Postgraduate students of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Liudmyla VARENYK and Yevheniia DUDNYK visited the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Porto (Portugal) and conducted research with foreign colleagues within the framework of the Erasmus + project.
The SNAU researchers were most impressed by the material and technological base of the University of Porto. The Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences is a state-of-the-art faculty with the latest equipment. Yevheniia DUDNYK says that students and young scientists are given absolute freedom of action for research here: they can use any equipment and consumables.
As part of her internship in the Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Liudmyla VARENYK worked for three weeks under the supervision of João MESQUITA, PhD, Associate Professor. Together with a graduate student from France, they examined samples of material for the detection of circovirus, saw all the stages of sample preparation for polymerase chain reaction, used a nucleic acid gel electrophoresis apparatus, and analysed the results.
Liudmyla VARENYK says that knowledge circulates constantly in the ICBAS Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. All the scientists help each other, openly talk about their research and plans, share their experiences, and talk about the problems they face in the course of their work.
Yevheniia DUDNIK spent two weeks at the University of Porto. The researcher helped students from Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Spain with their master’s thesis or dissertation assignments. The graduate student had worked in the laboratory for 5 years, so she had the knowledge and experience that interested international partners.
Yevheniia DUDNYK shares her impressions that samples for the study were taken from animals from zoos, and even ticks were used, for example, which were specially sent by mail from Spain.
She also emphasizes extracurricular activities. In the evening, students from different countries would get together to get to know each other, share knowledge, and immerse themselves in the Portuguese culture.
The researcher also emphasizes the challenges she faced when filling out the application for the project. Before starting work at the University of Porto, the researchers had to outline clear plans and topics to be implemented during the internship, depending on which they were assigned to departments and laboratories, as well as selected a supervisor.
Upon returning to Ukraine, Yevheniia DUDNYK defended her dissertation using her international internship experience.Portugal
