Meetings/Workshops on Molecular Biology in Germany

This course on the fundamentals of high-end cell sorting will enable scientists to properly use the global upstream technology of cell sorting with high confidence. Cell sorting is essential to many studies, but researchers outside of core facilities have very limited knowledge how exactly sorting works and unknowingly produce erroneous samples or even scientifically crippling data. The course is intended for PhD students and postdocs who are starting to use, or already using flow cytometry based cell sorting in their research projects. Applicants with some previous active knowledge of basic principles of flow cytometry and a regular use of flow cytometers in daily research will profit most from the content of the course.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 387 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

cell sorting, flow cytometry, single cell, sequencing

Molecular Medicine | Systems Biology

Biochemistry and Medicinal Chemistry, Toxicology,    Systems Biology and Computational Biology

RNA | Genomic & Computational Biology

Genomics and Bioinformatics,    Systems Biology and Computational Biology

Metabolism and Epigenetics are intricately linked, playing a key role in development, cancer, immune signaling and aging. This symposium brings together world-leading researchers exploring this nexus. The symposium will focus in particular on how metabolites and metabolic networks impact gene regulation, on recently discovered roles of metabolites in disease and how this open novel therapeutic avenues. We will highlight enabling tools linking metabolites, their localisation within tissues and cells with the regulation of chromatin structure, gene activity and epigenetic inheritance.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 387 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

metabolism, epigenetics, cancer, immune signaling, gene regulation, disease, immunometabolism

This course will introduce participants to the state-of-the-art immune receptor profiling for single cells provided by 10x Genomics. With the expansion of the Single Cell Feature Barcoding portfolio, 10x Genomics is now enabling the analysis of gene expression, cell surface protein abundance, antigen specificity, as well as full-length paired T Cell (or B Cell) receptor transcript profiling all within the same single cell sample. Through extensive hands-on work in the lab, participants will learn the entire workflow of sample preparation including antibody staining of cell surface markers, handling of high-quality single cell suspensions, generating emulsions using the 10x Genomics Single Cell Chromium Controller, sequencing library preparation (gene expression, protein, B Cell receptor), and finally integrated data analysis using our graphical user interface Loupe Cell Browser.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Overview of 10x Genomics Single Cell technology, Single Cell Feature Barcoding for combined transcriptomic and proteomic analysis, Wet-lab training, Single Cell data analysis using Loupe Cell Browser

Biology,    Analysis

With the molecular understanding we already have at the cellular and organismal levels, and new tools and quantitative approaches, this symposium will address how genotype and the environment bring about phenotypes at the population level.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 387 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

biodiversity, ecology, population dynamics, environmental change, genetics, evolution

Biology,    Ecosystems, Environment and Sustainable Development

The mammary epithelium is a unique organ in that the majority of its development occurs postnatally. This, combined with ease of experimental access and a stereotypical growth pattern, make it an ideal tissue for studying cellular homeostasis, branching morphogenesis, hormonal effects, stem cell biology and breast cancer. This theoretical and practical course will present techniques for the dissection and dissociation of different subpopulations of both mouse and human mammary, including stem/progenitor, cells. It will also include flow cytometry to separate single cell populations for the consequent in vitro (mammosphere and 3D cultures) and in vivo (mouse mammary fat-pad clearing and cell transplantation) analysis to assess stem cell activity and gene function.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

The aim of this conference is to provide a comprehensive overview of these aspects of stem cell biology. The cellular and molecular properties of normal tissue stem cells will be discussed, as will the properties of the niches that maintain them.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 387 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Regenerative medicine, stem cell, tissue damage, degenerative diseases, cancer, ageing, malignant transformation, disease treatment

Biology,    Stem-cell Research & Therapy

Minimally invasive liquid biopsies have recently emerged as novel diagnostic methods which hold the promise to monitor disease progression, detect minimal residual disease, therapy resistance and potentially even early cancer detection. Participants will gain hands-on experience in the detection of cell free tumor DNA (cfDNA) using a next generation sequencing (NGS) approach that covers all four mutation classes in a single assay. Critical aspects on recent developments to increase analytical sensitivity and mitigate sequencing errors (computational error correction) will be discussed as well as annotation, interpretation, and clinical reporting of liquid biopsy tests. Lectures will cover the evaluation of ctDNA as biomarkers, clinical applications, emerging analytes for liquid biopsy and important challenges.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Possible use cases of nucleic acids in blood and plasma in clinical settings, Strategies for the construction of high quality NGS libraries from challenging cfDNA samples, In-solution hybridization based target enrichment of clinically relevant targets, Bioinformatics analysis, Annotation, interpretation of mutations and clinical reporting

Biology,    Genomics and Bioinformatics

Over the past decades it became evident that a RNA transcripts specific amount and localisation are important in order to understand the biological function of its (non-) coding gene. Whereby state-of-the-art in situ hybridisation (ISH) technologies are key to visualise these RNAs in a given tissue or cell. This course aims to highlight three powerful RNA visualisation techniques in histological tissue samples. During this course the participants will learn to validate the cellular localisation of candidate genes from transcriptome studies through conventional ISH and, the more recent cutting-edge, smFISH (Single Molecule Fluorescent ISH) and HCR-ISH (Hybridization Chain Reaction), based RNA ISH hybridisation methods. Additionally, the course will also cover essential tissue embedding protocols that are adapted for use in visually interrogating RNA transcripts in mammalian tissues.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Biology,    Courses and Events for Math Students and Early Career Researchers

This symposium will bring together latest advances in the fields of genomics, microscopy and modelling to foster their integration towards a comprehensive spatial and temporal understanding of the functional four-dimensional organisation of the eukaryotic genome.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 387 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Chromosome Engineering, Gene Regulation, Modelling Genome Organisation, DNA Replication and Repair, Chromosome Segregation, Meiotic Chromosomes, Imaging and High-throughput Technologies, Chromosome Compartment

Biology,    Genomics and Bioinformatics

Regulation of translation is a key layer in the control of gene expression, playing a critical role in many biological and pathophysiological settings. In the last decade, methodological advances have provided comprehensive insights into cellular transcriptomes and proteomes, however, the systems-wide analysis of translation remained an unsolved experimental challenge. The recent advent of ‘ribosome-profiling’ has provided the methodological basis for comprehensive transcriptome-wide analyses of translation at sub-codon resolution by the precise and high-throughput determination of ribosomal positions on mRNA. Its application in a variety of organisms yielded novel insights into protein synthesis and its dynamic regulation, significantly advancing our understanding of the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. This practical course will combine theoretical sessions with hands-on experimentation and computation emphasising the key steps of the protocol and computational quality control.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

6th Event of the biennial 3D Cell Culture conference series on 3D cell cultures as advanced model systems for understanding of diseases, compound testing, successful translation from models to clinical and industrial solutions, and on enabling technologies.

DECHEMA, Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik und Biotechnologie e.V.

This conference will address fundamental questions of the biology of the malaria parasite, its vector, the (immune) response of the host and the disease that it causes, and will showcase the latest technological approaches. The use of “big data” and computational approaches to tackle fundamental biological questions will be assessed.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 387 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Vector biology and transmission, immunology and vaccine development, development and differentiation, cell and molecular biology, host-parasite interaction, drug development and resistance, big data and new tools

Biology,    Immunology and Allergic Diseases

Flow Cytometry is one of the most powerful single cell analysis methods used throughout the life sciences and medicine. Utilising Flow Cytometry we can identify and quantify many different parameters from heterogeneous samples, analyse the corresponding state of proliferation or simply detect the expression of fluorescent reporters. In line with the suggestions from our course in 2017, we will significantly enhance the number of analysis sessions together with our partners from FlowJo. We will cover the theory of Flow Cytometry and corroborate this information intensively with the practical issues of the most frequent assays as part of our practical course curriculum.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

In-depth principles of Flow Cytometry, Quality assessment and instrument validation, Analysis of cell cycle profiles in fixed and live cells, Proliferation and cell division assessment, Apoptosis assays, Tissue staining of cell surface and intracellular antigens, Principles and guidelines for experimental design, especially for multi-colour Flow Cytometry, Essential of gating and gating controls, Detailed multi-sessions on analysing data from Flow Cytometers in cooperation with FlowJo, Guidelines to prepare flow cytometry data for publication

In recent years, interdisciplinary approaches embracing cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology and mathematical modelling have made a tremendous impact on the microtubule field. The progressive diversification of the microtubule field into subdomains has created the need for a strong meeting that unifies the community and brings together researchers from different disciplines interested in microtubule research.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 387 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Microtubule cytoskeleton, cellular functions, chromosome segregation, directed vesicle, organelle transport, cell motility, cell polarity, human diseases, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders

Biology,    Applied Mathematics (in general)

This course will teach the biological researchers how to analyse biological data sets using open-source software. Most of the analysis will be performed with docker4seq package, which was developed to facilitate the use of computing demanding applications in the field of NGS data analysis. Docker4seq package uses docker containers that embed demanding computing tasks (e.g. short reads mapping) into isolated containers. This approach provides multiple advantages: the user does not need to install all the software on its local server, the results generated by different containers can be organised in pipelines and reproducible research is guarantee by the possibility of sharing the docker images used for the analysis.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Tools for RNA-seq data analysis, Experimental design, Quality control, Normalisation and data reformatting, Basic statistics, Selecting differentially regulated genes/microRNAs, Selecting alternative splicing events, Multiple testing, Biological interpretation

This course offers the opportunity to acquire a portfolio of cutting edge EM methods; allowing the participants to integrate EM tools and readouts into the workflow of their own cell biological research projects. The course focuses on teaching the theoretical background and the latest practical developments in the field.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

State of the art fixation including cryo-methods, Correlative light and electron microscopy, Molecular mapping (immuno-EM), Three-dimensional EM imaging using tomography and serial imaging, Advanced quantitative image analysis

Microscopy ,    Analysis

This course will provide both theoretical and practical training in the use of quantitative proteomics approaches. Participants will learn the principles of current methodologies including SILAC and TMT as well as targeted proteomics, and they will be trained in the use of bioinformatic tools for data analysis.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

The principles of proteome quantification by stable isotope labeling (SILAC and TMT), label-free, and targeted proteomics, Mass spectrometers, Analysis of quantitative proteomic data, Application of quantitative proteomics in biology, clinical research and drug discovery

Analysis,    Scientific Computing

This symposium will cover emerging key concepts of latent metastasis and dissemination of tumour cells including evolution and genetic diversity of metastasis, circulating tumor cells, stemness, dormancy and stromal reprogramming, transcriptional and epigenetic control, motility and invasive signalling, metastatic heterogeneity, EMT and plasticity, immune evasion and metabolic adaptations. The meeting will provide unique interdisciplinary exchange on current approaches and future collaborations on metastasis and its therapeutic challenges.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Metastasis signaling and latency, Metastasis initiating cells, Circulating tumor cells, Motility and invasion, Transcriptional and epigenetic control of metastasis, Metastasis heterogeneity, EMT and plasticity, Metastasis imaging, Tumor microenvironment and immune

Biology,    Biology

This course will bring together early career researchers in the fields of geology, planetary science, micro- and molecular biology for an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Geobiology. Participants will be introduced to a collaborative environment and the course will facilitate interaction between researchers in multiple fields who would otherwise have a limited opportunity to exchange ideas. One of the core objectives will be knowledge translation and mobilization. The principal themes include methods in field geobiology, integrating geochemical and biological data, interpretation across scales, nucleic acid extraction from rock samples, differences in resolution between field and laboratory data sets, and the importance of geobiology to astrobiology and origin of life studies. Participants will have the opportunity to conduct field research at the Ries impact structure to put into practice lessons learned regarding geobiology field work. This field excursion is a geobiological field trip to an impact structure and will be led by internationally renowned experts in impact cratering. Participants will come away with the ability to plan and conduct molecular biology research in rock-hosted microbial systems.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Introduction to geobiology, the Ries impact structure, Rock-associated microbial communities, Sequence data in geobiology, Geochemistry and mineralogy in geobiology, Introduction to geochemistry and mineralogy

Biology,    Geophysics and Geology

The EMBL Transcription and Chromatin meeting has a long-standing tradition in shaping the field of transcriptional regulation. The meeting brings together leading experts covering all aspects of transcription from cis-regulatory function, long range regulation, 3-dimensional looping, the basal transcriptional machinery, RNA polymerase regulation and function, nucleosome positioning, chromatin modifications, chromatin remodelling, and epigenetic inheritance of transcriptional silencing. The meeting contains many talks selected from the abstracts that are interspersed with invited speakers, discussing the latest breakthroughs in transcriptional regulation. The conference is designed to promote interactive discussions at both the talks and poster sessions. Given the excellent line up of speakers and the meeting’s outstanding reputation, this is a ‘must’ attend for anyone interested in cutting edge research in transcription.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Activators, Enhancer function, Evolution and modelling, Long range transcriptional regulation and enhancers, General basal transcriptional machinery, Pol II function, Pausing and the role of RNA in transcription, Chromatin modifications and transcription, Genome topology and three-dimensional regulation, Single cell quantification, Transcriptional regulation during cell fate decisions

This course will introduce participants to a new generation of a spatially resolved transcriptomics assay provided by 10x Genomics. Through the combination of state-of-the-art sequencing technology and high-resolution microscopy, 10x Genomics is enabling researchers to study gene expression of cells within their morphological context of an intact tissue section. Through both theoretical sessions, as well as extensive hands-on practical work, the participants will learn the entire workflow of sample preparation including cryosectioning of fresh-frozen tissue samples, optimisation of tissue fixation and permeabilisation, high-resolution microscopy and sequencing library preparation. Utilising the 10x Genomics Loupe Browser pipeline, the participants will also have hands-on training of spatial transcriptomics data analysis.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Microscopy ,    Analysis

Females and males display striking patterns of sexual dimorphism in many animals and other organisms. Differences are documented in morphology, physiology and behaviour. In recent years, advances in genomics technologies have facilitated the discovery of genetic mechanisms underlying sex-specific phenotypes, showing that sex-biased expression of hundreds to thousands of genes across the genome contributes to male and female phenotypic differences. The sex-specific evolutionary forces shaping sexual dimorphisms have also begun to be unravelled, including the interactions between ‘master’ sex determining genes on the sex chromosomes, and other genes during development to control sex-biases of other genes. This symposium will focus on the molecular basis and evolution of sexual dimorphism across animals and other organisms, including the origins, evolution and biology of sex chromosomes. It will cover topics ranging from the evolution of sex determining systems, sex linkage and sex chromosomes, sex-biased gene expression (on autosomes and sex chromosomes) and X chromosome dosage compensation mechanisms, to the evolution of associated dimorphic phenotypes and the underlying selective pressures.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

This course will teach the biological researchers how to analyse biological data sets using open-source software. Most of the analysis will be performed with docker4seq package, which was developed to facilitate the use of computing demanding applications in the field of NGS data analysis. Docker4seq package uses docker containers that embed demanding computing tasks (e.g. short reads mapping) into isolated containers. This approach provides multiple advantages: the user does not need to install all the software on its local server, the results generated by different containers can be organised in pipelines and reproducible research is guarantee by the possibility of sharing the docker images used for the analysis.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Tools for RNA-seq data analysis, Experimental design, Quality control, Normalisation and data reformatting, Basic statistics, Selecting differentially regulated genes/microRNAs, Selecting alternative splicing events, Multiple testing, Biological interpretation

Before the genetic information stored in DNA can be used to direct cell growth and metabolism, it has to be transferred into RNA. Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that code for proteins and noncoding RNAs are key components in the transmission of genetic information in all life forms - from viruses to complex mammalian organisms. Exciting recent findings now reveal a new layer of information added to RNAs in the form of chemical marks (the epitranscriptome) that play a critical role in gene expression control. This remarkable complexity in the lives of RNAs will be discussed at this meeting.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Transcription, RNA processing, Export and localisation, mRNA surveillance and decay, Translation and the control of mRNA expression by microRNAs, RNA modifications, Noncoding RNAs

Neuroepigenetics is a young field that is attracting a lot of attention. Genome-wide association studies and mouse models continue to discover new connections between chromatin regulators and neurodevelopmental disorders and epigenetic pathways have been implicated in various physiological and pathological aspects of brain function, such as memory formation and recovery, addiction and neurodegeneration. This conference aims to provide a gathering opportunity for researchers of all levels who are interested in how gene regulation participates in the development and function of the brain, with particular attention to the chromatin-based regulation of gene expression. The key objective is to bring together, in the same meeting, two groups of scientists: neuroscientists with interest in gene regulation and molecular biologists with strong expertise in the mechanisms of transcription and epigenetics that want to apply their knowledge to understanding how the brain works. We believe the two groups can learn a lot from each other and we hope this conference can function as a catalyst for scientific exchange and collaboration between them.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Chromatin regulation during neurodevelopment, Epigenetics of cell identity in the brain, Transcriptional regulation of neuronal activity and plasticity, Gene regulation and behaviour, Epigenetic engineering and epigenomic mapping, Chromatin in brain disease

Biology,    Neurology

The analysis of single cells advances research in many fields. To properly deal with such minute amounts of sample, each step of the workflow is critical, from sampling to data analysis. Additionally, the integration of data from different approaches is becoming increasingly important to capture the whole picture. This course will cover established techniques from sampling through sequencing, protein analysis and data analysis. Samples will be collected via flow cytometry, gene expression will be analysed by qRTPCR and next generation sequencing, and protein analysis will be performed by proximity extension assays. In addition, alternative methods for the whole workflow will be covered in interactive sessions of lectures and Q&A with key experts in the field. Data collected by the different methods will be analysed during in-depth sessions, which are a strong component of the course.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Single cell isolation with FACS, Single-cell genomics using Strand-Seq, Single-cell epigenetics using bisulfite sequencing, Microdroplet-based single-cell transcriptomics, Single cell NGS data analysis

Analysis,    Genomics and Bioinformatics

A rapidly increasing number of researchers aim to purify and identify extracellular vesicles and many methodologies to isolate and analyse these vesicles are available and have been implemented. This course will cover the basics, possibilities and limitations of different purification and characterisation techniques and will address strategies to understand their role in biomedical applications.

EMBL Events;     Phone: [+49 6221 378 8797];     Email: events@embl.de

Extracellular vesicles, Extracellular vesicles characterisation, Extracellular vesicles composition, Extracellular vesicles and function