Courses / Workshops
Upcoming Courses and Workshops
Please, see also Events for a complete list of upcoming courses, seminars, symposia, workshops, and other events.
Archives
CBC Summer Workshop in Proteomics and Informatics, August 2-6, 2010
The Fourth Annual CBC Summer Workshop in Proteomics and Informatics took place at the CBC/UIC Proteomics and Informatics Service Facility (PISF) on August 2-6, 2010. The workshop, organized by Dr. Larry Helseth, the Associate Director of the PSIF, and Dr. Kolla Kristjansdottir of The University of Chicago, was a combination of lectures, demonstrations, hands-on laboratory training in multiple mass spectrometry techniques, and computer training in data analysis. In addition, the five-day course offered lectures and training in protein separation followed by trypsin digestion, peptide separation, mass spectrometry, database searches, isotope labeled sample analysis, identifying and analyzing post-translational modifications, top down proteomics and complex data analysis. As with past workshops, the number of applicants far exceeded the capacity of the workshop; the 28 students, faculty and staff that attended the workshop included 7 from The University of Chicago, 6 from Northwestern University, 14 from the University of Illinois at Chicago and 1 from industry.
Proteomics and informatics specialists from all three CBC affiliated universities contributed to the workshop. In addition to lectures by Drs. Alex Schilling, Hua Xu and Larry Helseth from the PISF at UIC, Dr. Kolla Kristjansdottir, University of Chicago, a co-organizer of the meeting, presented multiple lectures and participated in sample prep demonstrations and tutorials in data analysis software applications during the 5-day workshop. Dr. Carrie Crot and Mr. Rod Davis from the PISF demonstrated the use of several of the instruments in the facility and helped participants interpret raw mass spectrometry data. Dr. Paul Thomas, Northwestern University, organized sections on top-down proteomics, gave lectures in this area and demonstrated top-down proteomics on the PISF LTQ-FT Ultra.
The workshop also featured an invited speaker from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Dr. Josh Coon, who gave a lecture on using iTRAQ for quantitative proteomics and presented a seminar discussing on-going research in his lab. The final day of the workshop included presentations by all attendees. The workshop members were divided into 3 groups that outlined a preparative strategy, analyzed data, and then proposed an interesting biological question and how they would investigate it using proteomic and informatic techniques learned during the week. The day concluded with workshop participants meeting one-on-one with PISF staff members to discuss individual research projects.
LEFT: Kolla Kristjansodotti using systems biology software to analyze mass spectrometry results. CENTER: Paul Thomas acquiring top-down data on the LTQ-FT Ultra. RIGHT: Alex Shilling describing advanced proteomics strategies. (Photos: CBC)
High-Throughput Cellular Screening Workshop introduces Chicago research community to resources available at the Cellular Screening Center, June 8, 2010
The High-Throughput Cellular Screening Workshop organized by the Institute for Genomics & System Biology (IGBS) at the University of Chicago took place on June 8, 2010. Approximately 30 researchers attended the workshop that aimed to familiarize scientists with the high-throughput RNAi and chemical screening technologies available at the Cellular Screening Center (CSC). The CSC, opened in 2007 with support form the Chicago Biomedical Consortium and the University of Chicago Biological Science Division (BSD), facilitates drug discovery and development by defining the complex genetics underlying disease, isolating chemical compounds that affect specific cellular activities, and developing potential therapeutics to target disease pathways.
The morning events, held at the Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery (KCBD), began with an overview of the technology and instrumentation available at the CSC presented by Sam Bettis, the Technical Director of the CSC. In his seminar, Sam discussed the screening reagents (RNAi and small compound libraries), screening guidelines, assay development, formatting assays for automation, and readout parameters. Subsequently, three current users of the CSC presented their research overviews:
Ruby Dhar: “Genome-wide RNAi screening to elucidate estrogen-receptor signaling in breast cancer”
John Barkinge: “A high throughput solution-phase strategy for quantifying thousands of protein-protein interactions”
Michael Thirman: “Screening for small molecule inhibitors for specific genetic subtypes of acute leukemia”
Following lunch, Sam Bettis led a tour of the CSC, which is located in the Gordon Center of Integrative Science at the UChicago campus. The CSC consists of a 900 square foot laboratory and includes three filtered air space rooms to reduce the number of air-borne particles and thus reduce the risk of contamination: certified 10,000 (anteroom), 1000 (storage and tissue culture room) and 100 (Tecan Freedom EVO 200 and Thermo F3 robotic arm system rooms). During the tour, workshop participants had an opportunity to observe the precise and complex maneuvers performed by the robotic arm on the CSC robotic deck during a mock run. The robotic arm is integrated with 3 readers allowing multiple different reads within a single screen. More information on CSC technology can be found here.
LEFT: A group of workshop attendees at the Cellular Screening Center. MIDDLE AND RIGHT: Workshop participants observe the robotic arm during a mock run. (Photos: CBC)
CBC Winter Workshop in Informatics for Proteomics, January 26-27, 2010
The CBC-organized winter workshop in Informatics for Proteomics, held at the UIC College of Pharmacy, offered two days of lecture and hands-on informatics training. The workshop covered the basics of mass spectrometry, data extraction, database searching, and several advanced topics such as the use of stable isotopes and chemical labeling in quantitative proteomics and the identification of post-translational modifications with mass spectrometry. Participants were also introduced to top-down proteomics and recent updates to the facility's LTQ-FT Ultra mass spectrometer. The number of applicants far exceeded the capacity of the workshop; the 21 accepted attendees were selected from the three CBC universities as well as from Loyola University and Rush Medical Center. Given student interest and enthusiasm, presentation of additional workshops is under consideration. Please contact Jola Glotzer (jolaglotzer at uchicago dot edu) or Larry Helseth (helseth at uic dot edu) with questions or comments.
CBC Summer Workshop in Proteomics and Informatics, August 3-6, 2009
The CBC organized a summer workshop in Proteomics and Informatics at the CBC/UIC Proteomics and Informatics Services Facility (PISF). The workshop provide full 4-days of training, including sample preparation, peptide separation, mass spectrometry, and data analysis. An optional half day was made available for participants wishing to consult with PISF staff about their projects or wishing additional time for data analysis.
CBC Summer Workshop in Proteomics & Informatics, August 4-7,
2008
The CBC held a hands-on summer
workshop in Proteomics and Informatics at the CBC/UIC Proteomics and Informatics
Services Facility (PISF). This intensive workshop offered
a theoretical and practical introduction to tandem mass spectrometry proteomics,
including the key experimental methods and computational tools needed to pursue
analysis of complex proteomic samples. Attendees participated in a full 4-days
of training, including sample preparation, peptide separation, mass spectrometry,
and data analysis.
The CBC/IGSB Workshop in High-Throughput Cellular Screening, July 8, 2008
The Chicago Biomedical Consortium (CBC) and the Institute for Genomics & Systems Biology (IGSB) held an introductory workshop in High-Throughput Cellular Screening.
The workshop took place on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at the Institute’s Cellular Screening
Center (CSC) at the University of Chicago. The CSC facilitates drug discovery and
development by defining the complex genetics underlying disease, isolating chemical
compounds that affect specific cellular activities, and developing potential
therapeutics to target disease pathways (see Services and Facilities at
http://www.igsb.org).
CBC Course in Proteomics and Informatics, May 15, 2008
The Chicago Biomedical Consortium (CBC) held a specialized proteomics and informatics course
on May 15, 2008 at the CBC/UIC Proteomics and Informatics Services Facility. Attendees participated
in a full day of training and lectures. Lecture topics included Principles and Applications of
Proteomics, sample preparations for mass spectrometry, approaches for protein purification and
protein separation, and an introduction into the 21st century of Proteomics and Informatics
applications. In addition, the participants were offered the opportunity to gain familiarity
with the major equipment in the core facility and its capabilities.