From 15th to 19th of March we had a chance to participate in the first Science and Technology (S&T) course, organized by Norwegian Institute for Air Research – NILU. Planned as a stationary workshop, due to the pandemic reality, the course on the comet assay was conducted online, which – however made networking and simple human interaction a bit more difficult – enabled easier access to the workshop.
The comet assay course started with a theoretical introduction, presenting the development of the comet assay, the principle of the method, the applications and the available modifications. The emphasis was put on the high throughput comet assay, allowing to perform multiple samples with one run.
The agenda of the second day focused on the practical aspects of the test, using the video learning, which was a creative alternative to the on-site workshop. The detailed videos showed the experiment step by step, allowing the participants to follow the procedure. The videos were commented by experienced hosts from NILU, sharing many tips and tricks.
The third and the fourth day gave us an opportunity to perform the experiment in our own labs. Equipped earlier in the standard operation procedure, we were able to prepare and run all steps in hands on exercise, connecting for a while all TWINALT partners in a shared experience.
The last day included an open discussion, the exchange of comments and a short summary of the course in the form of a quiz, which provided a bit of competition and a lot of fun. It can be said that the first S&T course was an ice breaker for the whole project. Despite the distance caused by the pandemic, we were able to say hello to each other, share some experience and develop our skills. It was a fruitful event.
