A brief introduction about yourself
I am Yash, a third-year cse guy interested in many things, be it research, math, sports, girls ;), etc. I prefer my life to be fulfilled rather than long, like a roller coaster ride. In my free time, I would be doing nothing cause it does not exist. But I do squeeze some of my busy time for my kind of stuff.
You may visit my website if interested: www.cse.iitb.ac.in/~yashjonjale/
How did you develop an interest in the area of your internship?
I did a summer research internship in Germany, where I worked on ML applied to enzyme engineering. It was BB101 that rekindled my interest in biology. More precisely, I got interested in using machine learning to decode the language of our DNA, and perhaps exploit the new findings for drug discovery or for creating designer cells. To my surprise, I found my internship in topics very related to my interests.
How did you find out about this internship?
I started apping in December 2023, I used to follow research paper trails and look for personal websites of professors and their research groups. Such an approach allowed me to find professors in specific domains. In doing so, I stumbled upon my lab. But FYI, computational biology was not the only domain I was looking at, theoretical CS and mainstream machine learning too.
Reference – Universität Düsseldorf: Offene Stellen (hhu.de)
P.S. The position might be open again for next year soon, follow the above link.
Could you brief us about the work allotted to you?
I was working on building ML models to predict Michalis Constant (Km) values for mutated enzymes.
What advice would you like to give to the juniors regarding interaction with the host professor while conducting short-term research?
I would say to be yourself. If you want to go for higher studies or research later on, you may wanna build a good relation with him/her, perhaps be proactive with your work.
Any interesting travel story? (if applicable)
First Solo Trip
I was heading back to Dusseldorf from Venice after an incredible trip with my friends. On a whim, I decided to plan a short solo detour to Salzburg and Hallstatt in Austria—two places I had always wanted to visit.
Initially, I couldn’t find a direct train back to Dusseldorf at a suitable time and ended up with a layover in Austria for a few hours. That’s when it struck me: why not make the most of it and extend my trip by a day to explore Austria as well? It was my first chance to experience traveling alone, and I felt excited and adventurous.
I arrived in Salzburg late at night, checked into an a&o hostel, and got a good night’s sleep. I woke up early in the morning, eager to explore. I boarded the train to Hallstatt, a small village known for its breathtaking views and beautiful lakes. I was finally experiencing the freedom of traveling solo, with no particular plans—just me and the adventure.
This is where the real story begins! It was summer in Europe, which meant frequent rains, and it happened to be raining that day. The rain made Hallstatt look even more magical, with mist floating above the lake and everything looking so fresh and vibrant. I wandered around, taking in the beauty of the charming village.
But here’s the problem: I had a Google Pixel phone that was technically waterproof—at least under normal circumstances. Unfortunately, due to my carelessness, it had lost its water resistance. You might say keeping your phone clean is a good thing, but it’s not if you have a habit of washing it under the tap every now and then, especially after it has taken a few falls.
Anyway, in Europe, I was using a Eurail pass for train travel. It’s a paperless pass available through an app on your phone, which was incredibly convenient—until it wasn’t. One thing led to another, and, once again, I assumed my phone could handle a little bit of water. I got caught in the rain, and this time, the phone didn’t survive. It went completely black—gone—with my Eurail ticket stored in the app.
There I was, in Hallstatt, far from Dusseldorf, with no working phone and only five euros left in my pocket. I had spent all my cash during my travels and hadn’t expected this kind of emergency. The realization set in that I was alone, with hardly any money, and no way to access my train tickets or contact anyone.
The worst part was that my phone also had all my photos from the entire trip. In that instant, I lost every single picture I had taken during my travels with friends, as well as my solo adventures in Austria. It was heartbreaking to realize that all those precious memories were gone, and there was nothing I could do to get them back.
Like I said, though, I like roller coasters, and I wasn’t about to let this situation scare me. I decided to hop on a train back to Munich without a valid ticket. My plan? To avoid the ticket collector by discreetly move to the washroom every 5-10 minutes. Every time I sensed the train attendant approaching, I would slip into the washroom and wait for a while. It wasn’t the most comfortable journey, but it was my only option.
I managed to make it to Munich without getting caught, and then I had to figure out my next move. Luckily, I have an uncle who lives in Munich, so I made my way to his place. It took some effort, but I managed to contact him with the help of a kind stranger who let me borrow their phone. When I finally got in touch with my uncle, he was more than happy to help. He lent me some money, and I was finally able to buy a proper ticket.
I stayed at his house that night, grateful for the warmth and familiarity of family after such a stressful day. The next morning, I took the train back to Dusseldorf, reflecting on my crazy adventure.
Well, it was a wild and unforgettable first solo trip—one that taught me a lot about staying calm in unpredictable situations and trusting in my resourcefulness.
What is something you wish you had known before the internship?
Not really
What are the challenges and learnings that you learned while conducting research?
The most important learning was to research independently. Like planning what to target, what can be improved, and how would you do it on your own.
Is there anything you explored outside of the internship? What was that like?
I resided in a small town called Langenfeld outside the city. I used to cycle a few kilometers every day and explore the beautiful German countryside.
What was the process of shifting to a new country like? What were the major challenges you faced, and how were the people around you? (if applicable)
Feel free to add anything else.
I didn’t have any problem at all. Germans are well-versed in English, and everyone is nice and welcoming.
After all, what problems can living in a new country pose once you have lived in IITB.
P.S. Veggie peeps will certainly have a problem though.
