The six weeks I was able to spend studying at NIG was some of the most fulfilling and fun weeks of my life. I have never been to Japan before the internship, and so it was amazing seeing how different life was in Japan compared to Canada. Everyone in the Niki Lab were very supportive for my internship period, and the time I was able to work with Akiyama-san, Miyake-san, and Fujiwara-san along with Niki-sensei to work on my knowledge and development of the project was amazing! My project focused on characterizing the phenotype of E. coli strains with ptsI gene deletions, a gene involved in the Phosphotransferase System that regulates sugar metabolism. This was my first time working on a microbiology experiment, and the mentoring I received from Akiyama-san and Miyake-san was amazing.

Outside the lab, I formed close bonds with all my fellow interns. And so, I would like to again thank Raul, Naomi, Tran, Nuray, Han, Sourin, and Febrina for making the time outside the lab so much more fun. Together, we often spent our weekends visiting different areas around the country such as Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, and more! The most memorable trip was spending a weekend in Fujikawaguchiko, where we watched fireworks near Fuji-san to celebrate the opening of the climbing season. Throughout my stay in Japan, I immersed myself in Japanese culture by going to festivals where water lanterns were lit for the deceased, spending time in arcades, onsens, darts & billiards lounges, playing table tennis, and going to batting cages with my friends! I particularly enjoyed Japanese foods of all kinds, from the late night gyudons at Sukiya, yakiniku with my fellow Niki-lab members, the delicious home-cooked meals at the cafeteria Sweet Home, and most memorably a crisp Japanese watermelon to celebrate winning a Presentation Award!

I am deeply grateful for everyone at NIG who helped me, from the amazing members of the Niki Lab to all the labs which I visited (thank you to the Sawa, Kitano, Saito, Miyagishima, and Sasaki Labs!) and the amazing staff coordinating the NIGINTERN Program! This has been a truly unforgettable experience, and I can’t wait to visit Japan again!

Arigato gozaimasu!