IT is indispensable for my research. It starts with basic things like email and documentation programmes but goes much further. Advanced equipment, such as a gas chromatograph that measures gases, only operates with the support of a computer that processes the data. If that computer malfunctions, the device remains a ‘black box’ to me. Non-functioning IT is not just ‘annoying’; it makes my research impossible.
In the discovery of new bacteria, IT plays a crucial role. Whether it involves viewing bacteria under a microscope or sequencing DNA, everything depends on computers and complex analyses. The ongoing support from IT colleagues enables me to make significant scientific discoveries.