The summer internship of students from Ghana – Emmanuel Duah Osei and Anthony Amotoe-Bondzie is taking place in the laboratories of the AgroBioTech Research Centrum. Both students are studying a joint master’s degree program called: Sustainability in Agriculture, Food production and Food technology in the Danube Region (Danube AgriFood Master – DAFM). The Danube AgriFood Master (DAFM) is implemented within the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master project. DAFM is a two-year master’s program offered in English language.
The student completes the first year of study at CZU (Czech University of Life-Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic) or MATE (Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hungary) (first year universities) and the second
year at one of the five partner universities BOKU (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria), UNS (University of Novi Sad, Serbia), UNIZG (University of Zagreb, Croatia), SUA (Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovak Republic) and BUASVMT (Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I. of Romania”, Timisoara, Romania), (second year university). SUA Nitra managed to join the consortium as a full partner, which is a great benefit not only for the pedagogical field, but also for research. Emmanuel and Anthony are two of six students who will complete the second year of master’s studies at SUA Nitra in the academic year 2023/2024.
During the scientific internship, students become familiar with the operation of laboratories and are subsequently involved in the solution of individual research, scientific and project tasks. All acquired experience will guarantee them good applicability in practice.
As part of their practice, students participated in work in the Sensory Laboratory, where they prepared honey samples for evaluation of flavour profiles using an electronic tongue. Practically, they also participated in the preparation and the very process of the sensory analysis of selected coffee. In the Microbiology Laboratory, they tried the methods of cultivating microorganisms and prepared samples for analysis of the types of microorganisms using Mass Spectrometry. In the Laboratory for Biologically Valuable Substances Analysis, Anthony and Emmanuel were involved in the preparation of samples of dried wild edible mushrooms and determined the essential elements C, H, N, and S using the Elemental Analyzer. In the Laboratory of Cereal Technologies, they were helping with technological preparation of prototypes of gluten-free crackers and healthy cookies intended for sensory analysis for Summer University Students. In addition, they prepared an extract from chili, obtained information about the principle of microencapsulation, and subsequently participated in the very process of microencapsulation of biologically valuable substances from chili using the spray drying technique. They verified its effectiveness by analysing the total polyphenol content and calculating its retention. In the experimental brewery laboratory, students participated in the process of producing experimental beer and familiarized themselves with the entire production process. They were involved in everything from brewing to filling carbonated beverages into consumer packaging. They conducted beer analyses using a comprehensive analyzer to determine the content of extract, alcohol, colour, and turbidity of the samples.
Other interesting activities await them, as the internship lasts until the end of August.
