Mariana Ulinici: "Through my achievements I want to contribute to the development of science in the Republic of Moldova"

Mariana Ulinici works as an assistant professor at the Microbiology Discipline, Preventive Medicine Department of Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy. She is a PhD student at the Doctoral School in Health Sciences, a winner of Arturo Falaschi doctoral scholarship at the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) from Trieste (Italy), and a holder of the Excellence Scholarship of the Government of the Republic of Moldova for 2022. She is the first doctoral student of the University and, so far, the only Moldovan citizen who obtained a research scholarship at ICGEB. The researcher carried out a substantial volume of research for five months in the center's laboratories. Recently, she returned and shared with us her unique experience in Italy.

- Dear Mrs. Ulinici, how did you manage to carry out scientific research in one of the ICGEB laboratories?

- With the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Alessandro Marcello, leader of a group of researchers at the Molecular Virology Laboratory of the ICGEB in Trieste, for the first time, managed to sequence the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the north of Italy. Professor Marcello was invited to our university as a lecturer at a workshop where he presented the current research activities of ICGEB in the context of pandemic, but also the expertise and tools developed by the center's laboratories accessible to researchers from the Republic of Moldova as well. A possible collaboration with the Italian scientist seemed tempting to me. In June 2020, the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italy) launched a call for research project proposals. Respectively, the Research Department of Nicolae Testemitanu University formed a team that developed, in partnership with ICGEB, a project proposal aimed at improving the surveillance capacity to address COVID-19 and, later, other viruses. In December 2020, I received a reply that the project had been approved.

That same summer I had the idea to apply for a doctoral research fellowship. ICGEB scholarship calls usually appear in September and March. Given that at that time the university project concerning COVID-19 had been already submitted to the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and at national level there was a protocol envisaging the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of serious patients, I thought that the future project should be strategic for the country and useful for the University. Thus, we developed a project to study the ability to neutralize convalescent plasma, because at that time there was not enough clarity as regards neutralizing antibodies in COVID-19. At the beginning of 2021, I learned that my project ranked among the top 10 submitted proposals and that I was offered an Arturo Falaschi research scholarship at the ICGEB Molecular Virology Laboratory.

– How did you receive the news and what were the first steps?

- Of course, at first I was a little confused, because I was going to be thousands of miles away from home, leaving a kindergarten child, who had to start school shortly. It was a period with many tasks. However, I was very determined to focus my efforts and strategic knowledge on the fight against the pandemic.

With the initiation of the vaccination process in the Republic of Moldova, we decided to extend this project to a doctoral one, in which we introduced several objectives aimed at SARS-CoV-2, including studies on vaccinated people. And from here we initiated the procedure of including subjects in research, signing the information agreement, obtaining the permit to export biological samples and sending the samples to Trieste, i.e. planning all activities scheduled to begin in June 2021. Within two months, we managed to obtain 300 biological samples, to collect and preserve them.

- How did you manage to collect the research material?

- Obviously, I was lucky to have professional mentors, especially Professor Mihail Todiras, who has a thorough knowledge of research. He guided me perfectly, working side by side with me to identify the research subjects. Together we knocked on many doors, some opened, others not. Teamwork has helped us successfully achieve our goals. Professor Marcello was also very receptive, explaining certain things that were less familiar to me at the time.

 - Once you arrived in Italy, in a new environment, with different people, how did you manage to adjust?

- It was a rather complicated adjustment period, but an optimistic attitude helped me maintain my great goal for which I had come.

In the first two weeks, I got to know the staff of the Laboratory and the Center - exceptional people, who helped me to integrate myself more easily into a new team. However, being in a foreign country, I faced various situations such as: renting an apartment, using a bank card issued by the Republic of Moldova, and others… I was constantly under pressure, but that was just the beginning of my adventure (laughs).

- What do you mean when you say 'adventure'?

- In the laboratory, I started to learn new research techniques, to develop my own diagnostic methods that I was going to implement in my research. I had a difficult time with my experiments, which didn't work out. The end of August was nearing, I had to return home, but the results were inconclusive.

- What motivated you to continue research, despite the fact that you failed to get the expected results?

- Life only makes sense when you are fighting, respectively, both victory and defeat depend on us, we just have to choose… To continue my research in the laboratory, I needed certain consumables. Knowing Professor Miroslav Petrovec, the director of the Slovenian Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, I asked him if he could help me with certain supplies and reagents needed for my experiments. He was very receptive. Given that the institution he runs has a diagnostic profile, he managed to get these consumables much easier.

I have to admit that after the first three months at ICGEB, my mentor had some doubts about getting results during a short period. But it was this fact that made me want to work even harder to see the expected outcome.

- In this project, what is new for the Moldovan health system, in your opinion?

 -The fact that I learned how to produce a chimeric virus that can be later used in laboratory experiments. This is a great achievement for a young researcher. We developed and tested two protocols at the same time to study the protective immune response. Of course, I had to work ten times more than before, but my goal was to learn another method, to develop a new diagnostic protocol and by this to contribute to strengthening the field of research and innovation in the Republic of Moldova. This study will contribute to strengthening the diagnostic capabilities of infectious diseases in crises, as well as to solving the methodological problems that appear in clinical testing laboratories. In these two months, I reached my goal - to test all the samples according to the new methods developed at ICGEB. I was already independent, knowing four new methods of diagnosis and getting results, which, according to colleagues in Trieste, some people manage to obtain in five years, while I got them in two months.

At the end of my internship, my mentor told me that if I opened a laboratory in Chisinau, he would come to work with me… this is probably the greatest appreciation a young researcher can get.

- What is your general impression of these five months spent in Italy?

- Conducting research in an international laboratory that has a well-equipped technical-material base, financial resources and qualified personnel is also one of the objectives of the Strategy for Strengthening the Field of Research and Innovation at Nicolae Testemitanu University. The experience acquired at ICGEB offered me opportunities to learn new research methods, which I could also implement in the Republic of Moldova, and improve my practical skills. Moreover, due to this research grant, the University's collaboration with external experts has been extended, especially since we want to establish a Microbiology Laboratory, which will cover all fields of medical microbiology, at the National Institute for Health and Medical Research

- Do you want to continue working with ICGEB?

- Of course, I want to continue working with ICGEB because I wish to learn even more from what this center can offer. Developing a sustainable partnership with this institution would allow us to expand our research areas at the University so that we can produce quality results with international impact.

It is also a continuation of the aspirations of academician Stanislav Groppa as regards the University’s research prospects and I am glad to be part of his team and to contribute to the strengthening of the research field at Nicolae Testemitanu University. The project we started has a great purpose, and we have achieved remarkable results due to the knowledge gained at the University. I grew up as a specialist in this institution and I am proud to represent it abroad.

- Do you consider the doctoral research you are working on to be an innovation for higher medical education in the Republic of Moldova?

- I want to contribute to the improvement and diversification of residency programs and those of continuing medical education in the Microbiology specialty, in particular in the molecular virology area. This will also increase the capacity and quality of services provided in programs for the prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and control of infectious diseases in our country, as well as the creation of premises for authorities to make evidence-based decisions in this field. Through all my achievements, I want to contribute to the development of science in the Republic of Moldova.

- Thank you for the interview and we wish you continued success in your research.