[They chose France series #4] Annika Sickinger joins the Hubert Curien pluridisciplinary Institute in Strasbourg

Could you tell us a little about your background and research topics?

I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Konstanz, a little bit more than an hour away from the small southwestern village I grew up. I do not entirely remember why I chose chemistry as a field of study, but I have always been into natural sciences and combining theoretical knowledge with manual work. More specifically, the possibility to modify molecules just by finding the good conditions intrigued me.

After my Master’s degree, I went on doing a PhD at the same university, in Stefan Mecking’s group. My project addressed luminescent, polyfluorene-based nanoparticles and particularly the question of the origin of their characteristic ellipsoidal shape. This attribute is rather atypical for polymer nanoparticles and, as it turned out, induced by their internal chain order. In other words, I was working in overlapping fields of polymer chemistry, nanoparticles and conjugated systems, which was in my opinion a good balance of synthetic chemistry and analytics.

Although I would recommend the city to everyone, after having spent almost nine years in Konstanz with only one very short stay abroad for an internship, I was longing for a change of location. France was the country of choice, potentially influenced by my French partner and the fact that I learned French in school, which ensured me a minimum of communication.

While I was still indecisive whether to pursue a career in academia or in industry, I was sure that I was not ready to give up on research yet. I was lucky to join Olivier Maury’s group at the ENS Lyon as a postdoctoral fellow for two years. I was mainly working on the synthesis and investigation of chiral lanthanide complexes1  and later on BODIPY2  systems for a short while. This meant a thematic change towards coordination chemistry as compared to my PhD topic, but I welcomed the opportunity to learn new things. In particular, lanthanides turned out to be a fascinating research topic. 

What motivated your application to the CNRS?

I learned about the CNRS during my postdoctoral fellowship, as it is omnipresent in the French research landscape. In Lyon, I had met several CNRS researchers and was impressed by their daily work routine, that is to a large extent shaped by personal interest, whether it be teaching activities or organization of research projects. After some time at ENS Lyon, I knew I wanted to continue academic research. Being able to pursue my research agenda while having some kind of security granted by an institution was something that would prove more difficult in Germany, where permanent academic positions are rather scarce. Working at the CNRS became a more and more attractive option for me.

I eventually chose to apply to the Hubert Curien pluridisciplinary Institute in Strasbourg. Indeed, I had identified a group working on lanthanides there, led by Aline Nonat and Loïc Charbonnière. On a personal note, it was also the perfect place for me to settle, given the unbeatable proximity to Germany. During the application process, I had great support from my current and former working groups in Strasbourg and Lyon, especially Olivier, who was a tireless motivator.

What differences have you noticed between your previous work environment and the one you are discovering here?

Of course, I cannot make a generalized statement about one country’s research institutions. However, in my personal experience I find the French chemistry labs to be less hierarchical and less rigid than my former university in Germany. Here, it is possible to initiate collaborations more quickly and to exchange about ongoing research in a relaxed manner. While I was still unsure whether to stay in academia before arriving in France, the smooth and casual environment made me change my mind when I started working here.

This difference might be because heads of research groups in Germany typically spend most of their time teaching, leaving them fewer opportunities to supervise students and discuss their projects. In contrast, French PIs keep close to the practical science. I hope I will be able to hold on to this habit as well!

Some skill that I improved in during my first years in France is asking for help when I am stuck with an issue and someone else is clearly more competent than I am at this particular task, whether it is about training on a new analytic device, using one of the many softwares, or some HR-related question. 

Do you still have ongoing projects with Germany?

Due to my change of research topic, the occasion has not really showed up for the moment. However, I am still in touch with my former group in Konstanz and I would not hesitate to contact them whenever my ongoing projects turns more into the direction of polymer and material science.

What are your prospects for the coming years?

I think I found the place and position I hoped for! My current group was extremely helpful when I arrived. I felt welcome as a researcher, but also as a person. To be honest, transitioning from post-doc to tenured researcher turned out to be much more significant than transitioning from PhD student to post-doc. However, I quickly got used to it after writing my first project proposal or estimating my first budget!

For the years to come, I hope that I can apply successfully for some research funding, take my Habilitation to Supervise Research and further develop my project. In both a professional and personal context, I hope to make myself at home in Strasbourg, never stop discovering new matters, and keeping my enthusiasm for shiny things. 

Editor: CD

• 1Lanthanide complexes are a series of rare earth metals whose trivalent Ln3+ ions are luminescent. They can be used as probes in biological research.
• 2BODIPY or boron-dipyrromethene is a class of molecules that are being used as fluorescent dyes and markers in biological research.