Philip grew up in the village of Stupferich, which – somewhat confusingly – is part of the city of Karlsruhe. With Biology and History as his main subjects, it was almost inevitable that he would spend over a year in the military. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served in a Military Public Health Oversight Office in Brandenburg. There, his superiors and colleagues strongly encouraged him to pursue biology academically, recognizing his aptitude for the field. Taking this advice to heart, he returned to his hometown after completing his service and enrolled in Applied Biology at the KIT. His bachelor’s thesis focused on the metagenomics of the civet digestive tract, analyzing bacterial communities potentially influencing the flavor of Kopi Luwak. Seeking new challenges after graduation, he found his way to hilbertlab, where he was welcomed as a research assistant by Nils.