UAVR exchange to UGENT

From the 3^rd to the 14^th of February 2025, the EPIBOOST early-career researchers Albano Pinto (PhD student) and Joana Santos, from CESAM-UAVR, and Rita Guimarães, from IBIMED-UAVR, visited UGent to receive hands-on training in the bioinformatic analysis of sequencing data, obtained from Chlorella vulgaris, Daphnia magna and Acartia tonsa within EPIBOOST project. The three UAVR researchers were welcomed by Jana Asselman (EPIBOOST scientific coordinator at UGent), who introduced the training rooms, the overall organization of the labs as well as the sequencing/bioinformatic facilities. Also, Joana Pereira (EPIBOOST scientific coordinator at UAVR) joined the team for a short stay (from the 4^th to the 7^th of February 2025) with the main objective of accompanying the initial training stage and coordinate with Jana Asselman the priorities concerning the analysis of the data and the specific focus of the training depending on the challenges arising from the datasets.

There was also time to meet fellow researchers and taste some Belgian flavours. The UAVR EPIBOOSTers were even graced by beautiful snowy views of the city!

A special acknowledgment to Jana Asselman for the availability throughout these two weeks and the suggestions on how to move forward with the analysis!