Exhilarated on receiving the confirmation of my selection, I was greatly looking forward to my internship at NIG. Having been a long-time admirer of the Japanese culture, my visit to Japan was a dream come true.

Getting accustomed to living in Japan was not tough at all. The most impressive aspect is the kindness of people there.

My project dealt with studying DNA replication in Eukaryotes, particularly, the helicase activity of CMG complex upon purified nucleosomes (using yeast DNA substrate). My work at Araki Lab (Division of Microbial Genetics) was extremely interesting. My interactions with Araki-sensei and all lab members truly inspired me to pursue a career in the field of research. Through my project I learnt a great deal of techniques and had the opportunity to use sophisticated equipment. My mentor, Hizume-san leading me in the project at every stage provided me with an insightful research experience. It made me realise that pleasure of research is not simply about obtaining grand results, but it’s the joy in the process of making the smallest discoveries. The lab visits at NIG facilitated me to learn about the on-going and cutting edge research at the institute. It changed my perspective and views on various fields of genetics.

Apart from the scientific activities, I could also explore and travel places during my stay. I truly enjoyed my weekend trips to Numazu, Atami and Tokyo. Especially my visit to Tokyo with friends was fun-filled as I got to view one of Tokyo’s largest summer festivals! It was a perfect balance of work on weekdays and fun on weekends. Not to forget, the Japanese lessons from Miyauchi-sensei once a week at NIG added to my ease of communication.

In the two months, I had settled in so well that NIG became my home and all the people I met (friends and lab members) became my NIG family. Thanks to everyone for making my stay a memorable one indeed.