• LOCATION
• Cambridge

Genomics and Clinical Virology 2024 — 20240218 – Wellcome Connecting Science courses and conferences

Viral genome sequencing and sequence-dependent detection methods have been applied to the diagnosis and management of viral infections for decades. However, the introduction of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies is transforming how clinical microbiology laboratories diagnose and manage infectious diseases. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of hundreds of microbes can be undertaken in hours enabling real time genomics for diagnostics, transmission investigation and infection control.

This Genomics and Clinical Virology course combines practical hands-on laboratory and bioinformatics work with lectures by, and discussions with, leaders in this crucial, exciting, and expanding area. The course is aimed at virology researchers at PhD, postdoc or more senior level who have an interest in learning how to carry out NGS of viral genomes, and clinical and research scientists who are planning to implement NGS in clinical diagnostic laboratories. The course will concentrate on the application of cutting-edge genomic techniques that can be implemented now and explore new approaches that will enter practice in the near future.

What will I learn?

The practical part of the course will provide laboratory sessions that will focus on the preparation of sequencing libraries for metagenomics and PCR-based approaches with particular emphasis on how to improve the efficiency of viral NGS by undertaking variations in library preparation techniques such as target enrichment by probe hybridization and the use of long-read technologies.

Participants will gain practical experience in Linux/Unix command line usage, bioinformatics analysis of the output data with focus on quality control of NGS data, reference mapping and de novo assembly approaches, and downstream analyses such as phylogenetic inference and variants associated with drug resistance.

There will be lectures and demonstrations of the potential applications of NGS in clinical laboratories, limitations and pitfalls of the techniques and clinical case studies e.g. in infection control ​​and outbreak investigations including the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

CPD Accreditation
The course is approved annually for CPD accreditation by the Royal College of Pathologists.

PLEASE NOTE: bursaries are available for clinical and academic applicants from anywhere in the world to attend this course. Please see the “Cost / Bursaries” tab for more information.