What are you doing here at Leibniz-HKI?

I’ve been at the institute for quite a while – about 12 years, and I work as an animal experiment manager. My tasks include the planning, application, implementation and evaluation of animal experiments in every detail. After the experiments are completed, I write reports and communicate with the relevant authorities and the animal welfare officer. This involves a considerable amount of administrative work. The experiments are mainly for the Transfer Group Antiinfectives and the Department Molecular and Applied Microbiology, but also for other groups by arrangement.

You studied biochemistry in Halle (Saale). Why did you decide to do this?

For me, my fascination with biochemistry has never had anything to do with nature in an aesthetic sense, but rather with how things work. As a biochemist, you are always looking for the “how and why” behind things! So, you don’t just look at a plant as beautiful, you take it apart to find out what’s inside it. This analytical interest has been with me from an early age – not only in relation to plants, but also in many other areas.

For example?

For a while, I also wanted to become an archaeologist or geologist. I was interested in medicine as well. But during an internship in oral surgery, I realized that it wasn’t for me. I felt really queasy when I was allowed to be present during the operation – the syringes, all the blood and the anxious patient. To this day, I panic when my blood is drawn! (laughs) Interestingly, when I started working with animals later on, I realized that this problem is multi-layered. As soon as I’m in control myself, it is okay. Studying biochemistry was demanding, but it was just right for me.

What happened next for you?

I wrote my diploma thesis at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry in Halle (Saale), in the former research group of natural product chemist Professor Dr. Günter Adam. I worked with all sorts of things:  with partial syntheses, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry etc. – the whole portfolio to elucidate the metabolic pathways of the gibberellins, a group of plant hormones. Today, 136 substances belong to the group of gibberellins; at that time, just over 80 were known. I had two publications in half a year! That was a “super entry” into science, so to speak – and then I went to Göttingen.

Why Göttingen?

I did my PhD in biochemistry in Göttingen, at the Botanical Institutes – with many guest stays at the IPK Gatersleben. The focus was on enzymes involved in the vitamin E metabolic pathway. My task was to isolate and characterize a specific enzyme and prepare its sequencing. The aim was to produce transgenic plants. Although we were able to publish some results, certain aspects remained unclear for various reasons. My doctorate was done in cooperation with a subsidiary of BASF, which meant that my work was very industry-oriented.

How did you come to work with mice today?

After my time in Göttingen, I went to Ulm to work in dermatology, where I came into contact with animals for the first time. Originally, my research was purely biochemical, but I also had to breed and work with mice for the experiments. To do this, I completed the new laboratory animal course FELASA C, which qualified me to carry out animal experiments. It was all very exciting!

... Which is a good thing in principle. However, there are calls for these requirements to be tightened even further. How do you rate the current legal developments in the field of animal testing?

I view the current debate with concern. Many are calling for animal testing to be completely abolished in Europe. In my opinion, that would be the wrong approach. Medical research still does not manage without animal testing – even if we would like it to be otherwise. A ban would lead to experiments being outsourced to countries where standards are often less transparent. Such developments could ruin research opportunities in Germany, similar to what happened with the Genetic Engineering Act and the Embryo Protection Act. I think it is good and important that animal experiments are only approved if they are justified and there is no alternative. At the same time, however, I see that scientists who carry out animal experiments are often subjected to harsh criticism, while in other areas – for example in the keeping of pets or in factory farming – there are serious animal welfare problems that often go unnoticed.

You raise an important point. Today we have massive problems with the issue of quantity and distribution. How can we learn to deal better with the resource “animal” again?

When I was growing up in a village, we used to raise animals and really utilized everything from the animal. Even the parts that we didn’t use directly, such as the rectum (anus and hindgut) of the pig, were used as winter food for the birds because of the high fat content. Today, however, many people only want the best cuts, such as fillet or chicken breast. As a result, more animals have to be kept to meet demand. I suppose a rethink is needed here – not necessarily towards a purely plant-based diet, but towards a more conscious approach to animal products. I see a great need for action here to bring more sustainability back into food production and consumption. We need to treat our resources with greater respect.

Do you have pets at home?

I grew up in the Eichsfeld countryside and had a lot of contact with animals from an early age. We had chickens, rabbits, sheep and pigs at home. I remember how, as a child, I often bottle-fed animals when a mother animal was lost. After school, I also looked after the newborn piglets. That was our world and I had no problems with it – it was just part of my life. Today, however, I don’t have any pets, due to time constraints. A pet needs a lot of attention and care. I couldn’t leave an animal alone in the apartment all day either. It’s easier in the countryside, where animals can run around freely.

When you’re not at Leibniz-HKI, what do you do in your free time?

When I find time, I like to read – historical novels, exciting documentaries or science fiction. I also have a little soft spot for history, perhaps because my grandfather wrote local chronicles. When I travel, I like to explore the historical background of the places we visit. My children sometimes find this exhausting – they say: “Mom, stop befouling everything with your knowledge!” But I just can’t stop sharing interesting facts. (laughs)

Traveling is a way for us as a family to spend time together and discover the world. Some time ago we even took a trip around the world, “Around the world in 30 days”, so to speak. New Zealand has particularly impressed us time and again. We have experienced how relaxed things often are there.

One last question: What do you wish for the animals?

Most of all, I hope that there won’t be more bureaucracy. A little bureaucracy is fine, but you can also overdo it. If everything becomes more complicated, nobody is helped – neither humans nor animals.