Faculty of Biology student shares impressions of her internship in Oslo

Faculty of Biology student Galina Kuftina has been undertaking internship at the Natural History Museum of Oslo University in the framework of the “Biodiversity of the High North: DNA barcoding and phylogeography of Arctic insects – student training in molecular methods and analyses (DNARCT)” project supported by High North Program 2013–2018 pf the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU).

“I have never thought that I can get this extensive experience, knowledge and skills in such short period of time. In less than a week leading scientific associate of Oslo University, my internship curator Vladimir I. Gusarov has taught me insects’ DNA extraction, amplification of molecular markers that are of special interest in PCR reactions, clearing amplified products, results analysis, and overcoming problems, which often much more interesting than running standard procedures like preparing DNA for sequencing. When I was travelling to the place of my internship, I was thought that everything would be hard for me, but I am easily completing all the work on the preparatory phase. It is crucial to understand everything you do, the processes you start and the results you would like to achieve. I spend all my time at the laboratory, and this is wonderful! It is sometimes difficult to send me home. Interestingly, Norwegians’ working day ends at 3 p.m., they have slow paced, restful life and keep up-to-date with their work at the same time. As my scientific supervisors say, it is normal for developed countries, and rush work is only possible in developing nations that have problems with labour organization and financing. Our working day lasts for 8–9 hours, my curator did not succeed in making me work like Europeans.

I have fallen in love with Norway from the first sight! This my first trip abroad, and I believe, it is not the last one. In the course of this internship I have got acquainted to the interesting specialists in entomology and have learned how to use the modern genetic techniques. I did not have any days off; however, I walked around the city a couple times. My colleagues and I were walking through Karl Johans Street, where the Oslo Cathedral and the Storting building are located. We also visited Oslo City Hall, the Nobel Piece Center, Akershus Fortress and the Vigeland installation in Frogner Park. Akershus Fortress sticked in my memory because of its location near fiord and its historical value. Vigeland Sculpture Park was difficult for me to understand at first, but when I explored all 227 sculpture groups, I figured out the sculptor’s idea, which was to show the dynamism of “human conditions”. Most of the sculptures show people doing different things like running, fighting, dancing, hugging and so on. Every sculpture reproduces certain emotions and human relations with deep philosophical implication, which makes some statues hard for understanding, like a sculpture of an adult man fighting with a crowd of babies. At the highest point of the park lies the park’s most popular attraction, the Monolith (Monolitten). The sculpture is 14.12 m high and consists of 121 other statues. The sculptor’s idea was to show human desire to be closer to God.

I would like to thank my scientific supervisors Candidate of Biology E.V. Guskova and Doctor of Biology R.V. Yakovlev for giving me the unique opportunity to go abroad and my internship curator V.I. Gusarov for giving me the significant professional knowledge. I am glad that my trip did not become a financial burden for my university, as all of the costs (flight, accommodation, traveling allowance) were paid by Norwegian party. I am going to write my first article for the journal indexed in Web of Science with the help of the materials received in the course of my internship.

Moreover, I urge all students to take an active part in scientific work!” summarizes Galina.