Teaching Next Generation Sequencing technologies to biomedical researchers

Date: 24 May 2017

On the latest course sixteen enthusiastic participants learnt about this essential tool for genome and genetic analysis of human and infectious disease.

Genome sequencing technologies are an essential tool for genome and genetic analysis of human and infectious disease

On the latest annual Next Generation Sequencing Course run by Wellcome Genome Campus Advanced Courses and Scientific Conferences in April 2017, sequencing experts from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Tony Cox, Michael Quail and Jacqui Keane, taught sixteen biomedical researchers laboratory and computational analysis tools.

The highly-practical and interactive laboratory sessions showcased a number of sequencing technologies and allowed the participants to perform techniques from library preparation through to sequencing runs. These were interspersed with IT sessions on post-sequencing analysis, discussion sessions, and lectures from experts in the field, including Dr Elizabeth Murchison, from the University of Cambridge.

Dr Michael Quail and students on the 2017 Next Generation Sequencing laboratory course
Dr Michael Quail and students on the 2017 Next Generation Sequencing laboratory course

The sixteen enthusiastic participants, from eight countries including Portugal, South Africa, the UK and Uruguay, are researchers working on a number of different diseases and organisms ranging from cancer genetics to host gene expression signatures as diagnostic biomarkers for tuberculosis as well as zoonotic parasites.

This course is complemented by the Next Generation Sequencing Bioinformatics data analysis course, 1-7 October 2017 (application deadline 23 June), and is one of a number teaching the latest technologies in biomedicine as part of the Advanced Courses and Scientific Conferences programme.

Highlights from course participant feedback:
  • “The course was a life-time experience for me!”
  • “Instructors were amazing, patient, explaining such complex terminology in a very understandable way”
  • “The course provides the opportunity to have all the necessary tools to do this after you leave”
  • “Everything was such a fantastic experience”

The Next Generation Sequencing course will run again in 13-19 April 2018.
To register your interest in this event, please email advancedcourses@wellcomegenomecampus.org.

See Wellcome Genome Campus Advanced Courses and Scientific Conference’s full programme of events.