CSIC and UGent visit UAVR
As planned in EPIBOOST workpackages 2 and 4, CSIC and UGent already started the visits to UAVR for hands-on training in different project tasks.
During November 2023, the CSIC researcher Dr. Janan Gawra was at UAVR for a medium-term visit. As initially planned, the specific objective of this visit was to exchange experience on zebrafish testing and phenotypic endpoints assessment. Dr Gawra was included in the daily routines of the zebrafish facilities and then he was actively involved in Cd testing from the planning of the experimental design to organizing lab material, setting up the tests and monitoring endpoints, including swimming behaviour and sampling larvae at the end of the test, as well as biochemical endpoints.
Jolien Depecker, a highly qualified research technician at UGent was at UAVR for a short-term visit (1 week) during February 2024. For two days, she was dedicated to revising and optimizing nucleic acids extraction from copepods. This need arose after many attempts made by UAVR researchers, guided by UGent, to reach quality standards required by downstream NGS sequencing. Under the supervision and practical guidance by Ms. Depecker, the UAVR team dedicated to copepods was able to confirm protocol caveats that may constrain the quality of extractions, refining some protocol steps as necessary for downstream applications. As an addition to this focus, the copepods culture performance was evaluated.
Also in February, Dr. Ilias Semmouri and Jolien Depecker from UGent visited UAVR and trained UAVR researchers and Dr. Janan Gawra (CSIC) on Nanopore methylation sequencing. After a presentation regarding the technology, including theoretical and practical aspects of the technology, library preparation and sequencing runs were carried out. Aspects such as the correct use of kits and reagents, pipetting techniques to avoid malfunctioning of the flow cells, efficient washing of the flow cells for reuse, library dilution for optimal coverage, primary troubleshooting of sequencing efficiency, were addressed while practicing. Data retrieving and main steps of preliminary treatment, as well as the main possibilities of the ONT software for DNA methylation analysis were demonstrated.
Next exchanges will be from UAVR researchers to UGent and CSIC. Keep tuned to follow it!
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