The second workshop of the HeatDDR Consortium, entitled “Plant DNA Damage Response: Basic Knowledge and Imaging Techniques”, took place in Olomouc (Czech Republic) from January 26th to 30th. It was hosted by the Centre of Plant Structural and Functional Genomics (CPSFG) at the Institute of Experimental Botany.
The event combined lectures and extensive practical training, providing doctoral researchers with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience on advanced experimental techniques. The workshop opened with introductory lectures covering plant DNA damage responses, fluorescence microscopy, protein recruitment to DNA damage sites, flow cytometry, and robotic approaches for seed analysis.
A major part of the week was dedicated to practical training, during which participants worked in small groups on techniques such as comet assays, laser-induced DNA damage, flow cytometry, H2A.X immunostaining, and live-cell imaging. These sessions were supervised by experts (invited or from the consortium) and allowed fruitful discussions on experimental design and data interpretation. On the last day, the doctoral researchers presented and discussed the results obtained during the practical sessions.
The workshop also fostered informal exchanges and networking. The doctoral students had the chance to spend time together outside the lab. They shared meals and participated in various activities (team building, bowling, sightseeing). This favoured the development of professional relationships and a sense of community among the doctoral students, strengthening their collaboration.
Overall, this event successfully combined theoretical insight with hands-on experience, significantly contributing to the training of the HeatDDR doctoral researchers and strengthening collaboration within the consortium.
See also:
Institute of Experimental Botany’s Linkedin Post
Tereza Dobisová’s Linkedin Post