USask Toxicology students gain research experience abroad

For undergraduate and graduate students alike, studying abroad offers a chance to broaden their perspectives, open their horizons and connect with other academics they might never have met otherwise.

“I see study abroad as an important way to create globally minded leaders,” said Charlene Brown, Director of the International Student and Study Abroad Centre (ISSAC). “The world becomes a much smaller place when you go and spend time, make friends and explore a culture that is different than your own. Suddenly what happens on the other side of the world is relevant to you in a way that it wasn’t before, and to me that is a worthy and beautiful thing.”

For three USask Toxicology students, the Goethe Research Experience Program (GREP) provided an opportunity to experience a new country and culture, while gaining valuable research experience in a new lab environment.

The program offers scholarships for advanced undergraduate and master students of high academic standing to gain cutting-edge research experience at the Goethe University in Frankfurt in one of Goethe University’s multidisciplinary research profile areas. With research projects varying from natural and life science to social sciences and humanities, students from a wide range of disciplines can find their place in GREP.

The fellowship program offers accommodations, partial travel allowance, language courses, and more services to aid students in applying and taking part in the unique program.

Dr. Markus Brinkmann (PhD), Director of the Toxicology Centre and Associate Professor at the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS), is excited to see students taking part in the program.

“Witnessing our students’ professional and personal growth during their time at Goethe University strongly suggests that research stays abroad provide once-in-a-lifetime, transformational experiences that surpass any classroom instruction,” says Brinkmann. “[We are] deeply grateful for the exciting opportunities offered through GREP and hope to capitalize on the program in future years.”

Dr. Henner Hollert (PhD), spokesperson for the Sustainability & Biodiversity profile areas and professor for Ecotoxicology at Goethe University, is enthusiastic about the opportunities for exchange.

“The GREP exchange enables the fellows from USask to participate in current research topics in various Excellence Initiatives of Goethe University,” said Hollert. “Under the direct supervision of postdocs or doctoral students, they can work on current research projects and investigate a topic that supervisors in Canada and Germany have previously discussed. This gives them the opportunity to get a taste of current cutting-edge research, develop joint scientific publications and gain important experience for their future.”

Leland Bryshun, Juleanne Flores, and Alicia Lamb shared the highlights of their own GREP experiences. To learn more about GREP, visit the Goethe University website.  Interested in other study abroad opportunities? Visit ISSAC to learn more. 

How did you hear about the Goethe Research Experience Program? What compelled you to apply?

I originally heard about the Goethe Research Experience Program (GREP) from my master’s supervisor, Dr. Markus Brinkmann. He told me that there was an opportunity to broaden my lab toolset by traveling to Germany and working with his previous grad school supervisor, Dr. Henner Hollert (Ph.D). I have always wanted to travel to Europe but never had the time or money previously, so I jumped on the opportunity immediately.

What did your few days in Germany feel like? How long were you there? How did you adjust? Favourite part?

Originally, I had planned for a 4 month stay, but circumstances for my thesis changed, and I needed to cut my visit short by a month. This request was readily accommodated by the GREP team, which was much appreciated. My stay was planned from April 27^th to July 25^th, which was 89 days, an important detail, since if I had stayed 90 days or more, I would have required a student visa/residency permit. By being under the 90 day limit, I was able to enter the country without a visa. Finding accommodation was simple, as that task was taken on by the GREP team. They were able to find accommodation in Bad Vilbel, which is close to Frankfurt proper and has two railway stations for easy public transit access.  The travel cost subsidy made it economical to book transit across the Atlantic, which was much appreciated. Before I arrived in Frankfurt, I had shipped several samples that I had chemically extracted at the Toxicology Centre. These samples arrived in excellent condition and were handled with care. On arrival, I was extremely disoriented due to the 8-hour disparity between Canada and central Europe. When I landed in Frankfurt, it was 7AM in Germany, but 11PM in Canada, so I stayed up as long as I could, to reset my internal clock. After a day or two of extreme tiredness, I adjusted to the time difference.

My favourite part of Germany was learning about their culture and travelling to historic sites. I’m a history nerd, so travelling to an area with such a long historical record was amazing. In my opinion, nothing connects you to the past better than reaching out and touching stones that were worked into homes hundreds of years ago. This experience has encouraged me to repeat this experience by traveling to other countries with similarly rich histories.

How did your experience in this program contribute to your research project?

My research here at the USask Toxicology Centre focuses on detecting toxic chemicals given off by vehicle tires in different environmental contexts. My main focus is on 6PPD-Quinone, which is very toxic to select fish species in North American river systems. I am currently examining the potential for recycled tire products to leach off this toxic chemical into rainwater, which would lead to it entering our storm drain systems and thus our rivers. I am also looking into whether or not 6PPD-Quinone exists in our gravel roads, as this is a matrix that has not been examined at all for 6PPD-Quinone yet. I chemically extracted the gravel road samples and sent them ahead to Germany, to test the extracts for cancer causing chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Doing a simple exposure test of the extracts to rat liver cancer cells (cell line H4IIE), tells us whether the extracts contain so-called dioxin-like compounds, such as PAHs. The results told us a lot about the toxicity of our local gravel roads, which we will be looking at potentially publishing as a peer-reviewed short letter in a scientific journal within the next few months. Outside of this, learning cell culture will help me in any future endeavors in my field, as cell culture is extremely useful for rapid screening of toxic chemicals in various types of samples.

What would you say to a student interested in studying abroad or applying to the Goethe Research Experience Program?

I would absolutely recommend that people apply for the Goethe Research Experience Program, I was able to make a ton of friends, travel all over central Europe and build my skills as a toxicologist. The people there are extremely friendly and almost all of them speak excellent English, so communication is no issue. It was also extremely cheap, as they pay for your travel and accommodations during your stay. The GREP personnel I worked with were very helpful and didn't hesitate to drop everything and assist my fellow GREP students when they had issues. In just three short months, I broadened my research abilities, created lasting connections and experienced new opportunities that I wouldn't have had if I hadn't studied abroad through GREP.

How did you hear about the Goethe Research Experience Program? What compelled you to apply?

I first heard about the Goethe Research Experience Program (GREP) when a department-wide email was sent to us last fall in Toxicology Centre. Initially, I didn’t really think anything of it. It was just something that I thought I couldn’t do. I was just starting my master’s, and that alone was slightly terrifying, and the last thing on my mind was going abroad for a research exchange. Since I was still developing skills needed for my research project, my supervisor, Dr. Markus Hecker (Ph.D), brought up this opportunity and thought that it would be great if I can learn from experts in my chosen field (neurotoxicity) and do part of my research thesis there. Aside from my supervisor’s suggestion, I was compelled to apply because I’ve always wanted to study abroad and immerse myself in different cultural experiences. I’ve also heard from people in the past who have done an exchange in Germany that it’s something worthwhile doing.

What did your few days in Germany feel like? How long were you there? How did you adjust? Favourite part?

During my first few days in Germany, it was exciting and a bit of an adjustment.

I had signed up for the “buddy system” offered by Goethe University, and got paired with my German friend, who was previously an exchange student at USask in 2022. I was grateful to have that support, especially when I couldn’t understand much of the language when I arrived. I also had the support of other USask students who already arrived before me, and they helped me navigate the confusing transit system, showed me the best café and bakeries in town, and how to get to the Riedberg campus from our dorm.

Frankfurt is filled with lots of historic buildings, museums and traditional German architecture, and it was a refreshing change from what I was used to in Saskatoon. Our dorm that was provided by the program was in this charming town called “Bad Vilbel”, and I loved how everything was accessible by foot. I remember the first few days being very busy, exploring the city and meeting people in the lab. After the first week, it was quite easy to adjust, especially when I had a routine established and knew how to navigate on my own in the city. 

I was only in Frankfurt for two months, but they were filled with sight-seeing adventures and spending time with newfound friends when I wasn’t busy in the lab. One of the memorable parts during my stay would be the summer reception held by the GREP team, where we were presented with our fellowship certificates and had the opportunity to present a poster about our research to students and professors in various disciplines. I think that was an experience that helped me gain confidence about presenting my research and allowed me to meet different students within the program. Since Germany is very well connected and most places are reachable by train, it was easy to go on day trips during the weekend. One of my favorite travel adventures is when my friends and I went to Koblenz, where we attended a cruise along the Rhine River and saw the beautiful castles and landscape of the Rhine valley. In the summer, there are various events happening in and out of the city, so there’s always lots of things to do.

How did your experience in this program contribute to your research project?

My research is about developing a method to evaluate the neurotoxic effects of chemical pollutants in aquatic ecosystems. I’m doing this by using an important freshwater species in Canada, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), as the model organism. The aquatic ecosystem is always exposed to various chemicals, and so it is important to determine their impact in affected organisms. One of the ways that perturbations to neurological functions is assessed is through behaviour. In our department, there weren’t many established protocols or anyone that can teach me these types of techniques. During my research exchange, I was able to conduct experiments with zebrafish (Danio rerio) using different behavioural techniques. I tested an antimicrobial compound of concern, called benzalkonium chloride, which has seen increased use during the pandemic and has been detected in various environmental compartments. The data that I generated from the research exchange will be used to compare with my experiments with rainbow trout here in Saskatoon. Overall, I gained some invaluable experience during the research exchange and made strong connections with people that I collaborated with in the lab.

What would you say to a student interested in studying abroad or applying to the Goethe Research Experience Program?

I would say, go for it! It’s an amazing opportunity, and you can gain lots of research experience while travelling. I know that studying abroad can be daunting, especially if you’re not fluent with the language spoken there, but there’s lots of support that has been provided by the coordinators of the program from other fellow exchange students. Studying abroad has taught me many things, but mostly how to be more independent and be more open to experiencing new things. The research exchange also deepened my appreciation for the German culture. I highly recommend that you seize the opportunity, even if it feels a little bit scary at first.

How did you hear about the Goethe Research Experience Program? What compelled you to apply?

I heard about GREP from a Toxicology student meeting last September. Markus Brinkmann spoke about the program and as a member of the Toxicology Student Society, I was there to speak and act as support to any students that came. I decided to apply because I was at the perfect time in my bachelor’s for a research program; I had almost 2 years of lab experience, I was taking more advanced toxicology courses and could understand the theory behind it, and I was coming back to university in the fall for my last year, not heading into a master’s or into a career. I also have a quirk about me that I want to collect experiences, good or bad, and this felt like an opportunity for a good experience that was too rare to let pass me by.

What did your few days in Germany feel like? How long were you there? How did you adjust? Favourite part?

I spent 4 months in Frankfurt, Germany, at Goethe University. I found it easy to adjust because in Europe there are so many foreign students that they are very forgiving if you aren't proficient in the language, get lost in the city, and they are practiced in making people feel welcome. My favourite part about the trip was actually getting to see the hometown of one of my close friends, being able to meet her parents and to see and hear how she grew up. That experience really helped me feel settled, being able to share that part of yourself with friends is, I find, a huge way to be able to be open about the rest of your life and your time.

How did your experience in this program contribute to your research project?

My research project was about the effects of nonlethal concentrations of the transformation products of chemical warfare agents on the zebrafish model. In the lab, I had access to these chemicals from a lab in Finland that is doing similar research and synthesizes the chemicals. The lab environment is very different compared to the Toxicology Center here on campus. In the host lab at the Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, all of the master’s students shared an office, which really helped communication with each other and support between peers. We all went to lunch together every day, and it helped build a routine and build friendships. It reminded me of the daily card games in the Toxicology Center. While I was there, I got all the data I will be using for my B.Sc. Honours thesis.

What would you say to a student interested in studying abroad or applying to the Goethe Research Experience Program?

I would tell them to jump in. It's easy to put something off for a number of reasons, and it's also easy to find those reasons. The whole reason I got through the process was because I just kept going. I didn't go because I was the top performing, most confident student in the history of the Tox program. I went because I went to meetings and saw things that not many other people did, and I kept going even when it felt like I didn't deserve it. I think that's a huge thing that students struggle with, thinking that they aren't good enough to try for these amazing opportunities because they are intimidating, and to do them it feels like you have to be equally intimidating as a student or as a person, and it holds a lot of people back.