UAVR exchange to CSIC II

The exchanges from UAVR to our Advanced partner CSIC continue! A second week (see the previous post for the first) happened from the 15^th to the 19^th of July 2024, dedicated to the work with the seabass. Joana Pereira (EPIBOOST UAVR coordinator) and the early-career researchers João Raio (MSc student) and Fátima Brandão (PhD students) were at ICM-CSIC for a week of hard work, a lot of learning and networking.

The UAVR researchers were welcomed at ICM-CSIC by Mercedes Blázquez, Paula Medina, Nerea Sanchís and Noelia Díaz; then, also by our IDAEA-CISC partners Laia Navarro-Martin, Janan Gawra and Juliette Bedrossiantz. They were integrated in this large team of researchers involved in the EPIBOOST work with the seabass as this was the week of the sampling after long-term exposure of the juvenile fish to cadmium and ciprofloxacin. As we are working with fish following the best ethical standards, the 3R principles were applied to the experimental and the sampling plan, and with a single exposure, we will be able to analyze a very large set of molecular and phenotypic endpoints. The sampling and sample processing was thus heavy, at least from 9:00 a.m. to 20:00 p.m for three days, collecting different tissues for epigenomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics; oxidative stress and damage; genotoxicity (erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities assay and Comet assay) and behaviour, where blood samples and the fish were immediately used after exposure for assessment.

A great arena for exchange was in place. UAVR researchers were able to learn a lot on the operation of the ICM-CSIC fish facility, observing the implementation of experiments and sampling with fish following the best ethical standards and practices. They had also the opportunity to interact directly with many researchers involved in particular aspects of the research planned with the seabass in EPIBOOST. Last, but not the least, UAVR researchers transferred to CSIC researchers the know-how for the implementation of genotoxicity assessment using the Comet assay.

A huge thank you is due to the CSIC team for the warm integration in the group, for all the support in the lab, for all the knowledge shared and, of course, for the high spirits always in place that greatly assist the success of the work!