Dhira Saraswati Anggramukti (D5)Department of Bacterial Infections

Presently, I am a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University. In RIMD, I belong to the Department of Bacterial Infections laboratory under the supervision of Prof. Tetsuya Iida.

I am trying to elucidate the role of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Type III Secretion System 2 (T3SS2)-related proteins. T3SS2 is a protein export pathway that is responsible for the enteropathogenicity of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. However, its precise mechanism of action remains unknown. Thus, the characterization of T3SS2-related proteins will be important to discover how Vibrio parahaemolyticus causes disease in the human body.

Since I have worked in the food industry before, I am interested to study more deeply about food pathogens. When I found out that RIMD’s Department of Bacterial Infections is analyzing the molecular mechanism of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, I immediately took interest. Fortunately, I got the opportunity to receive the Taniguchi scholarship as financial support during my study here.

Yes, I think RIMD provides excellent facilities with sophisticated scientific technology to conduct hands-on experiments. My supervisors and colleagues are also very supportive which leads to a very conducive learning environment.

Whenever I get negative experiment data, it challenges me to analyze the root cause and solve the problem until I finally obtain good or conclusive results. I mostly enjoy how my curiosity drives me from one experiment to another.

On weekdays, my main activities are reading research articles, doing experiments in the laboratory, and attending scientific seminars during the daytime, then doing hobbies such as writing stories and exercising before going to bed. On weekends and holidays, I make time to travel around Japan with friends.

Best: meeting new friends and colleagues, traveling around Japan, and enjoying Japanese food

Worst: cannot stay together with my family

There will be difficult moments when conducting your research. However, remember your goal and the reason why you are initially interested in your research topic. Do not hesitate to ask for help or advice from your laboratory members and supervisor. Lastly, enjoy the process! Nothing will go to waste as you are learning new experiences and knowledge every day during your study. I hope for your success in RIMD and please collect wonderful memories while you stay in Japan.