Buttercups and blossoms from around Beersel, south of Brussels

I arrived at that point in my PhD in which future project ideas grow wilder than the yellow buttercups in this meadow.

As could be expected, finding the answers to my first set of questions brings lots of inspiration for new ones. But getting to know the possibilities, the available methods but also the other scientists in the field, all of that sparks new ideas and solutions.

It is important for me to encourage this blossoming of ideas, if I want to continue with what I’m doing when my research grant runs out. That is of course still in the future – more than two years to be precise – but to continue after that I will need a solid future plan, and that deserves some time to ripen.

We are also always in search to strengthen our research beyond what I am doing. It would be fabulous to set up some more solid collaborations with other scientists. As such we can make sure many more questions will be answered than I would ever be able to answer within the short timespan of my PhD.

And let answering questions be exactly what I hoped for in science!