Genomics and Clinical Microbiology

24-29 January 2010
Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge
Deadline for applications: 23 October 2009

Course summary
The overall aim of this course is to provide practical, laboratory-based training for clinical scientists, specialist registrars and consultants in medical microbiology (including joint medical microbiology and infectious diseases) in the application of current genetic techniques to the general medical microbiology laboratory.

The course will be planned around a theme of using genetic techniques to identify the source of an outbreak. Bacteriology (rather than virology) will be the focus. The course programme will consist of hands-on laboratory training complemented by lectures and guest-speaker seminars.

PLEASE NOTE: bursaries are available for clinical and academic applicants from anywhere in the world to attend this course, see below for details. This includes bursaries for UK registrars. In addition, CPD accreditation (41 credits) was approved by the Royal College of Pathologists in 2009. A similar application will be submitted for the 2010 course.

Programme
1. Isolate characterisation at the molecular level
(lead: Professor Martin Maiden
Sequence based methods/MLST
Databases and data analysis.

2. VNTR
(lead: Dr Cath Arnold)
Choosing the correct method
Molecular techniques used, including VNTR analysis
SNPs
Real-time PCR
Data analysis/interpretation.

3. 16sRNA
(lead: Professor Stephen Gillespie)
Choosing the correct specimen
PCR and primers
Cloning
Assigning a species identification
Interpretation of the result to the clinician.

4. Real-time PCR
Sample extraction
Molecular techniques used
Real-time PCR platform choice
Multiplex assay development
Data analysis/interpretation

5. Bioinformatics
Sequence search and comparison programs
Interpretation of results.
Areas/issues that will be addressed in practicals, demonstrations or lectures:

specimen collection and contamination problems
technique discrimination - demonstrate how to choose the appropriate technique
case studies demonstrating the benefits of 'genetics' over 'culture'.

Course instructors
Professor Martin Maiden (University of Oxford)
Professor Stephen Gillespie (University College London)
Dr Cath Arnold (Health Protection Agency)
Invited speakers 2009 (2010 speakers TBC shortly)
Professor Julian Parkhill (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK)
Dr Xavier Nassif (Unité de Pathogénie des Infections Systématiques, France)
Dr Helen Lee (University of Cambridge, UK)
Dr Ulrich Vogel (Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Germany)
Professor Mark Achtman (University College Cork, Ireland)
CPD Accreditation
CPD accreditation (41 credits) was approved by the Royal College of Pathologists in 2009. A similar application will be submitted for the 2010 course.

Cost
The course is subsidised by the Wellcome Trust. This is a residential course, without exception, and there is a fee of £675 towards board and lodging for clinical and academic applicants. The fee for commercial (non-academic) applicants is £3050.

Bursaries
Bursaries are available for clinical and academic applicants (50 per cent of fee) and are subject to open competition.

Applications
Applicants must complete an application form containing a detailed outline of the relevance of the course to their clinical work. Please note that documentation supporting their application will be required from the applicant's supervisor/head of department

Bursaries for Wellcome Trust Advanced Courses
The Wellcome Trust subsidises all courses and workshops, so there are no tuition fees. The ‘course fee' for the UK courses (held at Hinxton) covers on-site accommodation and food for the duration of the course. Bursaries are available to assist with UK course fees, but not travel costs. We are committed to building scientific capacity in developing countries and are expanding the number of courses and workshops run outside of the UK (‘overseas' courses). There is no fee for these courses and bursaries are available for travel, sustenance and accommodation. Please see below for full details.

UK Courses (held at the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus in Hinxton)
A limited number of bursaries are available for each course. These are awarded by the selection committee according to merit. The bursary usually covers 50 per cent of the course fee, though in exceptional circumstances an application for the total course fee may be considered. Where there are many bursary applications, the selection committee may issue smaller amounts. We cannot assist with travel costs. All bursary requests to attend UK courses must be accompanied by a bursary application form. This must be completed and signed by your scientific sponsor (supervisor or head of department) and include justification for the bursary. Applicants will be notified of a bursary award along with their place on the course, usually within one month of the application deadline. We will reject incomplete applications. Both the application form and sponsor's letter must be received before the application deadline. The decision of the selection committee is final.

Overseas courses (held outside the UK)
A number of bursaries are available for each overseas course. These are awarded by the selection committee according to merit. There is no course fee.The bursary will cover travel, accommodation and sustenance. The maximum award for travel (in economy/second class) will be £750. All likely travel costs must be detailed in the overseas bursary application form, which must accompany all bursary requests for courses held outside of the UK. We will notify you of the chosen hotel and sustenance award if successful. The selection committee may judge that a partial award should be granted. We will reject incomplete applications. Both the application form and sponsor's letter must be received before the application deadline.