Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ATC3 (Advanced Training Course 3) was the first face-to-face training course for PRORISK students. It was organized by RECETOX – Masaryk University in Brno from November 8 to 12, 2021. After one year online, some of our Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) could finally meet in person.
ATC3 consisted of three scientific courses and long-awaited teambuilding activities. The hybrid format was available for 10 ESRs in Brno and 5 ESRs online.
The first day started with teambuilding games – an adapted version of ”DIXIT”, speed dating, and a juggling lesson under the guidance of lecturer Dagmar Heiland Trávníková.
In the afternoon, ATC3 continued with SC6 – Test systems, from in vitro to community tests lectured by Helena Guasch from CSIC-CEAB. The course included a walk to the river where the students could practise sampling and with analyses in RECETOX labs. Part of this practical course were also analyses in the RECETOX labs.
Tuesday belonged to SC7 – Introduction to modeling given online with Peter Fantke and Nicolo Aurisano from DTU, Martin Scheringer from MU, Knut Erik Tollefsen, Jannicke Moe and You Song from NIVA. In the afternoon, there was another interactive teambuilding game – Scavenger Hunt, organized around Brno monuments connected with historical events, stories and legends.
On Wednesday, the SC6 – Test systems, from in vitro to community tests continued, and ESRs were taken on the tour to the RECETOX labs and facilities. After the lunch, ATC3 continued with the online Master class on Environmental Risk Assessment of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals with Ricardo CARAPETO GARCÍA from Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios – AEMPS. During subsequent PRORISK progress meeting the ESRs presented their research and progress to the PRORISK network followed by discussion. In the evening, the ATC3 participants were out to sample the Czech cuisine.
Thursday program focused on biomarkers with online SC5 – Biomarkers and effect methods in (eco)toxicology lectured by Knut Erik Tollefsen and Jonny Beyer from NIVA. In the afternoon, courses were completed with Integrative Workshop Series (IWS) where the ESRs develops internal network (connections) with respect to the PRORISK case studies on pre-selected Ecosystem services.
On Friday, ESRs was finished by Environmental excursion to Lednice – Valtice Landscape – guided tour of Lednice castle and gardens, a visit to the winery, and a lecture on wine production.
Our ESR Chander Kant Negi spend his two months secondment at Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo in May and June 2023. He focused there on toxicogenomic assays. About his experiences, you can read in this report.
We wish you HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024! May it bring you health, love and ever more success in your life.
