Julika Radecke - Electron Microscopy Scientist

What’s your professional background and how did you come to work at Diamond? 

After studying the brain for my Master of Sciences (MSc) at the Max Planck Institute of Psychology in Munich, Germany, I wanted to understand the structures in the brain more thoroughly. I investigated which microscopes have a higher resolution and checked out new techniques like Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM). This took me to Bern in Switzerland, where I did my PhD and a short postdoc and learnt Electron Tomography. To find out more about cell culture and neuroscience, I took a postdoc position with a neuroscience expert in Copenhagen, Denmark, and worked with Cryo-EM techniques in the lab. I started at Diamond In 2019.   

What do you do here and how does your experience help?  

I came to my field of research with a general biology background and specialised into neuroscience. My previous experience - particularly in Cryo-Electron Tomography (Cryo-ET) - prepared me for my role. Around 70 % of my time is focussed on user support to UK and worldwide users who send us samples (mostly single particle but also tomography samples). I help them with experiment set-up such as data acquisition strategies, sample preparation, and advice on what to improve. The other 30% is my own research time. Our aim is to better understand the brain, looking at the relationship between its structure and function. Understanding this in a healthy system can improve how we understand systems affected by disease or mental health conditions in order to develop treatments.  

What’s your favourite thing about working at Diamond? 

I have lots of freedom to do my own research and there’s always someone with skills and experience to help with research questions. Opportunities to collaborate with research facilities around campus are numerous and the working environment pleasant and flexible. Diamond cares about creating an inclusive culture and as a female scientist I appreciate this. Proactive steps are taken to encourage more females into science and staff can attend regular inclusion talks and courses.  

What advice would you give someone wanting to get involved in your field? 

Curiosity and motivation to learn new things is important and so is enthusiasm. You need to be flexible and open to adapting ideas and opinions. With the right mindset you can always find a role that suits. Experience in natural sciences is important, and maths, chemistry and physics can be useful as they are all interconnected.  

What is the most interesting project you’ve been involved in? 

Working on the Covid-19 virus has been fascinating, from investigating the Spike protein to working with cellular samples to see what the vaccine is doing in the cells.  I am also very excited about supervising a Year in Industry student on my own neuroscience project, working with primary neuron cultures, and acquiring tomograms to study small proteins within the synapse. I found the whole interview process enjoyable and interesting as it is my first time supervising a student.  

What makes Diamond different from other organisations that you could work for? 

I really appreciate my research time and the relatively long contracts. There are multiple beamlines covering lots of research topics and always new things to learn. People on campus come from all walks of life and I enjoy this multicultural aspect. The proximity of Diamond to London and Oxford offers both city life and quiet countryside.