Aims

Agilent’s microarray platform is built on the unique non-contact inkjet printing process generating in situ synthesised oligonucleotides. It allows for the usage of multiple applications such as miRNA profiling, gene expression analysis, CGH (comparative genomic hybridisation), ChIP-on-Chip (chromatin immunoprecipitation on microarrays), or DNA methylation studies.

Topics

Integrated biology
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of small single-stranded non-coding RNAs (19-30 nucleotides long) that serve widespread functions in post-transcriptional gene silencing.
Recently, research has demonstrated that miRNAs are crucial regulators of gene expression, affecting a wide variety of cellular functions including development, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.
This workshop will combine both layers of information, miRNA profiling and gene expression, and provides an integrated analysis with the industry-standard GeneSpring software.
Programme
In this course we will go through all steps of a microarray-based miRNA and gene expression profiling experiment, starting from RNA QC using the Agilent Bioanalyzer through the labelling, hybridisation and scanning up to data analysis using GeneSpring GX.

Hands-on sessions
- RNA QC with Agilent Bioanalyzer and Nanodrop
- labelling and purification
- Hybridisation of labelled targets
- Washing and scanning
- Data extraction and quality assessment
- Data analysis

Lectures
- Introduction to the Agilent microarray platform
- Quality control of total RNA using the Bioanalyzer
- Data generation and data extraction with Feature Extraction software and GeneSpring GX

The programme for 2009 is not yet available.
Please refer to last year's programme Agilent 2008 for an impression.

Online registration will be available soon. - the application should contain a short CV, a statement about current research and a justification of interest in the course. - he number of participants is limited to 24. Confirmation and Payment All registration fees include meals, local transportation and course material. The registration fee should not be paid before acceptance to the course. Hotel Twin room accommodation is included in the participation fee for the default dates of July 20 - 24, 2009. Rooms have been reserved at the ISG Hotel. All additional nights (beyond the 5 nights twin room paid by EMBL) will be charged extra (approx. EUR 75 per night for single accommodation and EUR 100 for twin accommodation).