Short Course Description

Microarray technology for biomedical research and diagnostics

Introduction to Microarray Technology

The post genome era demands parallel processing of entire genomes or diagnostic genotyping on-the-fly with limited sample requirement at a low price. Learn about the technology behind microarrays.

Who Should Attend

The target group is scientists that consider or already uses microarrays for research or diagnostics purposes. Anyone working with some form of multiplex nucleic acid or protein testing who seeks to improve QC as well as throughput and reduce the overall cost per data point.

How You'll Benefit From This Course

• Learn about the technology behind microarrays, its limitation and advantages.
• Understand how genotyping and gene expression profiling works.
• Understanding the roadblocks to implement microarrays in diagnostics, including requirement for QC and automation.
• Appreciate the benefits of automation in molecular biology.
• Be able to critically evaluate microarray technology solutions.
• See the future perspectives and technologies

Course Topics

• Fundamental microarray technology (surface chemistries, fabrication, hybridization, and detection technologies).
• Kinetics and thermodynamics of surface bound probes.
• Assay development strategies for SNP/mutation analysis.
• Genetics (genome wide SNP scans).
• Gene expression profiling for cancer diagnostics and classification.
• Protein microarrays for large scale proteome analysis.
• Genome wide comparative genomic hybridization for copy number analysis.
• Use of DNA and/or protein microarrays in diagnostics of genetic disorders and cancer.
• QC and automation requirements with microarrays in diagnostics.
• Future technologies enabling higher throughput of microarrays and implementation of microarrays in point-of-care systems.

Course Fee: US $500/$600*

Course Format: Lecture

Class Limit: 40

Instructors:

Michael Stangegaard, Ph.D. University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Forensic Medicine Section of Forensic Genetics Frederik V's Vej 11 DK-2100, Copenhagen Denmark

Michael Stangegaard was educated as civil-engineer in chemistry and biotechnology in 2002 and received his Ph.D. in 2006, both from the Technical University of Denmark. He has more than five years experience with microarrays including identification of Campylobactor spp. and development of a colorimetric detection method. The Ph.D. thesis focused on the development and characterization of a micro cell culture chamber as well as cell culturing on different surfaces. Different culturing environments were compared to reference culture flasks by means of gene expression profiling using full genome oligo arrays. Furthermore the impact on the reverse transcription reaction of different lengths of random primers was studied using full genome oligo arrays. Currently Michael Stangegaard is working as a forensic geneticist at the Section of Forensic Genetics at the University of Copenhagen. His primary job function is automation of routine forensic genetic protocols in an accredited environment.

Contact info: michael.stangegaard@forensic.ku.dk

Martin Dufva, Ph.D. Department of Micro and Nano Technology Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby Denmark

Martin Dufva received his M.Sc. in 1998 and his PhD in 2001 both from the Göteborg University (Sweden). The Ph.D. thesis focused on functional characterization of an Epstein Barr Virus nuclear protein also identifying interacting cellular proteins and the effect on cellular gene expression and mRNA maturation. Martin Dufva currently holds an associate professor position at the Department of Micro and Nanotechnology at the Technical University of Denmark. Leading the Fluidic Array System and Technology (FAST) group, his research is orientated towards molecular biology on chip, with the microarray platform as a core technology. Goals of the research are to provide the community with efficient methods to develop microarray assays for clinical use. In order to reach the goals, the research includes microfluidics processing of microarrays, effective immobilization chemistries, understanding probe function on surfaces and simple detection methods. Other research fields include cell culture on chip and related to that, to determine biocompatibility of material and cell culture chips using gene expression profiling. Martin Dufva has published more than 20 scientific papers in various fields of microarray technology.

Contact info: martin.dufva@nanotech.dtu.dk or www.mic.dtu.dk.

* higher fee applies to those who are not ALA members