Business trip report, Slovenia, Avramovic

I took part in three-month (March-May 2024) internship at the National Institute of Biology (NIB) in Ljubljana (Slovenia) titled "Detection of fish and amphibian species from still water and sediment samples using the eDNA approach" at theDepartment of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology (NIB), under the supervision of Dr. David Stanković. I engaged in comprehensive training focused on mastering the accuracy of eDNA sampling techniques and methodology for species detection. The internship involved sampling water and sediment from natural ponds and river arms, followed by extensive laboratory work. This included eDNA extraction, assessment of extract quality, PCR amplification, and preparation of sequencing libraries. I also participated in bioinformatics analysis to identify species from molecular data. Our preliminary results have been presented at the 5th Thematic Service Workshop on Biodiversity Observatory Automation hosted by LifeWatch Slovenia at NIB (26/04/2024). Additionally, I worked on the preparation of endemic fish tissues for whole genome sequencing. These activities were beneficial for my PhD studies and my future career. I gained many positive experiences from participating in this internship, thanks to the great colleagues at NIB. Lastly, I am deeply thankful to Erasmus+, the PPSŘ project, and the RVO ÚA laboratory for their financial support.