Stem Cells Get Practical

Stem cells get practical: approaches on stem cells isolation, characterization and differentiation

February 29 - March 10, 2016
ICVS/ECS-UMinho
Stem cells get practical: approaches on stem cells isolation, characterization and differentiation

February 29 - March 10, 2016
ICVS/ECS-UMinho
Stem cells get practical: approaches on stem cells isolation, characterization and differentiation

February 29 - March 10, 2016
ICVS/ECS-UMinho

Description and objectives
Organization
Faculty
Programme
Evaluation
Registration

Description and objectives

For the last 20 years stem cells research has been one of the leading topics in biomedical sciences. This interest has been related with their potential use for regenerative medicine purposes in the biomedical field, their potential as a tool to study developmental phenomena (e.g. cell differentiation) and as an in vitro model to study toxicity or disease development.

In this “hands on” course, the main topics to be covered will be:
1. basics on stem cells from different sources: endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm;
2. isolation and characterization of adult stem cells;
3. maintenance of embryonic/induced pluripotent stem cells;
4. in vivo models of stem cell transplantation;
5. stem cells and biotechnology;
6. techniques to study stem cells in health and disease (animal models, optogenetics, epigenetics; microfluidics).

This course does not provide credentials for the exercise of medicine for those without appropriate training, recognition and registered at the "Ordem dos Médicos".

Organization

António Salgado
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Luísa Pinto
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Faculty

Ana Fernandes-Platzgummer
Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (IBB), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST)
Lisbon, Portugal

António Salgado
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Bruno Costa
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Eduardo Gomes
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Fábio Teixeira
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Joana Marques
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

José Belo
CEDOC - Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
Lisbon, Portugal

José Bragança
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve
Faro, Portugal

João Peça
Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra
Coimbra, Portugal

João Sousa
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Leonor Saúde
Instituto de Medicina Molecular
Lisbon, Portugal

Luísa Pinto
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Nuno Lamas
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Nuno Silva
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Ramiro Almeida
Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra
Coimbra, Portugal

Ricardo Neves
Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra / BIOCANT
Cantanhede, Portugal

Programme

This course will be held from February 29th to March 10th but internal MSc and PhD program students will have an extra week (March 14-18, 2016).

Monday, February 29th 2016

09:00 - 09:20	Registration at the ICVS/ECS hall
09:20 - 10:30	Presentation, Introduction and Objectives T1: Cell and Tissue Culture I: Purpose, Advantages and Applications [António Salgado] T2: Cell and Tissue Culture II: Lab Design, Equipment and Aseptic Technique [António Salgado]
11:00 - 11:45	T3: Defined Media and Supplements [António Salgado]
12:00 - 13:30	Lunch
13:30 - 17:30	P1: Introduction to cell and tissue culture - Practical lessons
18:00 - 18:30	Study period

Tuesday, March 1st 2016

09:30 - 10:30	T1: Embryonic Development [Leonor Saúde]
11:00 - 12:00	T2: Introduction to Stem Cell Biology [António Salgado]
12:00 - 14:00	Lunch
14:00 - 17:00	Introduction to the topics of the written assays [António Salgado / Luísa Pinto]

Wednesday, March 2nd 2016

09:30 - 10:00	T3: Neuronal cell fate in the adult brain [Luísa Pinto] - Identification of neural stem cells and their anatomical locations - Differentiation potential in vitro and in vivo
10:00 - 11:00	T4: The Stem Cell Niche in the adult brain [Luísa Pinto] - The dominant nature of the niche and the control of stem cells homeostasis - The role of intrinsic and extrinsic factors
11:00 - 12:00	T5: Neural progenitor cells modulation by inflammatory signals: in vs out [João Sousa]
12:00 - 13:00	Lunch
13:00 - 19:00	Neural Stem Cells in the lab [Luísa Pinto] P2: Isolation of adult neural stem cells P3: Preparation and observation of neurospheres cultures P4: Differentiation protocols and immunocytochemistry for the identification of neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes

Thursday, March 3rd 2016

09:30 - 12:00	T6: Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Tissue Sources and Characterization [António Salgado] T7: Hematopoietic Stem Cells [Ana Fernandes]
12:00 - 13:00	Lunch
13:00 - 19:00	P5: Establishment of Primary Cultures Bone Marrow derived MSCs [António Salgado / Fábio Teixeira]

Friday, March 4th 2016

09:30 - 13:30	T8: Introduction to Pluripotent Stem Cells [Joana Marques] T9: Genetic Regulatory Networks for the Maintenance of Stem Cell Pluripotency [José Bragança] T10: Pluripotent Stem Cells in Cardiac Research and Regeneration [José Belo]
13:30 - 14:30	Lunch
14:30 - 17:30	P6: Pluripotent Stem Cells - Practical Sessions

Monday, March 7th 2016

10:00 - 12:00	T11: Cancer Stem Cells [Bruno Costa]
12:00	Lunch
Afternoon	Braga Site seeing

Tuesday, March 8th 2016

09:30 - 12:00	T12: Motor Neurons and IPScs: Differentiation Cues [Nuno Lamas] T13: IPSCs and Bioenergetics: New insight to study pluripotency [Ricardo Neves]
12:00 - 14:00	Lunch
14:00 - 17:00	P7: Assessing motor neuron differentiation in IPSCs

Wednesday, March 9th 2016

10:00 - 12:30	T14: Microfluidics [Ramiro Almeida] P8: Stem Cells and New Tools in the Lab
12:30 - 14:00	Lunch
14:00 - 17:00	Stem cells and in vivo animal models T15: Transplantation Models [Fábio Teixeira, Nuno Silva, Eduardo Gomes]

Thursday, March 10th 2016

09:00 - 12:30	New tools to Study Stem Cells T16: Animal Models [João Peça] T17: Optogenetics [Ana João Rodrigues] T18: Bioreactors [Fábio Teixeira]
12:30 - 14:00	Lunch
14:00 - 17:00	P9: In vivo Transplants - Practical Sessions [António Salgado, Fábio Teixeira, Luísa Pinto]

T - Lecture ::: P - Laboratory class

Evaluation

The evaluation methodology* is available here (in Portuguese only).

*The evaluation is mandatory for students enrolled in the MSc and PhD programs of the School of Health Sciences and optional for the other participants.

Registration

To register, please fill out the registration form. Within 48/72h, we will send you the confirmation and details for the payment. Please contact us if you do not receive a response in the next 5 days.

Maximum number of participants: 30

Registration deadline: February 22nd 2016
Fee: 500 EUR (special fees for ICVS/ECS and UMinho members)

The fee includes all the necessary material for the course, coffee-breaks and certificate of attendance.

Click here to access the online form and further details for the registration

EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT

Description and objectives

Organization

Faculty

Programme

Evaluation

Registration

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