Student testimonial

Xenja Ploeger: "I regained confidence in doing my own research"

I really enjoyed my time at Nematology for my MSc Plant Science thesis. Having had some bad experience with supervision in the past, I was looking for a place where I could re-find some confidence in doing my own research. And Nematology was the perfect chairgroup for that. I worked a lot independently according to my own insight, had great supervision when I needed it and was allowed to make mistakes. I enjoyed the coffeebreaks and symposia with staff and students. And I enjoyed the thesis rings of Nematology, where not only I received good feedback for my report, but also made some good friends.

For my project I worked on nematode hatching stimulants in potatoes by silencing with virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). I was supervised by André Bertran. I worked in both the greenhouse and the lab and I really liked that alternation. Now that I am finished, I regained confidence in my work. I think I acquired a lot of new skills on setting up experiments, discussing my ideas with others and presenting my work in presentations.