After spending ten wonderful weeks in the Czech Republic, I returned with a host of new knowledge about research techniques, as well as a new appreciation for the enjoyable Czech people, the beautiful Czech countryside, and the unbeatable Czech beer (pivo).

For most of my trip I lived in a small town called Nove Mesto nad Metuji in northeastern Bohemia near the Polish border. I worked in a lab in an even smaller town called Novy Hradek with my faculty sponsor, Dr. Hana Kozakova, at the Institute of Microbiology, Department of Immunology and Gnotobiology.

Dr. Kozakova studies the effect of probiotic bacteria on the development of colitis in germ-free and conventional mice. She has found that certain strains of bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium bifidum, have a protective effect which prevents the development of colitis. In Tucson, in the lab of Dr. Bohuslav Dvorak, we study necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which is a serious and often fatal disease that primarily affects premature babies. The research conducted in both the Czech and American labs concerns GI diseases and the inflammation of the small and large intestines. We do not deal with the gut microflora at all in Tucson, so this was an opportunity for me to view inflammatory GI diseases in a whole new way.

I performed RNA extractions on samples from Dr. Kozakova’s experiments with various probiotic strains. After returning to Tucson, I amplified the isolated RNA to cDNA, which I will use to perform real-time PCR to analyze cytokine levels. I also learned how to perform ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and I was also able to attend a scientific conference on mucosal immunity in the south of the Czech Republic.

The cultural aspect of my trip was phenomenal as well. I enjoyed many outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and swimming, and I met so many wonderful people. I had the opportunity to teach English in a Czech classroom, and I was there when the Czech people voted an overwhelming “yes” to join the European Union. I also enjoyed the Czech cuisine; although I think I have eaten more potatoes in one summer than most people eat in their lifetime!

My trip to the Czech Republic is something I will never forget, and I encourage other UBRP students to take advantage of this wonderful BRAVO! program. I would like to say a big thank you (or “Dekuji” in Czech) to my two faculty sponsors, Dr. Kozakova and Dr. Dvorak, and of course to Carol Bender who made this all possible
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Sarah Doelle, UBRPer in Dr. Bohuslav Dvorak’s lab, Pediatrics