From 23 March to 3 April, Sofya Naumova, a third-year student at Altai State University's Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, completed an internship at the Sirius University of Science and Technology. Her trip was supported by a travel grant from ASU.

The Introduction to Molecular Biotechnology program was open to undergraduate and graduate students from across Russia. It combined theoretical and practical elements. Sofya Naumova explained:

"The theoretical part featured lectures by leading experts in the field. The practical work was particularly engaging. We developed a biotechnological process to synthesise fluorouracil, a cytostatic agent used in chemotherapy to treat various cancers.

Cytostatics are substances that inhibit the division and spread of tumour cells. Traditional production relies on highly toxic reagents like fluorine, chlorine, and bromine, which poison the body during treatment.

Instead, the internship proposed using a recombinant Escherichia coli strain that produces an enzyme precursor to fluorouracil. This method avoids toxic substances and enhances safety.

In the laboratory, we assembled a recombinant plasmid encoding a fluorescent protein with a His-tag. The objectives included constructing the plasmid from a vector with a fluorescent protein gene (GFP, RFP, YFP, or CFP) and an integrated His-tag, transforming E. coli, selecting positive clones, and preparing cultures for subsequent protein expression."

During her internship, Sofya mastered techniques such as PCR, horizontal and vertical electrophoresis, and recombinant protein purification.

Upon completion of the program, she passed the final exam and interview, earning additional credits toward admission to Sirius's master's programme.

Sofya Naumova now balances her studies with a role as a laboratory research assistant at ASU's Prombiotech Engineering Center. She plans to apply her new skills in her professional career.