Chinedu Onwuchekwa
Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria
chinedukwa@yahoo.com

https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.100.17

16–17 June, 2015,

King’s College, London, UK

As l saw the notice about King’s College, London’s qPCR workshop in The Physiological Society’s Newsletter in my email inbox, l told myself that this was what l needed for the next level in new laboratory research technique. The number of universities in my country with this type of capability is very limited, if not absent in terms of equipment and personnel. I applied and also asked my PhD supervisor, Dr Francis S. Oluwole, for a letter of support, which he kindly obliged to provide without hesitation. I was given a place for the workshop, and also a travel grant that l applied for was approved. After this, l headed to King’s College London in the UK from Sokoto, Nigeria for the workshop. At the workshop, there were twenty other participants, of which there were three other Nigerians!

During the two days, Dr David Sugden and Dr Patricia de Winter co-chaired the workshop, with Dr Patricia Leoni and Caroline Pellet-Many providing excellent assistance. PCR and qPCR were exposited with the aid of multi-media. After this we were divided into groups of three for the practical work and the participants instructed to do-it-yourself. At the end of the workshop, the resource persons analysed the results from all the groups and scored the groups high in their performances.

I cannot thank The Physiological Society enough for the wonderful opportunity given to me to gain an invaluable qPCR experience.