Dobry Den! I am back in the land of cactus and heat, after spending 11 wonderful weeks in the land of green and random rain showers, the Czech Republic! I got a taste of the culture, work, language, food, tourist sites, and everything in between!

My work at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Microbiology, Division of Immunology and Gnotobiology, Prague and Novy Hradek was twofold. I performed experiments on a relatively new immunomodulator called Mercene, which has the capability of increasing white blood cells in the thymus gland and the spleen. A nun doing experiments with clams discovered Mercene accidentally. This animal extract was tested in various concentrations, to study the effect on thymocytes and spleenocytes.

Since the facilities in Novy Hradek (where I did most of my work) were not adequately equipped, I got the chance to travel to the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague to perform different tests and to use the high tech machines I needed. The new environ-ment was a nice change, and I got the chance to do flocytometry, test for nitrogen oxide release, and examine different effects of Mercene. Of course, this gave me the chance to visit historical Prague and absorb the beautiful sites. I was never bored, walked everywhere, and saw everything from the famous St. Vitus Cathedral to a wonderful performance by the Prague Ballet.

The second project I worked on was Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC). NEC is a very severe gastrointestinal disease that afflicts many premature human babies every year. This project was very near to my heart, because it was very similar to the work I do with my UA faculty sponsor, Dr. Bohuslav Dvorak, Pediatrics. It was my first time working with pigs, and I have to say that being around those little piglets was such an amazing, yet depressing experience. I loved seeing their reactions when I came in to socialize or to bottle feed them. It was like I became their mother, and it was fun to hold them and have them squeal in my ear. At the same time, it was difficult not to get too attached and to remember that they were "research vessels." Even though I also find the rats I work with in Tucson cute, there is something different about working with a creature that is higher on the animal hierarchy and is one step closer to humans.

Our objective was to induce the disease in a very unconventional model, to study the differences and to see the effects. It was nice to participate in research that I already knew a lot about and felt comfortable with. I found myself in more of a teaching role as I explained the best technique for stressing the animals and what tissues were most valuable for harvesting.

My cultural experience in the Czech Republic was positive. My host family was overly accommodating, and I saw nine castles in 11 weeks! The school children on my bus to work were a little shocked by my presence, and I had an empty seat next to me for many weeks, even though the bus was packed. I wanted to jump for joy when one of the girls made an effort to talk to me toward the end of my stay. The food provided me with another adventure. If you go to the Czech Republic, either quit being a vegetarian or learn to love potatoes! My host family made a special "soy meat" shopping trip, so I would not become completely anemic! I adjusted and found some new favorite foods, but I was happy to come home to some guacamole and spicy food.

I would like to extend a big Dekji mockrat to my Czech mentors, Dr. Kozakova, and Dr. Mares and also to Dr. Dvorak and Carol Bender for organizing this amazing research experience for me.

Miriam Ruth, UBRPer in Dr. Bohuslav Dvorak's lab, Pediatrics