“During my secondment at the Medical School in Crete from 16 June 2024 until 17 July 2024, I had the great opportunity of working under the supervision of Professor Christos Tsatsanis. It was a period of intense scientific learning and a rich cultural experience that will be in my memory forever.
The sacrifice of the mice and the Seahorse experiment are probably the most prominent and difficult parts of my secondment, which I have worked on with my peer Isidoros. This was the first time in my life I had seen the sacrifice of the mice. It was a challenging moment but one that was required in order to have the biological samples we needed. We had carefully isolated macrophages from the peritoneum, maintaining the integrity and viability of the cells. This Seahorse experiment was really exciting in terms of being able to measure cellular metabolism through OCR and ECAR assessments. These measurements gave us valuable insights into the bioenergetics of cells under study and further revealed their metabolic states under different conditions.
Another critical component of our work was the cell culture with my peer, Maria. We worked together to create the best possible environment for the macrophages to grow and thrive. We added the right nutrients, monitored their health and growth, etc. She taught me how much precision and care cell culture techniques require—something quite central to very many biomedical research projects.
Except for these experiments, I was also lucky to be involved in working at the clinical laboratory together with my peer Elina, who measured the level of interleukin-6. IL-6 is one of the important cytokines controlling inflammation and immune responses. Thus, the level of this cytokine provided very important information about the inflammatory state of the samples we were studying. Its measurement required the high expertise and collaboration of my peer Elina to guarantee the accuracy and reliability of our measurements.
During secondment, Professor Tsatsanis proved to be a great mentor. His expertise in transcriptomics has guided us through the complex procedures and helped assure that the work we are doing meets high scientific standards. He further stressed the accuracy, reproducibility, and ethical considerations of research that I personally found very useful. This mentorship has been instrumental in my passing through the pitfalls of the experiments and created a learning environment.
Beyond the lab, my time in Crete was enriched by exploring the culture and social life of Heraklion. The city was a delightful mix of historical sites, traditional Greek cuisine, and warm hospitality. Visiting the ancient ruins of Knossos, enjoying local dishes like moussaka and souvlaki, and interacting with the friendly locals added a wonderful dimension to my secondment. These cultural experiences allowed me to appreciate the rich heritage and vibrant social life of Crete.
In the process, I learned that scientific research is teamwork. Isidoros, Maria, Elina, other peers, and myself all brought along different personalities, skills, and knowledge that made our experiments successful. Teamwork and learning experiences enhanced my understanding and skills, enriching the collaborative spirit necessary in scientific endeavors.
My secondment in Crete was, all in all, very enriching. It gave me a set of enriched technical skills in cell extraction, cultivation, metabolic analysis, and cytokine measurement. Most importantly, it increased my awareness of the complexity of mechanisms involved in the processes related to transcriptomics and cellular metabolism. The skills and knowledge I have learned from this phase will no doubt be helpful in my future research and serve as a solid ground for further studies in biomedical sciences. ”
Aleksa Petković, PhD student working at Clinical-Hospital Center “Dr Dragiša Mišović – Dedinje”
