Genome Academy

Welcome to the Genome Academy, a three day programme that will provide an in-depth look into genomics, with a particular focus on how we translate DNA into Data.

Genomics is a rapidly developing field of research and is increasingly weaving its way into everyday life, from playing a role in vaccine development, virus tracking, personalised cancer treatments, unveiling family histories, solving crime, and tackling the planet’s fragile ecosystems. There are a wide range of career opportunities in this field, some that didn’t even exist several years ago.

Across three immersive days you will learn and experience the end to end process of how we translate DNA into data. The packed programme of activities will include talks on the latest cutting-edge science taking place at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, lab tours, hands-on experience with wet lab techniques such as DNA Extraction, PCR, DNA Sequencing as well as training with bioinformatics tools. You will also get the opportunity to meet a range of different staff working in this field.

Course overview

The Genome Academy is a course designed and delivered by Wellcome Connecting Science, based at the Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton.

In this section find out who your instructors will be and what you will be covering over the three days.

Instructors

Fran Gale, Head of Science Engagement - Engagement and Society Team

Fran is the Head of Science Engagement for Wellcome Connecting Science. She manages the Science engagement team and develops training programmes on Genomics for Science teachers. Fran has been working in Science engagement for over 20 years and before her role here on campus used to run the education department at Colchester Zoo! She studied Biological Sciences at Exeter University and has an MSc in Science Comunication from UWE, Bristol.

Cindy Smidt, Science Engagement Officer - Engagement and Society Team

Cindy is a Science Engagement Officer at Wellcome Connecting Science, based at the Wellcome Genome Campus. Cindy’s role is to engage students in the field of genomics both in schools and at the Genome Campus by interactive activities and talks from professionals to outline their work and skills needed. Cindy came into this role from previous experience as an Advanced Research Assistant working on malaria, where she found her passion for engaging students and the public in science.

Sam Shingles, Science Engagement Officer - Engagement and Society Team

Sam works with communities across East Anglia to provide opportunities to explore genomic science and its impact on research, health and society as part of the team at Wellcome Connecting Science on the Wellcome Genome Campus. Sam has previously worked within science centres and on science festivals to create activities and events that connect audiences with research. He has also worked within science policy, supporting local communities and researchers to interact with policymaking. Sam is passionate about providing accessible science to all, empowering communities to navigate the science topics important to them.

Cassandra Soo, Laboratory Courses Manager - Learning and Training Team

Cassandra has been the Laboratory Courses Manager of Wellcome Connecting Science since March 2022. It’s her job to assist with the development and to facilitate both campus-based and global advanced laboratory courses utilising her experience in facilities management and research background. Her PhD focused on the genetics of human cognitive function, and she has a deep interest in the genomics of neurological and psychiatric disorders. She’s been involved with community outreach projects in the past and believes that working for Connecting Science has a direct impact on the lives of potential and current researchers and professionals in the field of genomics.

Aaron Dean, Laboratory Assistant - Learning and Training Team

Aaron started working in a lab straight after graduating from the University of Portsmouth with a BSc in Biochemistry. I spent 4 years working at a microbiology lab in a hospital as a laboratory assistant, before starting at Wellcome Connecting Science in 2020. He enjoys working on a variety of courses based here at the Wellcome Genome Campus and overseas, setting up experiments and assisting a variety of expert training teams from around the world.

Jorge Batista da Rocha, Education Developer - Learning and Training Team

Jorge joined Wellcome Connecting Science in October 2021 as an Education Developer working on COG-Train courses. Jorge’ role is to create and coordinate virtual courses and remote classrooms on all aspects of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing and analysis. Jorge holds a PhD Human Genetics and Bioinformatics from the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience. His research focused on pharmacogenomics in African populations and the interpretation of genetic variants which could be used for precision medicine strategies. He enjoys community outreach and engagement, and loves sharing how genomic knowledge can be used to enrich the world.

placeholder image of instructors

Top Row: Fran Gale, Cindy Smidt, Sam Shingles Bottom Row: Cassandra Soo, Aaron Dean, Jorge Batista da Rocha

Speakers

Petra Korlević, Staff Scientist - Darwin Tree of Life Team
Yvette Hooks, Senior Technical Specialist - Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutations Team
Pantelis Nicola, Researcher - Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutations Team
Lia Chappell, Postdoctoral Fellow - Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutations Team
Andrew Bassett, Head of Cellular Research - Cellular and Gene Editing Research Team
Kim Gurwitz, Scientific Training Lead - EMBL-EBI Training Team

Detailed timetable

You can view the full timetable here: Genome Academy 22-24 August Student programme

Course materials

In this section you will find all the materials used during the course so you can refer to them during the practical sessions and after the course has ended.

Day 1
Introduction to campus presentation

DNA to Data Worksheet

Lab Practical Skills presentation

DNA extraction - Saliva

DNA extraction - strawberries

Protocol for performing quick PCR session 1 and 2

Petra Korlević - BIOSCAN / DToL Presentation

Day 2
Open Lab Video

Introduction to MinION sequencing presentation

Single Cell Sequencing - Lia Chappell

A CRISPR way to understand genetic disease - Andrew Bassett

Day 3
Ethics and Genomics presentation

ABC vs NHS videos

Bioinformatics - Part 1 - Linux, fasta and blasting

Bioinformatics - Part 2 - Exploring Taste Receptor Genes

Unlocking the potential of big data in biology: Applications of bioinformatics - Kim Gurwitz

Function Finders BLAST - Bioinformatics Activity

Our Animal DNA - Bioinformatics Activity

Further Reading and Useful resources

Below are links to some further reading and resources

DNA 101

What is DNA?

Yourgenome - What is DNA

What does DNA do?

Yourgenome - What does DNA do

What is a gene?

Yourgenome - What is a gene

Sanger Institute Blog - What is a gene

What is gene expression?

Yourgenome - What is gene expression

What is RNA?

Yourgenome - What is RNA

What is RNA splicing?

Yourgenome - What is RNA splicing

What is PCR?

Yourgenome - What is PCR

What is Gel electropherisis?

Yourgenome - What is Gel eletropherisis

Sequencing resources

Sequencing technologies, past, present and future

Yourgenome - Sequencing technologies, past, present and future

Sequencing at speed (Illumina sequencing)

Animation - Sequencing at speed

What is Nanopore sequencing?

Yourgenome - What is Nanopore sequencing

Oxford Nanopore - Nanopore sequencing

Life in the lab (DNA Pipelines)

Video - Life in the lab

What is RNA sequencing?

Yourgenome - What is RNA sequencing

Genome editing

What is genome editing?

Yourgenome - What is genome editing

What is CRISPR-Cas9?

Yourgenome - What is CRISPR-Cas9

How do we use CRISPR-Cas9 to study diseases?

Yourgenome - How do we use CRISPR-Cas9 to study diseases

My career in cellular operations

Video - My career in cellular operations

Bioinformatics

What is bioinformatics

Yourgenome - What is bioinformatics

My career in bioinformatics

Video - My career in bioinformatics

Citizens’ Jury on Human Embryo Editing

Citizens’ Jury Webpage

In Our Lifetime - Film Premiere

Details:

Wednesday 20th September 2023 15.30 - 17.30 BST

Arts Picturehouse Cinema, 38-39 Saint Andrew’s Street Cambridge CB2 3AR

In September 2022, 21 people from across the UK spent a week together on the Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton just outside Cambridge. None of them had met before. Their backgrounds, opinions, and stories were wildly different. But they all had lived experience of serious inherited health conditions – as patients, as carriers, or as carers. Together they became the UK’s first Citizens’ Jury on Human Embryo Editing, tasked with writing policy recommendations on whether (or not!) the UK government should consider changing the law to allow certain serious genetic conditions to be ‘edited out’ of a family tree forever. The stars of the documentary, the jurors, will be present at the film screening and the audience will be invited to consider if and how patients can impact legislation that affects individual families with inherited disease.