A Viennese came to the Alps...

What sounds like the opening sentence to a joke, is actually an honest occasion for cheerful smiles: our PhD candidate at the University of Innsbruck has arrived. Julia Vinzelj will reinforce the Austrian Team, led by Sabine Podmirseg.

Julia is going to dive deep into new potential habitats for anaerobic fungi. Along the way she will attempt to implement two novel culture-independent detection techniques. Her first thoughts on Innsbruck: "I love it! It's a young and laid-back kind of city, full of sports-loving, friendly, and open-minded people." Enthusiastic about the project itself, she can't wait to get to work. Asked whether she has any good jokes to tell about Tyrol, she blushed and admitted: "Just one. One of my favourite teachers in high school told it once and it stuck with me ever since. It only works in German, though:

Wie sagt ein Tiroler "Banane"?

"Banane-CHHH"

The obligatory fotoshoot in front of Innsbruck's colourful fassades with a beautiful view on Innsbruck's "Nordkette" (one of the characteristic mountain ranges) in the back. Despite temperatures well above 30°C, one can still see snowfields just below the mountain tops (~2500m above sea level).