A prize better than the Nobel
How a reality check, a little patience and a lot of polysaccharides shaped my scientific journey
When I submitted my PhD thesis, I was somewhere above cloud nine — possibly cloud ten. I was convinced the next logical step would be revolutionising biochemistry, publishing something in Nature, curing a disease or two and casually collecting a Nobel prize before I turned 50. I even practised my acceptance speech in the shower.
Then reality introduced itself.