By summerstudent Lluïsa Nieddu Vicent > 8:10 a.m. I arrive at Zehlendorf train station and suddenly hear the train approaching. I am almost on the stairs when a question pops into my mind: Should I run to catch this train or wait for the next one? I start running and when I reach the platform, I hear the sound of the doors closing. Aargh, missed it! But wait, the train was heading toward Oranienburg, and I needed to go to Wannsee… So in the end, I was lucky.
That moment, full of uncertainty and instinct, reflected the rhythm of my summer in Berlin. A rhythm made of science during the day, and dancing in the evening.
Two different worlds
This summer, apart from being a student researcher at HZB, I also discovered the joy of dancing in Berlin from forró to bourrées, scottisch and other folk dances. Science and music may seem like two different worlds, but I slowly realised how deeply connected they are.
In a dance, when the music starts, everyone looks for a partner. Just like dancers responding to the rhythm and leading each other through movement, electrons flow through an external circuit, driven by light in the case of photoelectrochemical systems. At the electrodes, these electrons trigger redox reactions, oxidising organic molecules or reducing protons to hydrogen gas.
In my project, we explore how to couple seawater splitting with biomass reforming. Instead of oxidising water, which requires high energy input and forms oxygen (a low-value product), we use biomass-derived molecules at the anode. This not only lowers the energy barrier but also produces valueable chemicals.
Being present
When I dance, I need to be fully present: listening to the music, feeling the connection with my partner, allowing the movement to flow. Surprisingly, doing science feels similar. I need concentration to follow the logic, trust to work collaboratively with colleagues, and patience to follow the steps of the process, even when things do not go as expected.
Every person that works in a laboratory has experience dropping solutions, breaking flasks, or measuring the wrong samples… One day, I had to prepare two separate solutions and mix them in a specific order, which is a crucial step for the reaction to work properly. I messed up the process not once, but three times!
That moment could have been frustrating, but instead, it became a learning experience, especially because I was not alone. I’m very grateful to my supervisor Marco and the PhD student Dzenna for their patience and guidance.
In science, as in dance, progress happens when you are open to other people, to ideas, to change. During my time at HZB, I worked in a truly intercultural environment where conversations in the lab, over lunch, or even on the bus became opportunities to learn.
My recommendation:
For future students, I highly recommend exploring both worlds in Berlin. Visit the Humboldt Forum, try the Natural Science Museum, but also go out and dance. My highlights are: Clärchens Ballhaus, and der Tanzboden auf Tempelhofer Feld.
On the author: Lluïsa Nieddu Vicent comes from Castelló, a small city in Spain. She is studying for a Master’s degree in Chemistry at Universitat Jaume I. She participates in the International Summer Student Programme at HZB 2025, working in the team of Dr. Marco Favaro on coupling direct photoelectrochemical seawater splitting with biomass reforming.