Anke Becker
SYNMIKRO Research Center
Germany
EMBO Practical Course
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery is required to attend this on-site course. Please see EMBL’s COVID-19 safety policy for on-site events.
Synthetic Biology (SynBio) has become a rapidly developing area for tackling a large number of challenges in life science research. This is due to a combination of foundational advances in technologies such as large-scale DNA synthesis and new methods that allow integrating such raw synthesis power into engineering approaches, including genome wide small RNA regulation, dCas9-based regulation, and multiplexed genome engineering. Such fresh approaches fuel new types of biotechnological applications with immense impact on both fundamental science and society.
This course will provide the best and most exciting novelties in the field and focus on exploiting tools and concepts of SynBio for multi-scale engineering of bacterial systems. The intensive schedule includes lectures by experts in the field, discussions, poster sessions, and, importantly, an experimental program.
The course is directed to PhD students and early post-doctoral researchers active in molecular biology, biotechnology, systems biology and bioengineering. The experimental focus will be on microbiological systems.
The participants will learn about the design and workflow of Synthetic Biology studies and gain understanding about the possibilities and limitations of synthetic biology in different areas.
SYNMIKRO Research Center
Germany
ETH Zurich
Switzerland
Wageningen University
The Netherlands
KU Leuven
Belgium
ETH Zurich
Switzerland
Northwestern University
USA
(Virtual Speaker)
ETH Zurich
Switzerland
(Virtual Speaker)
Imperial College London
UK
Technical University Denmark
Denmark
ETH Zurich
Switzerland
KU Leuven
Belgium
Imperial College London
UK
Ginkgo Bioworks
USA
(Virtual Speaker)
Italian Institute of Technology
Italy
ETH Zurich
Switzerland
ETH Zurich
Switzerland
KU Leuven
Belgium
Imperial College London
UK
Training Lab Technician
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Course and Conference Officer
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Training Laboratory Manager
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
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Time | Speaker | Location |
---|---|---|
17:00-17:30 | Registration | ISG Hotel |
17:30-18:30 | Welcome, breaking the ice, and practicalities by organizers | ISG Hotel |
18:30-19:30 | Inaugural lecture: Synthetic biology: beyond standard metabolism Sven Panke – ETH Zurich, Switzerland | ISG Hotel |
19:30 | BBQ dinner and networking | ISG Hotel |
Time | Speaker | Location |
---|---|---|
8:40 | Bus departure from ISG Hotel to EMBL Heidelberg | ISG Hotel bus stop |
9:00-9:30 | Lecture: Overview of the experiments to be run during the course Sven Panke – ETH Zurich, Switzerland | Courtyard room A&B |
9:30-10:00 | Lecture: Organization of teams, assignment of supervisors lab safety introduction Yvonne Yeboah – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany | Courtyard room A&B |
10:00-11:00 | Introduction to practical: Separate meetings of lab teams with respective trainers | Courtyard room A&B |
11:00-11:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
11:30-12:30 | Lecture: Genome engineering at scale – strategies for genome assembly Anke Becker – SYNMIKRO Research Center, Germany | Courtyard room A&B |
12:30-14:00 | Lunch break | Canteen |
14:00-16:00 | Practical session 1 Practical 1: Genome engineering with Multiplex Automated Genome Engineering (crMAGE, with Cas9 counterselection) Nico Claassens – Wageningen University, The Netherlands Practical 2: I Can CRISPR Masue Marbiah – Imperial College, UK Practical 3: Engineering polymerases for XNA synthesis. Starting from a wild-type hyperthermophilic enzyme Paola Handal Marquez – KU Leuven, Belgium Practical 4: Reprogramming proteins for non-canonical biochemistries Nicolas Huguenin-Dezot – ETH Zurich, Switzerland | Training Lab B |
16:00-16:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
16:30-17:30 | Lecture: Engineering strategies for synthetic one-carbon metabolism Nico Claasens – Wageningen University, The Netherlands | Courtyard room A&B |
17:30-19:00 | Practical session 2: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
19:00-20:00 | Dinner | Canteen |
20:00-21:30 | Poster session and discussion I | Helix A / Rooftop Lounge |
21:30 | Bus departure to ISG Hotel | EMBL bus stop |
Time | Speaker | Location |
---|---|---|
08:40 | Bus departure from ISG Hotel to EMBL Heidelberg | ISG Hotel bus stop |
09:00-11:00 | Practical session 3: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
11:00-11:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
11:30-12:30 | Lecture: Micro RNAs and their roles in programming cellular decision making Velia Siciliano – Italian Institute of Technology, Italy | Courtyard room A&B |
12:30-14:00 | Lunch break | Canteen |
14:00-16:00 | Practical session 4: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab A&B |
16:00-16:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
16:30-17:30 | Virtual lecture: Cell free synthetic biology Michael Jewett – Northwestern University, USA | Courtyard room A&B |
17:30-19:00 | Practical session 5: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
19:00-19:30 | Round table discussion: Update on laboratory work | Courtyard room A&B |
19:30-20:30 | Tapas dinner | Rooftop Lounge |
20:30-21:30 | Poster session and discussion II | Helix A / Rooftop Lounge |
21:30 | Bus departure to ISG Hotel | EMBL bus stop |
Time | Speaker | Location |
---|---|---|
08:40 | Bus departure from ISG Hotel to EMBL Heidelberg | ISG Hotel bus stop |
09:00-11:00 | Practical session 6: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
11:00-11:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
11:30-12:30 | Lecture: Constraint-based modelling for designing biomolecular systems Jörg Stelling – ETH Zurich, Switzerland | Courtyard room A&B |
12:30-14:00 | Lunch break | Canteen |
14:00-16:00 | Practical session 7: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
16:00-16:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
16:30-17:30 | Lecture: Updating the biological table of elements Pablo Nikel – Technical University, Denmark | Courtyard room A&B |
17:30-19:00 | Practical session 8: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
19:00-19:30 | Round table discussion: Update on laboratory work | Courtyard room A&B |
19:30-20:30 | Dinner | Canteen |
20:30-21:30 | Poster session and discussion III | Helix A / Rooftop Lounge |
21:30 | Bus departure to ISG Hotel | EMBL bus stop |
Time | Speaker | Location |
---|---|---|
08:40 | Bus departure from ISG Hotel to EMBL Heidelberg | ISG Hotel bus stop |
09:00-11:00 | Practical session 9: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
11:00-11:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
11:30-12:30 | Virtual lecture: Leveraging a cell programming platform in pandemic response Reshma Shetty – Ginkgo Bioworks, USA | Courtyard room A&B |
12:30-13:45 | Lunch break | Canteen |
13:45-14:00 | Group photo | In front of ATC |
14:00-16:00 | Practical session 10: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
16:00-16:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
16:30-17:30 | Lecture: Sensing in bioproduction – orchestrating molecular systems Karen Polizzi – Imperial College London, UK | Courtyard room A&B |
17:30-19:00 | Practical session 11: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
19:00- 19:30 | Round table discussions: Update on laboratory work | Courtyard room A&B |
19:30-21:00 | Ethical session: Pizza Dinner with viewing and discussion of ELSI movie clips | Courtyard room A&B |
21:00 | Bus departure to ISG Hotel | EMBL bus stop |
Time | Speaker | Location |
---|---|---|
08:40 | Bus departure from ISG Hotel to EMBL Heidelberg | ISG Hotel bus stop |
09:00-11:00 | Practical session 12: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
11:00-11:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
11:30-13:00 | TBA Sven Panke – ETH Zurich, Switzerland | Courtyard room A&B |
13:00-14:00 | Lunch break | Canteen |
14:00-16:00 | Practical session 13: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
16:00-16:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
16:30-18:00 | Virtual keynote lecture: Beyond standard biochemistry: tools to expand in vivo chemistry Kathrin Lang – ETH Zurich, Switzerland | Courtyard room A&B |
18:00-19:00 | Practical session 14: Practical in groups continues | Training Lab B |
19:00 | Bus departure to ISG Hotel followed by dinner in downtown Heidelberg | EMBL bus stop |
Time | Speaker | Location |
---|---|---|
08:40 | Bus departure from ISG Hotel to EMBL Heidelberg | ISG Hotel bus stop |
09:00-11:00 | Preparation of final reports by individual teams | Courtyard room A&B |
11:00-11:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
11:30-12:30 | Keynote lecture: Manipulating the storage medium: xenonucleic acids Vitor Pinheiro – KU Leuven, Belgium | Courtyard room A&B |
12:30-14:00 | Lunch break | Canteen |
14:00 | Bus departure to ISG Hotel and Heidelberg Neckarmünzplatz | EMBL bus stop |
17:15 | Downtown tour | Neckarmünzplatz |
Time | Speaker | Location |
---|---|---|
08:40 | Bus departure from ISG Hotel to EMBL Heidelberg | ISG Hotel bus stop |
09:00-11:00 | Lecture: Presentation of results by individual teams | Courtyard room A&B |
11:00-11:30 | Coffee break | Flex Lab A&B |
11:30-12:30 | Lecture: Logical computations for therapeutic decision making in mammalian cells Yaakov Benenson – ETH Zurich, Switzerland | Courtyard room A&B |
12:30-13:00 | Wrap-up and farewell | Courtyard room A&B |
13:15 | Packed lunch and departure to ISG Hotel and main train station | EMBL bus stop |
The course is limited to 16 participants. For selection purposes, please note that your application will not be considered without a letter of motivation.
Registration fees include admission, course materials, COVID-19 safety measures, meals and coffee breaks.
This EMBO course includes accommodation and transportation to and from the ISG Hotel to the venue.
Academia | €500 |
PhD Student | €500 |
Industry | €1000 |
The registration fee should be paid only after acceptance to the course. The results will be announced approximately 2-3 weeks after the application deadline.
After you have logged in and successfully registered, you will receive an email asking you to submit your motivation letter. Click on the link provided and enter your motivation letter in the text box provided. Alternatively you can submit your motivation letter by clicking on the link on the confirmation page directly after registering.
Instructions
Please note:
For more detailed information, follow the instructions provided in our video on how to submit a course motivation letter.
For further information about registration and motivation letter submission please refer to the FAQ page.
Limited financial assistance is provided by the EMBL Advanced Training Centre Corporate Partnership Programme and EMBO in the form of both registration fee waivers and travel grants. Availability is limited to participants attending on-site events in Heidelberg and will be indicated during the abstract or motivation letter submission process.
Your place in the meeting is only confirmed by paying the registration fee, which is mandatory even when receiving a fee waiver.
The fee waiver will cover the registration sum that you have paid to attend the course or conference.
The travel grant will cover the cost of travel (airfare, train, bus, taxi, accommodation, visa, and/or registration fees*) and is provided up to specified caps which are normally as follows:
– up to €400 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course, EMBL Conference or EMBO|EMBL Symposium from within Europe.
– up to €1000 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course, EMBL Conference or EMBO|EMBL Symposium from outside Europe.
– up to €500 for any participant travelling to an EMBO Practical Course or EMBO Workshop.
– up to €1000 for any participant working in Chile, India, Singapore or Taiwan travelling to an EMBO Practical Course or EMBO Workshop.
*Registration fees are only covered for EMBO Practical Courses or EMBO Workshops
The organisers may reduce the grant cap to accommodate more participants. Recipients will be notified of their travel cap amount when they are informed of the outcome of their application. Original receipts must be provided with your signature for all costs incurred within two months of completion of travel. Scanned copies cannot be accepted.
For EMBO Practical Course or EMBO Workshop participants with children, there is the possibility to apply for a childcare grant to offset child care costs incurred by participants or speakers when participating at a course or conference. Eligible costs include fees for a baby-sitter or child-care facility, travel costs for a care giver, or travel costs for taking the child to the meeting etc. Please note that priority will be given to early stage researchers. A maximum amount of 500 EUR can be awarded per participant applying for an EMBO Childcare Grant. In order to apply for this grant for EMBO Workshops, you must be registered by the abstract submission deadline.
Applies to selected courses only. Availability will be indicated during the abstract or motivation letter submission process.
This grant covers costs related to your attendance to the course (registration, travel and accommodation costs). The grant is restricted to PhD students and postdocs who conduct basic biomedical research.
Whether you are eligible to apply for a travel grant, depends on when you received your university entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur, A-Levels, High School Diploma, Final State Examination):
– for PhD and MD students, as well as graduates, the university entrance qualification must not have been obtained more than 11 years ago at the time of the envisaged course
– for postdocs, the university entrance qualification must not have been obtained more than 13 years ago at the time of the envisaged course
You may apply for financial assistance when submitting your motivation letter for courses, and abstract for conferences. In your application you will be asked to answer questions regarding why your lab cannot fund your attendance and how your attendance will make a difference to your career. Application for financial support will not affect the outcome of your registration application.
For the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds Travel Grant, there is a pre-application question during the motivation letter submission process, and if selected you will be requested to complete a standard form and documentation consisting of your travel expense estimation.
The scientific organisers will select the recipients of all financial assistance during the motivation letter or abstract selection process. Results will be announced approximately 6-8 weeks before the event start date, however for some events this may be delayed. Selection results do not impact your admission to the meeting. Selection is based on your current work or study location, the reasons for needing financial support and the impact this event will have on your career.
Costs will be reimbursed after the meeting only once a reimbursement form and original receipts (from travel costs) have been received.
View our list of external funding opportunities and information on attending a conference as an event reporter.
For further information about financial assistance please refer to the FAQ page.
Accommodation has been pre-booked for you at the ISG Hotel for the default dates of 11 to 18 September 2022 (7 nights). Please note that the course registration fee includes coverage of accommodation costs in twin rooms, including breakfasts, for your stay at the ISG but that you will be required to pay an additional cost of 21 EUR per night for a single room. This should be paid by you directly to the ISG during your stay. Any additional nights need to be booked and paid for by you. We recommend that all course participants stay at the ISG Hotel which is the dedicated hotel for the course.
Shuttle buses will go from the ISG Hotel to EMBL and back, mornings and evenings. A bus schedule and location of the bus stops will be made available prior to the meeting.
Address: EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
For further information on getting to EMBL Heidelberg visit our Travel Information page.
For enquiries about accommodation and local transportation please refer to the FAQ page.
The EMBL eCampus learning platform will be used to collaborate, communicate and network with all of the course participants. All participants will receive information on how to join shortly before the course. We recommend using Chrome, Safari or Mozilla Firefox browsers for eCampus.
Please find additional information including FAQs, terms and conditions, COVID-19 safety policy and travelling to EMBL on our Information for Participants page.
COVID-19 information for on-site events at EMBL Heidelberg can be found in our COVID-19 FAQs.
Event Supporter:
Sponsorship opportunities
We offer a variety of event sponsoring possibilities, with the flexibility to select a set sponsorship package or combine individual sponsorship options to suit your event budget. Discounts are available for companies sponsoring multiple events at EMBL Heidelberg. View other conferences, or contact sponsorship@embl.de for further information.
If you are interested in becoming a media partner of this event, please visit our media partnerships webpage.
Date: 11 - 18 Sep 2022
Location: EMBL Heidelberg
Deadline(s):
Application: Closed
Organisers:
Contact: Lina Nikolajeva