Khadija Apbayeva, a researcher at the Mycology Laboratory of the Institute of Botany PLE of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, took part in a scientific mission at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL, Zurich) within the framework of the international project "TreeFunAz."

 

During the mission, the planned work on mycological diagnostics and molecular-biological research was carried out as scheduled. In the course of the research, laboratory work was conducted on the isolation, culturing, identification, and characterization of phytopathogenic fungi.

 

Khadija Apbayeva independently refined morphological analyses using DNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis methods. She also became closely familiar with the working principles applied in a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory, gaining hands-on experience in the inoculation of plants in a climate chamber, their incubation under controlled conditions, as well as the observation, assessment, and recording of disease symptoms.

 

In addition, she successfully completed a statistics course titled "R: Basic Introduction" and obtained the corresponding certificate.

 

It should be noted that the knowledge and practical experience gained will make an important contribution to the development of mycological research at the Institute of Botany PLE and to the broader application of molecular methods.