Students from Institut Teknologi Bandung and Universitas Gadjah Mada Indonesia stayed in MECOH lab for a month

Four students from two universities in Indonesia spent a month in the MECOH lab as interns. Mia and Naomi from Institut Teknologi Bandung and Sidah and Vita from Universitas Gadjah Mada Indonesia worked with some of the Ph.D. students in our lab to learn different molecular techniques. Here, they talked about their lab experience and learnings:

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Front row, from left to right: Naomi, Vita, Sidah, and Mia together with MECOH lab members

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Mia: Thank you MECOH Lab, I learned a lot about the environment from the scientist's point of view, supported by complete lab equipment. This will be useful for me in the future, especially for the sanitation sector which I have been studying on so far.  Thanks to sensei and the students for all the knowledge.  In addition, many foreign students in MECOH Lab has made my cultural preferences wider.
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Naomi: I always feel very grateful for having experience in MECOH Lab because finally I could learn many things about microbiology, DNA, and PCR. It’s so wonderful for meeting many people from different nations and could learn about trivial things about anything in this world, exchanging culture and experience will be always a thing I want to try by myself. I also want to thank to Kozo Sensei for giving me chance to join the lab and all the students that help me to learn. Hope MECOH Lab will be this joyful as the time goes by!​

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Culminating ceremony with Prof. Kozo Watanabe

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Sidah: MECOH Lab will always be one of my great experiences. I learned many things in the laboratory, like being more disciplined, careful, and patient. I'm so happy to learn about DNA and molecular since it's a new topic for me. I want to thank Kozo Sensei, who allowed me to join his team, and Dan, who guided me patiently and explained the research in the Lab. People in MECOH Lab have warm hearts. I love the way they interact and support each other. Everyone is so gentle, supportive and passionate about doing the research.

​Vita: Firstly I came to Japan, I felt afraid because I felt constrained language when communicating in the Japanese language and also English. But, I can handle that because of support from Kozo Sensei and the others member in MECOH Lab, especially Ken and Ngure, who was very patient and explained well until I understood the research. This is my new experience studying DNA, and I am interested in this research. Thank you to the Japanese in MECOH laboratory, especially Shimada and Naoya, who accompany and provide insight into Matsuyama and Japan.