Super intern Mimmi Philipsson added extra color to the faculty lab

What could have been a gray October week in the laboratory became a vivid week to remember as Mimmi Philipsson, middle school student at Vårgårdsskolan's class 9C, left Östergötland for Uppsala University and the Biomedical Center to experience a week of pharmaceutical research at the Faculty of Pharmacy.

“I am very interested in natural science, and when our teacher told us it was time to pic a workplace for our internship, I called a relative who is a researcher in Uppsala. She told me what it is like to work in a laboratory, it sounded like lots of fun, so we decided that I would do my internship at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry,” says Mimmi Philipsson.

On site in the pharmaceutical lab, Mimmi has worked together with the faculty's researchers in a project aiming to identify promising candidates for future antibiotics. Here, she has been involved all the way from purifying molecules to generating reactions and reviewing the results of the studies.

“Mimmi has been a very valuable addition to our research team. She is responsive, a fast learner and has performed her tasks perfectly. In addition, she has been a real joy spreader in the laboratory, so I am sure that I speak for all of us when I name her Super Intern," says Ottilia Andersson, PhD student and supervisor to Mimmi.

The week in Uppsala also offered the occasional odd intern task. In the research environment for microbiology, Mimmi engaged in testing the antibacterial activity of new compounds, and in the environment for Analytical Pharmaceutical Chemistry, the intern was allowed – at her own request – to perform cuts in frozen liver samples.

“Some things in the laboratory actually smelled quite disgusting, but above all I've had an amazing week. All the researchers are very nice and helpful and it feels like I've learned so much in just a few days,” says Mimmi.

In two weeks, the Faculty of Pharmacy will welcome a new gang of middle school interns. This time from Stordammen's school just south of Uppsala. The program is still being prepared, but it has been decided that students will have the opportunity to participate in digital teaching and chemical experiments.

“Science outreach towards schools is one of our faculty's priority areas. Of course, we want to show the students how much fun research is, but also introduce them to some of the possibilities that our educations open up. Having Mimmi with us in the lab has been a genuine treat, and we are already crossing our fingers that we in a few years will see her again as a student of pharmacy, says Anja Sandström, Professor and Deputy dean for education.

Before the train ride home to Kinda and a well-deserved autumn break, an intense weekend in Uppsala awaits. But as Mimmi Philipsson hangs up her lab coat back on the hook, we must pop the question: Can she imagine coming back to our Biomedical Center and study to become a prescription or pharmacist.

“Absolutely! It's still a few years away and Uppsala is quite far from Kinda, but it feels like a really fun city and above all I've had a great time at the Faculty of Pharmacy, so I will definitely consider it," says Mimmi Philipsson.

Text: Magnus Alsne, foto: Mimmi Philipsson, Ottilia Andersson