Meet Antonia Perju studying applications of nanomaterials in microfluidic systems
The Romanian graduated in medical physics, nanosciences and chemistry and moved for her postdoc at D-BSSE into developing microfluidic systems for cancer diagnostics. She fell in love with Basel soon after her arrival and is a keen hiker exploring mountains.
What did you know about D-BSSE before you came here, and what was your motivation to come to ETH Zurich?
I knew that excellent microfluidics’ research was being done in the group of Professor Dittrich. This triggered my inquiries about the D-BSSE and I was quite confused when I found out that this department of ETH was not located in Zurich but in Basel. After only a few days here, I had fallen in love with Basel, and am delighted to be here. The primary motivation to come to ETH Zurich was the research done in Professor Dittrich’s lab.
What were your expectations, and were your expectations met since you arrived in Basel?
I moved to Basel from Regensburg, Germany, where I lived for the past 6 years. Regensburg has a wonderful city center and is crossed by the Danube River. Therefore, I expected to find a similar city, but this time next to the Rhine. My expectations were exceeded, finding Basel full of life, music and art. The city is very vibrant, full of young international and inspiring people from all over the world. After only a few weeks, I feel at home and am very excited to explore more of Basel.
“I feel inspired by living in Basel and by working with people from all disciplines in such a thrilling atmosphere.”Antonia Perju, D-BSSE postdoctoral researcher in the Bioanalytics Lab.
What were your first impressions?
My first impressions of the department and research group were very positive. I feel inspired by living here and by working with people from all disciplines in such a thrilling atmosphere. Although, I have learned German before, it was a big surprise how different the dialect spoken here is, but I can’t wait to master it.
Which research will you pursue at D-BSSE?
My interests lie in applications of nanomaterials in microfluidic systems to improve diagnostic systems, either at the point-of-care or in a clinical setup. I am excited to work on developing a microfluidic platform for exploiting extracellular vesicles for cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
Which hobby or private interests do you hope to pursue in Switzerland?
I would like to explore the Swiss Alps. I love hiking and Switzerland is the perfect country to go hiking and enjoy the beautiful nature. I also love summer in Basel and the evening swims in the Rhine River.
Many thanks, Antonia, welcome to the D-BSSE and all the very best to you and your research!
Antonia received her bachelor’s in medical physics at the Babes-Bolyai University in Romania. She moved to Regensburg, Germany, where she graduated in Nanoscience at the Physics Faculty, University of Regensburg. She continued with her PhD at the same university at the Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Chemo- and Biosensors in the Chemistry Faculty. Since June 2023, Antonia is a postdoctoral researcher in the Bioanalytics Lab led by Petra Dittrich.