Course English 5 ECTS

Microbial Biofilm Techniques – PhD Course

Want to gain skills on how to grow and investigate biofilms in a laboratory setting?

This intensive eight-day course is designed to equip participants with cutting-edge knowledge and practical skills in biofilm research. Biofilm growth is the predominant mode of existence for most microorganisms in nature, presenting unique challenges for laboratory experiments. This course will teach you how to grow and investigate biofilms, focusing on the physiology of bacteria in biofilm form and the specific techniques required to study them.

You’ll gain hands-on experience in setting up and operating biofilm flow cell systems, using advanced imaging techniques such as confocal microscopy, performing fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and conducting mathematical image processing with COMSTAT analysis. The course also includes lectures by leading researchers in the field of microbial biofilms, providing you with both theoretical insights and practical know-how.

For more details on scope, form and exam, please see course base.

Content

Biofilm growth is the predominant mode of existence for most microorganisms in nature. In this course, you will learn how to perform laboratory experiments with biofilm growing microorganisms, which poses significantly other challenges that growing the cells in suspension.

The techniques include setup and running of biofilm flow cell systems, fluorescence in situ hybridization, various advanced imaging techniques, image analysis, flow cytometry, and more. The course will be partly practical with hands-on exercises complemented with lectures by prominent researchers in the field of microbial biofilms. The actual course contents may vary a little from year to year.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, participants will have an understanding of:

  • A participant who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:
  • Perform biofilm flow cell setup and operation: Manipulation and monitoring of growing biofilms, antibiotic treatment of biofilms, viability assessment, on-line measurements of oxygen in biofilms, harvesting of biofilms.
  • Perform biofilm micro titer tray assays.
  • Use advanced optical microscopy techniques: Confocal microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, time-lapse (confocal) microscopy.
  • Perform Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) on embedded biofilms.
  • Perform simple biofilm experiments on an unknown organism that the participants bring themselves or isolate on site.
  • Perform mathematical image processing using COMSTAT analysis.
  • Perform digital image preparation and presentation (Imaris).
  • Present biofilm experiment results for an audience.

Important information 

Here you will find important information for short course participants regarding cancellation policies, location and waitlist policies.

  • 8 days of intensive lab work. Lectures by invited speakers. Evening sessions.
  • The course runs in 8 consecutive days, incl. weekend days.

Fee, registration and location

Course fee

There is a fee for materials and meals of DKK 3,000 for students from Danish universities.

The course fee for PhDs registered at international institutions is 10,600 DKK (for no EU/EEA citizens there will be a tuition fee as well)

Registration:

When registering, send an e-mail to Claus Sternberg, cst@bio.dtu.dk. Qualified sign-ups will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.

Deadline for registration:

2 weeks prior to course start.

NB!

  • PhD students from a Danish University must select the “DK” option during registration.
  • PhD students from the EU must select the “EU” option during registration.
  • PhD students from outside the EU must select the “Non-EU” option during registration.

Registration

Duration

8 days

Place

DTU Lyngby Campus

ECTS

5

Price

3.000,00 DKK13.700,00 DKK

Registration