I attended a two-month secondment in the Genetic Lab (GL) in Bucharest, from December 1st 2023 till January 31st 2024. During that time, I received practical training in the fiend of diagnostics. Personally, it has been both a unique and fascinating experience. Having acquired my undergraduate and graduate degrees in the University of Crete, it has been my first-time conducting experiments in a laboratory abroad. Moreover, having an academic background focused in basic research I had no previous experience in the field of diagnostics. Apart from that, spending a two-month period in Romania allowed me to interact with the local people, learn about their culture and civilization and made me feel like home in this fellow Balkan country. Coming to the Genetic Lab I was welcomed by the fellow Genetic lab members and dr Lorand Savu gave me and an extensive tour of the facility giving details about the techniques and equipment they use. Apart from that, he presented me the main principles of diagnostics, as well as, shared his knowledge about local market in diagnostic tests, such as paternity tests, HPV, HLA and next generation sequencing tests. Initially, I received practical training in the Genetic Lab on the laboratory principles of a diagnostic lab, introducing me to human sample handling and ISO laboratory standards. Next, I attended extensive training on DNA extraction and next generation sequencing of DNA from fetal circulating cells in mother peripheral blood. This was a unique experience for me as it gave me the chance to combine my previous academic knowledge with diagnostic. Moreover, I am grateful to genetic lab members Anca Munteanu, dr Florentin Nitu and dr Consuel Ionica who were more than helpful to guide me through diagnostic laboratory protocols such as RNA and DNA extraction, real time PCR using taqman probes and SNP identification using PCR. I m also grateful to dr Consuel Ionica who happily guided me through data analysis and sample quality control. Practical training in the genetic lab (GL) was carefully designated to let me acquire working experience and familiarise with molecular methods for diagnostic purposes (WP5).
In the next part of my secondment, standard operating procedures were analysed such as RNA extraction methods and RNA quality assessment using different storing temperatures. Protocols already used in the UOC in Crete were compared to the ones used in GL leading to key improvements using inter-laboratory comparisons of pre-analytical procedures (WP4).
Overall, my secondment in the Genetic Lab led to productive conversations enlightening me both scientifically and professionally to the working environment of the private sector that I had no previous knowledge of.
Dr Maria Daskalaki, University of Crete
