Secondment of Valentina Botero-Castaño from University of Antioquia (CO) to the University of Padova (IT) – June-July 2024

Valentina Botero-Castaño (UdeA) travelled to the group of Dr. Barbara Baldan (UniPadova) at the Botanical Garden of Padova where she spent two months. During this time she made anatomical sections of mature fruits of Gaiadendron punctatum and worked on ovule development in some gymnosperms. She used immunohistochemistry to locate auxins in Wollemia nobilis ovules, a hormone involved in meristematic activity, and also made RNA extractions from ovules and female strobili of Wollemia nobilis and Welwitschia mirabilis, and made anatomical sections of Wollemia nobilis ovules infiltrated in resin and paraffin.
Valentina will apply these immunohistochemical and RNA extraction techniques to Neotropical species of Loranthaceae, to follow the development of abnormal ovules of this family.
Additionally, during her internship Valentina presented the partial results of her Master degree’s thesis at “Riunione Annuale Gruppi di Lavoro SBI” in Verona (Italy) and “International Botanical Congress” in Madrid (Spain).
In addition to academic learning Valentina experienced an enriched cultural exchange.