Nadine Barna studied Chemistry at the University of Vienna. She did her bacherlor’s thesis in organic synthesis and NMR characterisaion. For her master’s thesis, she decided to move into material science and joined the „Polymer and Composite Engineering“ (PaCE) group of Prof Alexander Bismarck. Sponsored by an international industrial partner, she was dedicated to the work on DNA loaded polymer nanoparticles for subsurface tracer applications, and continued the research on this topic for her doctoral thesis. During these years, she gained experience in polymer and colloid chemistry and nanotechnology, (mini)emulsion templating and stabilitsation of emulsions and suspensions. Additionally, several side projects allowed her to expand her horizon to porous materials.