Students and high-school teachers from Greece, Italy, and Bulgaria visited the scientific complex of CPSBB

Over 30 students from Greece, Italy, and Bulgaria visited the scientific complex of CPSBB. They were welcomed by the researchers Dr. Nikola Staykov, PhD student Michael Wittenberg, and young researchers Yanitsa Ilieva, Sintia Yaneva, and Valeria Toneva.

Prof. Vesela Kazashka, Administrative Director of CPSBB, welcomed the guests and introduced them to the opportunities the Center offers for education and career development, including the accreditation of CPSBB for doctoral studies in the field of Biotechnologies.

Dr. Nikola Staykov presented some of the research projects carried out at CPSBB, where CPSBB’s scientific teams conduct both fundamental and applied research experiments and studies, independently and in collaboration with established researchers from around the world. Some of these projects include NatGenCrop, CropPrime, BOOSTER, BioCrops, SOLGENSYS, FRUITFUL, HealthyDiets4Africa, BELIS, CAFTA, PAGAS, and others.

 Dr. Staykov also guided the students on a tour of the scientific complex, introducing them to some of the Center’s laboratories and equipment.

Valeria Toneva and PhD student Michael Wittenberg presented two of the high-tech mass spectrometers for analyses of plant samples at CPSBB. The students were also introduced to some basic laboratory safety and work procedures, as well as ongoing experiments involving berry crops in the Center’s greenhouse complex.

Visits to scientific centers such as CPSBB provide young participants with the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of real scientific work and processes which could potentially inspire them to pursue future careers in science. At the same time, for researchers and PhD students, such initiatives offer a chance to share their experience, develop skills in communicating scientific ideas, and build networks of potential future colleagues, fostering a culture of collaboration and international knowledge exchange — one of the core missions upon which CPSBB was founded in 2015 in Bulgaria.