Happy to share some amazing news… 🎉

I successfully defended my PhD last month! It’s been a wonderful 17-year journey through four degrees across two very different fields. I’m grateful for everyone who helped along the way — and excited for what’s next.

Which brings me to update #2…

I'll be featured at the outreach event of the Science Café in Nijmegen 🇳🇱, talking about astrochemistry and the origins of life and its building blocks in space and on early Earth.
Stop by if you're in the area on Thu, Oct. 23, 7.45 PM. Admission is FREE, and there will be jazz! 🎶🎷🌌🔭☄🦠

Thank you very much for the shout out! Go @oolen.bsky.social!

Had a great time presenting my work on Assembly Theory and molecular phylogenetics at the GRS and GRC on Molecular Mechanisms of Evolution in Boston, and the FALCON origin of life and astrobiology conference at Reykjavik. Feeling inspired!

#FALCON2025 was wrapped up by a career development workshop, featuring @seanfj.bsky.social and Filipa Sousa, giving us valuable and honest advice on how to progress in one's career to becoming a PI and how to write good proposals, as well as a lively poster session.

Thank you to everyone for coming! A special thanks to AbGradE and @euroastrobiology.bsky.social for joining forces to make this incredible event here in Iceland 🇮🇸 possible! It was a privilege to collaborate, and we truly owe you for making it all happen! Enjoy the conference excursion tomorrow! 🌋🐑🏔️🌊

The origins of life session during #FALCON2025 featured an amazing keynote talk by our very own @silkeasche.bsky.social, intriguing roundtable discussions about the very definition of life and how to detect it, and, of course, many exciting contributed talks! Thanks to all the speakers! 👏

On the first full day of #FALCON2025, we enjoyed an amazing lineup of astrobiology talks, a lovely tour of the botanical gardens, and a great conference dinner. We hope that many new connections will be made between the astrobiology and origins of life communities here in Iceland!

#FALCON2025 is in full swing, uniting Astrobiology and the Origins of Life sciences in a fun, relaxed gathering surrounded by 🇮🇸 Iceland's picturesque volcanic early Earth analogue landscape. 🌋🧬🦠
Let's go!

I'm so excited to be on my way to #FALCON2025, our first jointly organized early-carrer conference of AbGradE and @oolen.bsky.social in Reykjavik 🇮🇸🌋! Can't wait to meet everyone and talk exciting science! 🤩

More info
oolen.org/news-and-events/in-person-meetings/falcon2025
and
abgrade.eu/falcon2025

MPIA is growing, and it needs more space for offices, meetings, and lunch. Therefore, it will get a new extension building. The groundbreaking ceremony was yesterday, attended by prominent guests such as Heidelberg's Lord Mayor Eckart Würzner.
www.mpia.de/6215101/2024... (Credit: M. Pössel/MPIA)

[Re-posting Twitter, Apr 16, 2024]

We made it to the cover of ChemPlusChem!!!
Vitamins from outer space and the origins of life? Yes!
=> doi.org/10.1002/cplu...
Amazing what you can do yourself with #opensource @blender3d.bsky.social just following tutorials by youtube.com/@blenderguru (thanks!).

[Re-posting Twitter; Feb 3, 2023]

It is nice to see something materialize in your own hands!
Volcanos 🌋 are awesome, right?
But how about volcanos on other planets and moons? Or even on exoplanets? 🪐🌋🌕
Hooked? Then read more about their potential to make alien worlds habitable (+👇🧵): bit.ly/cryovol

[Re-posting from Twitter; Jan 23, 2023]

Do you know what the death of all dinosaurs 🦕 and the origins of life 🧬 might have in common? Carbonaceous chondrites, carbon-rich meteorites, 🌠 might have caused both. Skeptical? Hear me out 👇🧵 and read our freshly published paper doi.org/10.3847/1538...
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Hello, BlueSky! 🌟 We're excited to join this vibrant community. At OoLEN, we're dedicated to exploring the fascinating field of origin of life research. Follow us for updates, insights, and discussions. Let's embark on this journey together! #HelloBlueSky #OriginOfLife #OoLEN