Report of Pilleriin Peets

Research stay with Dr. Olivier Chapleur in INRAE, France.

I am grateful to the Scientist Exchange Fund from the Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse for enabling my visit to the INRAE laboratories in Antony (Paris, France) from November 6 to December 18, 2024. During my time in Dr. Olivier Chapleur's research group, I focused on developing a non-targeted MS/MS approach for analyzing water samples brought from our Viral Ecology and Omics (VEO) group project.

To ensure accurate measurements, I first needed to perform extensive testing with the mass spectrometry instrument and evaluate chromatographic conditions specific to the host laboratory. By working with a mixture of metabolite standards, I was able to evaluate the chemical space covered by the instrument and refine the sample preparation methods. This hands-on experience broadened my understanding of experimental metabolomics and inspired a new idea for my upcoming grant proposal.

I was able to acquire LC-MS/MS data for the water samples from Dr.Xiu Jia’s Baltic Sea project and I am currently conducting data processing and analysis for those. This chemical information will hopefully complement Dr. Xiu Jia’s research, which focuses on microbial communities and salinity.

Despite the intensive work required during these six weeks, I most appreciated the French work-life balance which forbade anyone staying in the lab building after 19.00 and weekends. This nice rule in INRAE gave me enough free time to explore not only Paris but also visit my friends in Lyon and Grenoble.

This exchange has deepened my technical skills and opened new opportunities for future collaborations and research directions.