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Institution
Charité (Humboldt-Universität) and Robert Koch-Institut Berlin
Host
Institution(s)
Research: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
Mentor: Prof. H. D. Ochs, M.D., Dept. of Pediatrics, Div. of Immunology
& Rheumatology
Prof. Ochs enabled me to continue the research project of my doctoral thesis in his lab. I worked on the functional characterization of ICOS, a novel inducible costimulatory antigen, that was identified as the third member of a family of T-cell specific receptors among CD28 and CTLA-4 (Hutloff A., Beier K.C. et al., Nature, in press). Unlike CD28, ICOS is not detectable on the surface of resting peripheral blood T cells, but is highly expressed on T cells located in the apical light zone of germinal centers in secondary lymphoid tissues, a site in which T cells are known to induce terminal differentiation of B cells into antibody-secreting plasma cells or memory cells.
To clarify the activation signal transmitted by ICOS, I measured Ca2+ influx into T cells after cross-linking of ICOS with mAb by flow cytometry and performed Protein Kinase Assays. I also compared the ability of ICOS and CD28 to costimulate the production of various cytokines and chemokine receptors by means of RNAse Protection Assays.
Furthermore, I investigated whether the induction of ICOS on mitogen activated T cells of patients suffering from common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) differed from that of normal controls. As CVI is characterized by hypogammaglobulinaemia and recurrent bacterial infections due to failure of CVI B cells to differentiate in vivo into immunoglobulin-secreting plasma cells, it is hypothesized that this B-cell dysfunction might be caused by abnormal T-cell mediated B-cell activation. As the costimulatory signal via CD28 is fully functional in these patientsÎ T cells, I tried to find out whether signaling via ICOS was impaired.
It certainly was an experience that I don't want to miss in my life, and I want to thank everybody who made it possible for me to come to Seattle. I was overwhelmed by the friendliness and hospitality I was welcomed with.
Life at the University is so much more relaxed and motivating than in Germany. This is not at least due to the fact that people treat each other with so much more respect no matter what position they are in. It showed me that high ranks do not necessarily have to keep scientists from listening to and sharing information with each other. There are certainly some aspects of the American way of life we Germans can learn a lot from.
Nevertheless, there are some American habits that might take a German some time to get used to. First of all the inevitable "How are you?" wherever you go. Not only that you do not always feel like letting each and everybody know, but it can also get quite challenging to be creative about your answers when being asked the same question at least twenty times a day.
Talking about meeting people, beware of introducing yourself by mentioning your last name only. It might cause some serious confusion. People in this country don't seem to have last names. In the cafeteria you are served by Joan, your bank consultant's name is Bill, Ted calls you to ask you to sign up for the Seattle Times... it's like being on a big meeting of alcoholics anonymous.
Saying good bye can become another source of misunderstanding. You should always keep in mind that the phrase "See you later" does not necessarily imply that you will see this person in your life again.
One of the greatest difficulties I encountered, was to find a wholemeal bread in the supermarket. And as most European delicatessen's definition of such bread is pumpernickel, it might come in handy to bring your own recipe for baking bread.
The first humorous incident happened when I was arriving at the airport. Having totally forgotten about the bottle of wine that I declared on my customs form, I was asked whether I am 21 years old. Not quite sure what the question was about I answered "No, I'm not". And before I even had a chance to add that I am 25, I found myself in the customs-investigation office to open up all my suitcases and bags. Actually it was pretty embarrassing and not funny at all to fit all my stuff back into my bags.
And here's my first 'hint for future student's: No jokes at the customs or immigration. It will take you long enough to get through anyways.
On one of the weekends, my friend and I rented a car to go on a trip through the Olympic National Park near Seattle. At first we were a little bit worried about going to the drive-through game farm with a rented car... and as if it was bound to happen that way: While feeding the animals out of our car, a zebra started chewing on one of the outside rear-view mirrors. We had a lot of fun wondering how to explain to the car rental guy how the mirror got scratched.
When calculating your budget, take into consideration that everything costs about the same amount in $ as it would cost in DM in Germany.
Open a local checking account and try to get your social security number before you start looking for an apartment. It increases the chance of getting accepted as a tenant a lot.
When entering a bar be sure to have your passport with you, even if you only want to order a glass of water.
Concerning world politics, you seem to enter a complete news vacuum as soon as you cross the American border. Newscasts consist of the president's very private matters, the latest strikes against Saddam and are followed immediately by an amazing quantity of local news. The Internet proved to be an essential source of information about what is going on in the rest of the world (http://www.tagesschau.de, http://www.spiegel.de).
Before going on a trip leaving the US, make sure to have the last section of the pink copy of your IAP-66 signed by your host University. Otherwise, the immigration officer might not be willing to let you back in.
Working in a lab it is very easy to get isolated, forgetting the time over your research. Be sure you manage your time in the States wisely, it passes so much faster than you think. For those who are going to study at the University of Washington: FIUTS (Foundation for International Understanding through Students) offers a great number of trips and parties with other students from all over the world. Don't underestimate the fun part of your stay in the US!