Meet our colleague: Robin Slof

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Robin Slof. In 2020, my girlfriend Caroline and I bought a house in Ter Aar that needed quite a bit of work. It is now almost exactly the way we want it. I was born and raised in Ter Aar, so all my friends and family live nearby. At weekends, I enjoy having a drink at our local pub by the Langeraarse Plassen.

I also regularly go running and cycling. Once a year, I organise a 1/8 and 1/4 triathlon for around 260 participants. Last year, I also started playing tennis and have been going to the gym more often.

What is your role at Anthura, and how long have you been working here?

I work as a cell biology researcher in the lab at Anthura. You will often find me in lab A7-9, but I also regularly work in the molecular lab at A10.

Most of my time is dedicated to protoplast regeneration. Protoplasts are cells without a cell wall, and we try to grow complete plants from them. We also use a flow cytometer to measure the amount of DNA a plant contains. Our breeding department uses this information to make targeted crosses.

In addition, we try to transform our plants using Agrobacterium. This allows us to investigate the function of specific sections of DNA in our plants.

What else has stayed with you from those first few years?

Our cell biology team feels very familiar. It is a great mix of people working together towards the goals we have set. But besides the work itself, we also have a lot of fun together.
Working for a family business means that you get to know many people across different departments. You can always drop by to ask someone a question or simply have a quick chat.

What would you like to tell a new employee?

Celebrate your successes. Every now and then, it is important to celebrate reaching a milestone together as a team. In our department, we preferably do that with champagne. 😉

Do you have any tips for new colleagues to help them quickly feel at home?

Take a tour of all the departments. Anthura is a large company with many different areas of expertise. The entire process, from breeding through to production, is complex. Understanding this process makes your own role in it much more enjoyable.

When I started working as a junior researcher and did not yet know much about plants, I was given the opportunity to work in other departments. For example, at Cyclamenweg I cut cuttings and sleeved plants. This was a great introduction to our plants, and I still benefit from that experience today.

I am sure your new colleagues will be more than happy to tell you all about what they do.