Interview of Petra Hribovšek

• What do you think about Bergen as a place to study? 

Bergen is easy to like. It is not too small, not too big. There are plenty of cultural events. At the same time, nature is always nearby. You can go hiking and the ocean is right there. Yes, it rains a lot, but when it’s sunny, it’s beautiful. There is a lot of stuff happening that has to do with the ocean: There are several scientific institutes, industry and companies working on marine technology. So it’s great for anyone who studies anything marine-related. I've also always appreciated a general flat hierarchy in Norway, which attracted me in the first place. It is so much less stressful to communicate, express your opinion and work together, when you can respect each other on the basis of person and work people are doing, other than just titles. Work benefits from this. 

• Why did you apply for a PhD project within the Centre?  

The PhD project in microbial ecology was announced while I was finishing my master’s on microbial communities in acid mine drainage biofilms. I applied without knowing if I wanted to take some time off first. But during the application process, I realised you do not often get an offer for a project like that. I have always been interested in the smallest creatures on this planet and how they are connected to the environment and other organisms. Even though they are so small, microorganisms have a major impact on all levels, from individuals to whole ecosystems and the biosphere. It’s interesting to work in an active field where the collective knowledge on the topic changes and advances all the time. Deep sea hydrothermal vents are also something special. You don’t get access to them every day, it is an exciting environment to be studying. I'm happy I've made this decision. 

• What is your project about? 

I study microbes that live on hydrothermal vents thousands of meters below the sea surface. More specifically, I focus on a group of small archaea with very reduced genomes and on their interactions with other microorganisms. 

• How do you like working on your own project in the Jebsen Centre?  

I love the fact that I can combine so many aspects of my work: fieldwork, lab work, bioinformatic analyses. Microscopy is very satisfying, since I actually get a chance to see the “invisible” life I am studying. Sitting alone at a microscope might seem tedious, but it’s fantastic to suddenly have a whole new world that no one else is seeing before your eyes. Genomics is an exciting topic these days. Teaching on the side makes you reflect and challenge yourself, and that I enjoy as well. 

• How is the atmosphere at work? 

I have a bunch of nice and funny and amazing colleagues. Some projects we have together, and some are separate, but we have weekly meetings to discuss ideas. There is a good atmosphere in the lab and on fieldwork (often meaning two or four weeks at the sea together).  We also do outreach together. Last year we had a stand at Passion for Ocean festival, and we plan to do it again. The extra work pays off when you see people of all ages – especially kids – get excited by marine bacteria glowing in the dark or minerals from the deep sea under the microscope. It can be quite active and fun around here. We have some social activities, like PowerPoint-less Friday seminars. There, we hold presentations about science or really anything you are passionate about in an informal, relaxed setting. That is always very stimulating, people are involved and curious, asking questions. We also do sports together. Every year we have a ski day and we put a team together for Bergen City Marathon. But sometimes it is just enough to have a shared morning coffee time in our lunchroom. 

• What do you like best about doing your time as a PhD candidate here so far?  

I enjoy the variation. And the ability to go on research cruises is great! There is a colourful group of researchers with a variety of scientific backgrounds, with microbiologists, macrobiologists, geologists, geochemists, geophysicists. On the cruise you get to interact with engineers and ROV pilots. You need to make an effort to explain your research in easy to understand way or to argue why going to this sampling place would be really important. Every sampling minute needs to be optimised since it takes a lot of planning, time and money and since there is a large team of people operating for you to get a sample. Everyone is working hard and helping each other to get things done. But fieldwork never fails to set your work into perspective and to motivate. 

• What can one do after completing a PhD like yours? 

It depends what you are interested in and what your other skills are. If you want to stay in academic research, then the path would lead to a postdoc position, and then hopefully on to other stages of academic career ladder. You could go into industry, for example in the research and development sector. Or perhaps consulting in government environmental agencies or policy making. You could throw yourself into science communication, science publishing or teaching. There are many options, also other less directly connected careers that require a bit of googling and asking around. I still need to figure it out as well.  

In addition to everything that you learn about your topic of research during your PhD, the legend says you also learn to think critically, manage projects, communicate complex information, help and teach others (colleagues, students), gather information, network, troubleshoot, are put on several stress management trials… These skills are valuable and can be transferred to other fields of work. 

• Any tips for potential future PhD candidates at UiB and the Centre? 

Hm, let me think. It is always good to try to figure out what you would like to do, asses your interests. Talk to potential supervisors beforehand. Spend some time making a research plan with backups for your next couple of years. Not everything will go according to plan, but it’s kind of comforting to know you can always go to your backup that you planned in the beginning. Re-evaluate your PhD plans along the way. If possible, go on research cruises! Join the meetings and Friday seminars. Otherwise, even when not going to conferences, there are a lot of ways to stay and feel connected to the scientific community. Follow other scientists and look for practical answers on pages like ResearchGate, maybe consider Twitter to stay up to date. Online seminars on your topic can be a good resource for questions and ideas. 

• Some favourite spots in Bergen? 

Mountains, green areas. Somewhere behind Damsgårdfjellet, where you can escape the sounds of the city. Or having some tea at cosy cafes and walking around charming streets in Sandviken.