LaraVB
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laravb.bsky.social
LaraVB
@laravb.bsky.social
400 followers 470 following 50 posts
👩‍🔬 PhD student in MedMicro at UKB and UniBonn | working on antibiotics, cell wall, Wolbachia, NTDs
📝 Section editor at Student Network for Open Science e.V.

she/her

ORCID: 0000-0002-3066-1841
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laravb.bsky.social
Greetings from the #GreatWallSymposium in beautiful Sicily! 🌊☀️ Inspiring talks, great people, and the perfect backdrop of sunshine and sea - science is even more fun with this view!
Check out poster 15 to learn about the cell wall mystery of #Wolbachia.

#GWS2025 #antibiotics #ScienceByTheSea
View of the blue sea under a blue sky. View of the Sicilian coast with clear blue sea, dark volcanic rocks, and a terrace with white lounge chairs and umbrellas.
September 16, 2025 at 9:26 AM
laravb.bsky.social
🎓 PhD milestone – on my birthday! 🎉
Two weeks ago, I defended my PhD in Pharmacy on my 28th birthday (coincidence, but unforgettable!). A full lecture hall, friends & colleagues from abroad joining online, and afterwards a big celebration at our institute. (1/4)

#PhDone #BirthdayDefense #PhDSky
I am wearing a big smile, white T-shirt and my self-made doctoral hat. I am standing in front of a bookshelf in the institute's seminar room. In Germany, it is a tradition that colleagues craft a unique doctoral hat for the PhD graduate. The hat has lots of details on top, prominently including small cell culture flasks. On the front, it reads "Dr. Lara". Collage consisting of 6 pictures. Upper row: 1. My supervisor hands me a gift bag for children which reads "Schulende" (end of school). It is a self-made bag and usually reads "Schulstart" (beginning of school). 2. The lecture hall with green chairs and a green ceiling wall. 3. Me and others laughing and holding glasses of champagne. Lower row: 4. The room with some of the people who were there standing and sitting. 5. Picture taking directly after they placed the doctoral hat on me. My arms are close to the hat - it was heavy and I was afraid that it would fall. 6. Gift table with flowers, the doctoral hat and a big box with lots of different snacks and a photo book about my time as a PhD student. In the middle is a lab-themed card which was drawn by another PhD student.
September 5, 2025 at 8:50 AM
laravb.bsky.social
Thanks @symbionticism.bsky.social
It was a long journey - after 28 h I arrived at the Welcome Reception yesterday (there was Saki!).

And here we go #WolbachiaConference2025!

#Wolbachia
Auditorium of the Wolbachia conference. The slide shows "Welcome Remark, and Information from the Organizing Committee"
April 14, 2025 at 12:21 AM
laravb.bsky.social
Therefore, I unfortunately won’t make it to #ESCMIDGlobal this year but found this while packing. Enjoy Vienna! #ESCMID2025
A disinfectant wipe I got at ESCMID Global last year. It says "See you next year! Vienna, Austria 12-15 April 2025"
April 12, 2025 at 12:01 PM
laravb.bsky.social
Already Day 3 of the #MosbacherKolloquium! Yesterday, Florestan introduced our relatively new group of #GBMPostdocs. Join us today at 7 pm if you’re interested (open to final-stage PhDs). No GBM membership required - however, the first year is free if you register before March 31. @gbmev.bsky.social
Florestan (spokesperson of the GBM Postdocs) introduces our group on stage. The board with its 4 members (including myself) is shown on the slide. The "Alte Mälzerei" in Mosbach, where the conference is taking place. The building’s windows reflect the bright blue sky.
March 21, 2025 at 8:34 AM
laravb.bsky.social
Also, I got introduced to the banana curry pineapple pizza, apparently the most Swedish pizza there is. Honestly, it tasted better than expected! 🍕 #SwedishPizza #PhDsky #AcademicTravel
The picture shows a pizza with banana, pineapple, plant-based "chicken" and curry.
January 15, 2025 at 11:17 AM
laravb.bsky.social
What I loved about #MIMS was the thoughtful design – spaces for studying, meeting, relaxing, and enjoying #fika together. Those coffee breaks were such a highlight, and I really missed them when I got home. This Christmas, my brother surprised me with homemade cinnamon rolls. 2/3
#EMBL #Umeå #UCMR
Two gloved hands form a heart shape: the left hand wears a purple glove, and the right wears a blue glove. The ground is visible in the background, along with legs and winter boots. Science-inspired German cookies in the form of pills or antibiotics, pipettes, and DNA. There are some round ones as well. The cookies are still on the baking paper on a tray. A square collage with six photos: the largest in the top left shows a sunny, snowy landscape taken from the train to Umeå. The smaller photos include a snapshot from UCMR Day 2024, me in snow clothes, the MIMS building, frost patterns on a window, and the Cava group having dinner. A semla, a traditional Swedish sweet roll, placed on a light-brown plate. The roll is filled with almond paste and plant-based whipped cream, and topped with powdered sugar.
January 15, 2025 at 11:17 AM
laravb.bsky.social
#Throwback to a year ago today: I arrived in Umeå, Sweden, for my research stay. The #Cava lab gave me a warm welcome (unlike the weather – it was -21 °C!). I loved learning HPLC-MS analysis of #peptidoglycan and exploring snowy Umeå. ❄️ 1/3
#AcademicSky #PhDSky #PGN #CellWall #Fika
This is a collage with the main picture showing me, standing on snow in front of the Umeå Town Hall. I have integrated a picture from a thermometer showing that it had 21 °C in my flat, while it had -21 °C outside. The picture was taken in the city center of Umeå, in the direction of City Hall Square. In the foreground, 2 "stones" are glowing and fairy lights are strung between the trees. The sky is dark blue. Frost-covered branches shimmer in the sunlight, with intricate ice crystals visible against a blue sky. The blurred background shows a snowy mound and trees. View from the windows of the Bildmuseet towards Öbacka. The landscape is blanketed in snow, including the frozen Ume River, creating a serene winter scene.
January 15, 2025 at 11:17 AM
laravb.bsky.social
My Wolbachia-infected insect cells are cell-ebrating Christmas. Happy holidays everyone! 👩‍🔬🦟🦠🎄
#Wolbachia #PhDSky #AcademicSky
A cell culture flask with a confluent layer of insect cells, where "Merry Xmas" has been carved into the cell layer. The flask is held by a gloved hand over a centrifuge in the background.
December 21, 2024 at 11:47 AM
laravb.bsky.social
#AgarArt is so cool! 🎨 This year's @asm.org contest theme asked “What Brings You Joy?” and the first place is titled "Petri Dish Jazz Club".
I also love "Birds of Agar" and "Anybody can dance! Even microbes!"
Check them out here: asm.org/Events/ASM-A...
"Petri Dish Jazz Club": 7 round petri dishes arranged with one in the center and six around it, each depicting elements of jazz music. The dishes feature a trumpet, saxophone, drums, a singer, piano, double bass, and a central vinyl record labeled "Jazz.". "Birds of Agar": 4 round petri dishes in a row. Each shows a different bird - unfortunately I don't recognize the species but they look cute! "Anybody can dance! Even microbes!": 2 petri dishes with yellow agar. The left dish shows a dancing woman viewed from behind, wearing a blue and rose skirt. The right dish features black lines on the left and blue and rose flowers on the right.
December 17, 2024 at 8:25 AM
laravb.bsky.social
A year ago, I baked these #ECCMID Christmas cookies, which later ended up in the Art Gallery at #ESCMIDGlobal. What a fun conference, although a bit overwhelming with over 18k participants - but I loved discussing my research and meeting inspiring people. #PhDsky #AcademicSky #AMR #ScienceComm
Christmas cookies on a blue plate, shaped like a pill (antibiotic), email icon, DNA strand, and coffee mug. Some are stamped with "ECCMID" or "2024". Photo of my page in the ESCMID Global Art Gallery book featuring the ECCMID Christmas cookies described earlier, alongside two GIANTmicrobes, a small pipette, and DNA-patterned socks in the background. The title reads: "Microbial Medley: A Culinary Celebration of ECCMID 2024". A collage with two photos: the main image shows my ESCMID Global badge and a "Poster Presenter 34th ECCMID" button. The top right corner features a photo of the poster I presented.
December 12, 2024 at 4:34 PM
laravb.bsky.social
Check out this cool antibiotic personality quiz!
#WAAW2024 #AMR
The picture shows the result of my personality quiz: "You are amoxicillin! You are reliable and hard-working. Many people turn to you when they need help. But sometimes you wish they would try to resolve their problems without your assistance. You are good-natured and agreeable but tend to not get involved in “severe” situations."
November 19, 2024 at 8:49 AM
laravb.bsky.social
Happy #WAAW2024! 💙
You've already gone blue, but this week, let’s go blue for AMR. 🌊
At @escmid.bsky.social in Barcelona, I heard Jim O'Neill discuss advancements in diagnostics to fight drug-resistant infections.
P.S. I took the train – Eiffel Tower photo stop included! 🚆
#GoBlueForAMR #AcademicSky
The collage includes 3 pictures. On the top left is a blue banner from ESCMID Global. On the bottom left is the blue title slide of Lord Jim O'Neill's talk at ESCMID. And on the right is me standing in front of the Eiffel Tower with a blue poster roll and wearing a hoodie with "Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Together".
November 18, 2024 at 7:05 AM
laravb.bsky.social
Hi, I’m Lara, a PhD student in microbiology exploring antibiotics and neglected tropical diseases. My research targets symbiotic bacteria essential for filarial survival, seeking innovative ways to fight infections. I’m also passionate about tackling AMR and sharing science! 🌟
#AcademicSky #PhDSky
A calm blue sea under a bright sky with a few clouds and a rainbow. In the foreground, a single bird soars gracefully.
November 15, 2024 at 8:22 AM