As the year approaches its end, with our first secondment a few months behind us. Now back at our respective laboratories in Aachen and Maastricht. It is a good time to reflect on time spent in Krakow, Poland. Where we had our first exposure to the nutraceutical industry and specifically with that of nutraceuticals that influence vascular calcification, that being Vitamin K2.
Maurice: “For me it felt good to spend some time away from the lab, get lost in a new city and focus purely on writing without the typical distractions in the lab. Nattopharma heartily welcomed us in Krakow and provided us with key insights with regards to the field of nutraceuticals and valorization of research. Many thanks to Dr. Hogne Vik for sharing his expertise in translating science from a research perspective to a commercial product.”
Cengiz: “The Horizon 2020 initiative has enabled a unique cultural exposure for me, that being the opportunity to live and work in East Europe. Krakow was a fascinating city, rich in culture, and a history that spans over centuries. Working with Nattopharma was an amazing experience in which I was able to apply my scientific expertise in a commercial setting. Not only this but with the guidance of Eric Anderson, we had a detailed and experienced ‘crash course’ in valorization. With a great thanks to Nattopharma I have gained valuable experience and understanding of commercial opportunities within science."
For us both Krakow shall forever stay as a special city in our hearts. While we will always have our memories of the secondment. We have further drafted two review articles with two Marie Curie fellows from the EvoLuTion project, Ploingarm Petsophonsakul and Angelina Pavlic. Who also were placed at NattoPharma during our time there. We aim to have both reviews submitted for publication in early 2019.
