Internship at University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna

On June 8, 2021 - June 17, 2021, PhD student at the Department of Reproduction with the Clinic of Farm Animals of the UPWr - DVM. Zuzanna Ligocka completed an internship at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. The internship was supervised by Prof. Sabine Schäfer-Somi, Dipl.ECAR and Prof. Christine Aurich, Dipl.ECAR. The aim of the mobility was to establish international cooperation, discuss the possibilities of joint research and prepare a research protocol which will be used for the doctorate. It was established that as part of this cooperation, part of the planned experiments included in the doctoral dissertation will be carried out at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna in October-November. As part of the established cooperation, joint publications and an international project will be prepared.


In addition, the doctoral student had the opportunity to participate in the analysis of clinical cases and assist in cesarean section or endoscopic ovariectomy. During the next planned visit, samples of semen previously frozen in Poland and transported to Vienna will be assessed. In order to familiarize with the research procedures, tests were performed on fresh semen samples obtained from a beagle male owned by the Department. The transfer of cholesterol from the sperm cell membrane was assessed by flow cytometry, and the degree of sperm capacitation was assessed by indirect immunofluorescence.


Cooperation with the University of Vienna also resulted in a litter of beagles, which were obtained after artificial insemination of the female with cooled semen of two males, owned by the Department of Reproduction in Wrocław. During the weekend there was also time to visit the old town and the Belweder Castle with its beautiful gardens.