Recently, PETNET Quality Control and Production Chemists Rajeev Sheth and Laura Galbraith spent three weeks in nuclear medicine production facilities in Nottingham and Vienna. The trip provided an invaluable opportunity for both Laura and Rajeev to learn firsthand the FDG production and distribution process from highly skilled and experienced nuclear medicine colleagues from two very different production sites.
Laura and Rajeev spent their first week at a sister PETNET Solutions facility in Nottingham. According to Laura, the experience was invaluable as it allowed them the opportunity to observe the daily operations of a fully operational PETNET facility and to see the state-of-the-art Eclipse cyclotrons in action.
“The facility and team at Nottingham were a real eye opener as they provided the perfect learning environment to see all the procedures and methods I’ve been studying for the past 5 months come into fruition,” says Laura.
Their next stop, Vienna, Austria involved working at the Vienna General Hospital with good friend and former PETNET colleague Andreas Krcal.
Rajeev and Laura spent their time working in the hospital’s nuclear medicine facility where they were allowed to get significant hands-on experience in the laboratory including firsthand practice of the quality control process of a batch of FDG as well as handling activity. At the end of their two weeks in Vienna, they were able to perform their first QC analysis of a batch of FDG that would later be injected into a patient.
“The trip was very rewarding,” says Rajeev. “Apart from learning we had lots of different ideas to share with staff in Nottingham and Vienna particularly in terms of making the procedures and working standards more cGMP compliant and streamlined within PETNET facilities”.
Importantly, during their time away both Laura and Rajeev made great friendships and found everyone “very helpful and great people to work with.”
“Overall, it was gratifying experience. The chance to work with fellow scientists sharing the same interests on the other side of the world was an enjoyable realization to be grateful for,” says Laura.
Both can’t wait for the PETNET Sydney facility to open so that they can implement their new found experiences and skills.