CryoStore diary - Mahsa Abdi
WUR, Netherlands | September 2024 - May 2025
My PhD Journey
I started my PhD in September 2024 at Wageningen University and Research (WUR). The first six months were focused on writing a research proposal, which helped create a clear plan for the next four years. It was a good way to gradually get into the project and understand what I would be working on long-term.
At the same time, I took part in a reproduction course at SLU in Sweden. It was a very informative and valuable course—especially helpful at the beginning of my PhD. It helped me build a stronger background in the field and connect with other researchers working on similar topics.
My project is a collaboration between Wageningen University and Utrecht University, so during that time, I traveled to Utrecht once a week. There, we had fertility group meetings where PhD students and supervisors came together to discuss research, share ideas, and give presentations. These weekly meetings were incredibly helpful—they gave me a better overview of the project and allowed me to learn a lot from others’ experiences and feedback.
In the lab, I started using different immunofluorescence staining protocols to study various organelles of the oocyte and how they change and are distributed during different maturation stages. This helped me understand what these structures look like in fresh oocytes, which is important for my research. It also gave me a better reference point to compare with their frozen counterparts. To image my stained oocytes, I gained practical experience using confocal microscopy to capture detailed images of my slides.
Industry Experience at Topigs Norsvin
Recently, I began my first secondment at Topigs Norsvin in Den Bosch. There, I’ve been learning a lot about practical data analysis, mainly working with data from frozen semen, and about pig semen processing in general. It’s been a great experience. I’ve met knowledgeable researchers and gained insight into how the work is done in a company setting. This has been a very valuable experience for me, both technically and professionally.
Future plan
After the summer school in France this July, I plan to focus more on the oocyte and embryo part of my research. I’ve also been learning to use different imaging software tools, which will help me analyze my confocal microscopy data more efficiently.
Overall, the past few months have been full of learning, traveling, and trying new things. I’m really enjoying the journey so far, and I’m excited for what comes next!
