My four weeks at BRT have been exactly what I needed at this point in my PhD. I mostly worked with Asst. Prof. Dr. Viktoriia Chubur on irrigation optimization for plant biotesting. The main research acivities involved testing three irrigation methods on mustard and maize plants in different soil types. It sounds simple, but there's a reason we have standards like ISO and OECD. Every detail matters when you need reproducible results. We had to determine water holding capacity, monitor soil moisture carefully, record germination rates – the kind of meticulous work that doesn't always feel glamorous but is essential.

 

Working in the lab with Dr. Chubur was straightforward and practical. She showed me how to set up the experiments properly, what data actually matters, and how to troubleshoot when things don't go as planned. That kind of hands-on experience is hard to get in a lecture, and I'm grateful for it.

 

I also realized how much my microbiology background complements this kind of work. The biopreparations I'm developing need to be tested in these standardized systems eventually, so understanding the plant side better makes my PhD work more grounded. I also got a chance to work on summarizing ISO and OECD standards and turning them into protocols with was interesting as I feel like I still need to practice that skills.

 

Beyond the lab, I got to explore Prague, which was nice. I also got a sense of how BRT functions as a team – people from different countries, different disciplines, all working toward sustainability. That perspective is valuable when you spend most of your time in your own PhD bubble.

 

I'm thankful to Asst. Prof. Dr. Viktoriia Chubur for supervision, to Assoc.Prof. Dr. Hynek Roubík for welcoming me into the division, and to the BRT team for making the month productive and pleasant. The experience has given me practical skills and a better understanding of how standardized plant testing actually works. I would also like to thank Dr. Sandipan Banerjee, who specializes in microbiology and gave me great advice related to my (hopefully) oncoming project.

 

I'm heading back to my PhD with new tools and a clearer picture of what experimental work and different approach to team work and management look like which is what I came for.