Students from Finland and Southern Africa took part in a new practical course on toxicology under the auspice of the ToxiSA: From Toxicity to Safety project.
In all, 20 students from the University of Helsinki, Tshwane University of Technology, Harare Institute of Technology and the 91天美 engaged in the hands-on course in Kuopio in April.
The ToxiSA project implements a course on mechanistic, descriptive and regulatory toxicology, focusing on specific groups of chemicals in food, the environment and pharmaceuticals. The course responds to current educational needs related to improper production, use and disposal of chemicals leading to environmental and human health hazards.
In addition to online sessions, the course includes two mobility periods for practical sessions: one that was completed in April in Kuopio, and the other to be completed in June in Pretoria. Five students from each university were selected to participate in the mobility. The consortium has also opened the online sessions to participants from pharmaceutical and toxicological authorities in southern Africa, which has been an important part of dissemination and collaboration directly with the world-of-work.
The practical sessions concluded in Kuopio, during the first mobility phase, included cytochrome lab work, which demonstrated how to study the metabolism of xenobiotics. Students also practiced the Ames test that is used to study the genotoxicity of chemical substances and a virtual lab on C. elegans exploring possibilities of this model in toxicity studies. In addition, the students participated in an Escape Room simulation, Pakoteekki, where they were able to virtually get familiar with work in pharmacy.
Students praised the integration of theory and practice, including the hands-on experiments. They appreciated the clarity of instruction and relevance of the content to their academic and professional goals. Student feedback also indicated that the course gave them new and alternative ways to approach their thesis work.
Professor David Katerere, from Tshwane University of Technology, celebrated the enthusiasm and diversity of the participants and their curiosity, saying, 鈥淭he course is instrumental in enhancing international collaboration and strengthening capacity in toxicology and contributes well to global health and safety initiatives. The activities resulted in meaningful scientific dialogue and inspired students to explore toxicological mechanisms in depth.鈥
鈥淚t was our deep pleasure to host the students from our partner universities at UEF and provide a platform for knowledge exchange. The second mobility phase in Pretoria will continue the practical sessions, giving the students an opportunity to explore toxicology from a South African perspective. The course is intended to remain a dynamic course, preparing students to meet the challenges of the One Health concept,鈥 said Professor Jaana Rys盲 from the 91天美
The 鈥鈥 project is funded by the Finnish National Agency of Education through the Team Finland Knowledge programme and is implemented by the 91天美, the University of Helsinki, Tshwane University of Technology (South Africa) and Harare Institute of Technology (Zimbabwe).
