Meet Julian Kiesel

Julian Kiesel

I will turn to the grand quest of creating an artificial cell. More specifically, my initial work will focus on investigating a minimal two-component signaling system consisting of two main proteins that act together to enable the used cell model to sense the nitrate concentration of its environment.

Hey, I’m Julian!
I just started my PhD in the Physics of Cellular Interactions group, led by dr. Kristina Ganzinger at the AMOLF institute. Before moving to Amsterdam, I completed both my bachelor’s and master’s degree in physics at the University of Leipzig in Germany. During my master’s studies, I specialized in soft matter physics, as I really fell in love with the interdisciplinary nature of the field. My interests are generally very broad, hence being able to work as a physicist, chemist, biologist, and data analyst at the same time feels like the perfect fit for me.

In my master’s thesis, I designed a simple DNA-based one-fluorophore biosensor that can bind to lipid membranes via cholesterol anchors and subsequently report the binding interaction by altering the fluorescent properties of an attached cyanine fluorophore. These changes were mainly investigated using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) as well as time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), leveraging the high precision of both experimental techniques. Although the sensor is still in its infancy and needs further improvement, I was able to demonstrate its general applicability and underlying working principle.

Now, in my PhD, I will turn to the grand quest of creating an artificial cell. More specifically, my initial work will focus on investigating a minimal two-component signaling system consisting of two main proteins that act together to enable the used cell model to sense the nitrate concentration of its environment. Upon receiving the input signal —i.e., an elevated nitrate concentration— the transcription of GFP inside the cell membrane is triggered, which in turn can then be observed using standard fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, this research will be substantiated through a collaboration with Menno Mulder from the group of prof. dr. Pieter Rein ten Wolde, who will provide a theoretical description of the system.

Apart from science, I love to enjoy all the other beautiful things this world has to offer, such as making music, dancing, and experiencing food from many different cultures. Consequently, I’m even more excited about everything which I haven’t seen or done so far. Yet above all, I hope to meet many like-minded people and make close friends here in the Netherlands during this crazy journey that is a PhD. Let’s see, maybe we will someday meet, too. Thank you for reading this text of mine,