International Internship in India: New Opportunities for Young Scientists

In the spring semester, doctoral students of the Pharmacy program successfully completed an international scientific internship at the JSS College of Pharmacy, Ooty (India). The educational institution is a structural subdivision of the JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru.

During the internship, the participants got acquainted with the college infrastructure and research laboratories, visited interdisciplinary research centers, the Center for Quality Control of Medicines and the central library. Working meetings were held with the college administration, including the director of the JSS College of Pharmacy, Professor Danabal.
The scientific part of the program included conducting research on the topic of dissertations. Numerous laboratory studies, analysis and molecular modeling of the biological activity of the samples under study were carried out. The results of the experiments will be the basis for further scientific publications and research. The studies were carried out in compliance with international GLP standards and WHO recommendations.
Doctoral students mastered the principles of working with such devices as a high-performance thin-layer chromatography analyzer (HPTLC), an infrared spectrophotometer, a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, as well as modern analytical equipment for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of herbal raw materials. Particularly noteworthy is the training in the method of flash chromatography with gradient elution. The PhD students successfully mastered the full cycle of fractionation of plant extracts - from gradient adjustment to collection and concentration of individual fractions. Upon completion of the training, the participants received an official state certificate of the Republic of India, confirming their qualifications and practical knowledge of the flash chromatography method. The principles of molecular modeling were also studied using professional software: Schrödinger Maestro, LigPrep, Glide, MM-GBSA. The PhD students learned how to prepare protein structures, model interactions with active substances, conduct energy optimization and interpret the results at the level of intermolecular interactions.

A special event was the participation in the two-day national conference - “Two Days National Conference on ‘Current Perspectives of 4Rs in Alternatives to Animal Testing’”, organized by the Department of Pharmacology. The conference was attended by scientists, postdoctoral fellows and researchers from different parts of India and abroad. Participation in the conference allowed to exchange experiences, discuss modern approaches to replacing and reducing the use of laboratory animals in biomedical research.

In addition to scientific tasks, the internship participants took an active part in the cultural program. The SKMA delegation visited the famous Rose Garden in Ooty, where an annual rose exhibition is held, as well as the Botanical Garden Ooty, one of the oldest botanical institutions in India, with more than a thousand plant species. These visits allowed them to get to know the flora of the region and Indian nature better.
In addition, excursions were organized to the memorable sights of the city of Ootacamand, including architectural monuments, temples and colonial buildings preserved from the British period. These meetings with the cultural heritage of the region left vivid impressions and made the internship program truly rich and diverse.

A special event was the trip to the city of Mysore, where the main university, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSS AHER), is located. The participants got acquainted with its scientific capabilities, modern laboratories and educational system.

The international scientific internship has become an important milestone in our academic and professional trajectory. It is not only an invaluable experience of laboratory research on a high-tech base, but also new horizons of cooperation with colleagues from India. We thank the Academy management for the opportunity of the international internship, as well as the host party — Dr. Shanmugam Ramaswamy and the staff of the JSS College of Pharmacy for their support, mentoring and inspiration.