HFSP Course in Bioinformatics and Post Genomic Molecular Cell Biology of African Trypanosomes and Malaria

Kampala, Uganda.  17^th to 21^st July 2006

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** 21st June 2006 - Applications for this HFSP course have now closed. We had over 250 applications and the successful candidates have now been notified. Many thanks to all for their interest

1. Introduction
2. Aims of Course
3. Who should attend?
4. Bursaries
5. How to Apply
6. Course Dates
7. Course Design
8. Course timetable

Introduction

There has been much recent progress in research on the two causative microbes of the major African diseases of Malaria and African Trypanosomiasis – Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma brucei. Indeed, publication of a special issue of Science recently reported the sequence of the genomes of three trypanosomatid parasites – T. brucei, T. cruzi and Leishmania major.

This course is aimed at young African students and researchers and will provide a training and awareness of both bioinformatics and post-genomic skills and approaches in parasitology.

The course is organised by Professor Keith Gull (Oxford), Professor George Lubega (Kampala), Professor Dick McIntosh (Boulder, Colorado) and Professor Luc Vanhamme (Brussels). There is a selection of invited speakers from these and other institutions.

The course will be held at the Kabira Country Club, Kampala, Uganda. All students and lecturers will be accommodated at the site and lectures and bioinformatic training sessions will also take place there.

Applications are now invited from young African students and scientists for 25 places on this course.

Aims of Course

• To provide practical skills in bioinformatics and post-genomic approaches to understanding of parasite pathogenicity and biology

• To provide an up-to-date view of parasite genomics, its potential for academic and practical outcomes in molecular parasitology
• To overview recent developments in molecular cell biology of parasites and post-genomic approaches to the study of their biology and pathogenicity.
• The course design will allow net-working of African microbiology and parasitology students.

Who should attend?

• African M.Sc and Ph.D students, particularly those working on protozoal infections, Veterinary, Science and Medicine students.
• Computing students wishing to learn bioinformatics approaches.
• Young lecturers and research scientists wishing to improve their bioinformatic skills will be welcomed.

Bursaries

Funding for attendance at the course will be provided by the Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP), the Wellcome Trust and the UK Society for General Microbiology. Participants will receive full bursaries to support attendance at the course, accommodation and meals plus reasonable travel costs.

How to Apply

Applications to attend the course should be sent by email only to Professor Keith Gull at

keith.gull@path.ox.ac.uk

• Applicants should include a brief CV and a short (no more than one half A4 side) statement of how attendance at the course would benefit their studies. In addition they should organise that one referee sends a supporting reference separately to Professor Keith Gull at the above email address.
• Accommodation and food costs will be covered for students accepted onto the course (9.00am Monday 17^th July to Friday 21^st July 1.00pm). However, applicants whose travel arrangements demand that they arrive on the Sunday 16^th July should indicate a requirement for this extra night’s accommodation.
• Travel bursaries are available and will be targeted at students from African Universities. Hence all applicants should provide a realistic estimate (in US dollars) of the cheapest form of travel from their home University or Institute to Kampala in order to attend the course. Applicants should indicate if their host institution is willing to offer a proportion of the travel costs.
• Any attachments to emails should be as Word or PDF documents.
• DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: All applications and supporting references should be emailed to Professor Keith Gull as soon as possible, but certainly before the 30^th MAY 2006.
• Successful applicants will be informed of their acceptance on the course by email very soon after this deadline.

Course Dates

The course will star at 9.00am on Monday 17^th July and finish on the Friday 21^st July at 1.00pm. Applicants who require accommodation for the night of Sunday 16^th July should request this on their application letter.

Course Design

• A series of lectures on the modern application of bioinformatics, genomics and post-genomics to parasites.
• Computer teaching clusters where students will work under guidance with genome databases and bioinformatics tools.
• Provision of electronic teaching and learning materials.

Course timetable

Monday 17^th July am LECTURES	9.30. Welcome and Introduction 10.00 A View of the Cell. – Modern approaches to understanding host cells and pathogens at the light and electron microscopic level 1. Dick McIntosh 10.45 Coffee 11.00 A View of the Cell. – Modern approaches to understanding host cells and pathogens at the light and electron microscopic level 2. Dick McIntosh 12.00 Lunch
Monday pm Lectures and BioInformatic PRACTICAL	1.00 Molecular cell biology of the life cycle of African trypanosomes and Leishmania. Keith Gull 2.00 Molecular cell biology of the life cycle malaria parasite. Peter Bull 3.00. Basic Bioinformatics 1. Catarina Gadelha 4.00. Tea 4.30. Basic Bioinformatics 1. Catarina Gadelha
Monday evening TUTOR SESSIONS	Student Group Mentoring followed by Dinner Meeting with Tutors.
Tuesday am LECTURES / BioInformatic PRACTICALS	9.0 Genome organisation. The TriTryp genomes Eva Gluenz 10.30 Coffee. 11.00 Genome organisation. Malaria. Pierrick Uzureau 12.30 Lunch.
Tuesday pm LECTURES / BioInformatic PRACTICALS LECTURES	1.00 Bioinformatic Analysis of Genomes Catarina Gadelha 2.30 Comparative Genomics Bill Wickstead 4.00 Tea. 4.15 Sleeping Sickness in Uganda. John Enyaru 5.15 Drug Resistance in Trypanosomiasis. Enock Matovu
Tuesday evening	Student Posters
Wednesday am LECTURES	9.0 Analysis of virulence determinants: Trypanosome Lytic Factors Luc Vanhamme 10.0 Antigenic variation in Trypanosomiasis Luc Vanhamme 11.0 Antigenic variation in Malaria Peter Bull 12.0 Lunch
Wednesday pm BioInformatic PRACTICALS	1.00 Protein domain analysis Eva Gluenz 2.00 Analysis of gene families Peter Bull / Pierrick Uzureau 3.00 Tea 3.30 Phylogenetic analysis Bill Wickstead
Wednesday evening	Problem solving tutorials. Student Groups
Thursday am LECTURES	9.0 Genome analysis for drug targets and vaccine developments Keith Gull 10.0 Leishmaniasis in Uganda Joseph Olobo
Thursday early pm LECTUREs	1.0 Horizons: Proteomics Catarina Gadelha 2.0 Microarrays and Metabolomics Bill Wickstead 3.30 Tea 4.00 Research and Training in Tropical Disease within Africa. Prospects and challenges. George Lubega 5.00 Malaria Tom Engwang
Thursday evening	SOCIAL EVENING
Friday 21^st July LECTURES	9.0 Post Genomic Technologies for mutant production in trypanosomes. Luc Vanhamme 10.0 Post Genomic Technologies for mutant production in Plasmodium Pierrick Uzureau. 11.0 How to understand cell phenotypes using modern approaches to cell biology. Keith Gull, Dick McIntosh.