD without?
Typical Microsoft set.
Where is somewhere you would like to work in the future?
Currently I am stilling thinking about Europe, but who knows, my mind can be quite jumpy sometimes.
Do you have a favourite organism – what is it and why – is it different from your study organism(s)?
Dunaliella salina. It is a halotolerant microalgae who can produce natural β-carotene together with high quality protein, and yes that is why I study them.
Are there any social interactions/meetings which have enhanced your PhD experience?
I like our “koffiekoek” time every Friday, teambuilding event every year, reflection day every half-year, among other less scheduled events.
If you could change one thing about your group/department structure what would it be?
Change the secretary please! Oh I think the genie worked this time, we are getting a new secretary soon.
What major question in your subject area is yet to be addressed – why is it important and why isn’t anyone addressing it?
I am currently writing a small article on this actually. As Dunaliella microalgae can produce natural β-carotene, which is a high-value compound, it seems that all researches and applications went towards that direction. The protein quality of this microalgae is also perfect for human consumption, nevertheless it did not draw so much attention. I guess what I am trying to say is that we tend to focus on a more beneficial aspect of one “thing” or “person”, yet forgetting the full picture. This needs to be realized sufficiently and I believe we will see the much more gains from looking at the full picture of any “thing” or “person”.
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