Elizabeth’s Finnish summer

After having spend a few months in training in Finland between February and March of this year, Elizabeth Cudjoe traveled to Finland again in the summer for some more in-depth training in our E-TRF and biosensor technology. Here are some of her thoughts on her summer in Finland. 

What was Turku like this time when you arrived? How did it compare to the last time you were here in February? 

Turku had become even more beautiful and alive; the city was all green with lots of people outside enjoying the warm weather.  

It was more surprising upon visiting the city center. So many people and many outdoor cafes that did not exist, or maybe were not open in the winter, were now in business.

About a one third  of the people I met were cycling. And apples everywhere! Almost every backyard had apple trees heavy with fruits. It took a while for me to accept that it was normal to see so many apple fruits on the ground and I picked one every now and then.

What were the first big differences you noticed?

It was fascinating to see the sun till late at night.  11 pm felt like the 6 pm I am used to in Ghana.

Were there any Finnish things you got to do?

I was privileged to follow Vilhelmiina’s adult scout group to the forest for berries and mushroom picking.

We also got to spend a Friday evening at summer cottage cooking, dining, swimming and sauna. It wasn’t like anything I had imagined before. 

I also got the opportunity to attend Finland’s annual housing exhibition in Naantali, and our ‘Team day’ was another memorable day full of touring nice places and enjoying several delicacies.

What was the purpose of your summer here?

Training – to sharpen my skills related to the methods and deepen my understanding of the principles of E-TRF and Aqsens’ biosensor.

What did you get to do in the lab this time around?

I had lots of fun with phages and E. coli. 

I got to optimize some protocols related to biosensors and had to grow different trained phages and isolate plaques for further growth and purification. I also had the opportunity to try developing some biosensors using few biomarkers for metastatic cancers.

How does the work continue when you go back home to Ghana?

With over 2500 malaria saliva samples that have been collected in Accra, there is surely a lot to be done when I get back home.

Is there something you will miss about Finland this time around when you go back to Accra?

I think this time around, I have learned to live a little more like a Finn, so I will miss lots of things.

I will always be reminded of Finland when I have to cook or eat. Food is so fresh and clean and readily available that you don’t have to spend hours cooking. In a few minutes food is ready.

I will miss the morning walks to work and the evening walks around, the sightseeing around the city,  having lunch together with the team, and the serene atmosphere and quietness.  

We want to thank Elizabeth for a very productive and fun summer with us here in Turku, and we hope to see her back here soon!

In case you haven’t had the chance to read the blog post about our Ghana team’s first training in Finland in March, you can read it here.