Date: 12.09.24
Start time: 13:30
End time: 17:00
Where: 2nd Floor, New Science Building, University of East Anglia, Norwich

* * This course contributes to the Royal Society of Biology's Technical Skills Certificate

Overview

Our individual cells can be harvested and grown in culture. Using these cells, scientists can model cell and tissue behaviour, not only to study normal tissue function, but also to understand what happens in disease.

This is only achievable if such cell types continue to display the characteristics from their tissue of origin, using thorough cell culture techniques.

On this practical course, you will learn the basic but also fundamental cell culture techniques to enable you to grow and maintain cells in culture. You will have the opportunity to view and distinguish different cell types. You will also appreciate how they are handled in a laboratory and how to keep the cells free from external contaminations in the environment (i.e., bacteria and other microorganisms).

Aims

The broad aims of the course are to:

Introduce the importance of successfully growing cells in culture (in a vastly different environment from their tissue of origin).
Introduce the equipment and techniques used in cell culture
Understand the importance of sterile techniques (to prevent contaminations from bacteria)
To use light microscopy to observe cell shape and health
To learn the basics of cell culturing and maintenance

Who is the course for?

Individuals with an interest in biological and medical science, who wish to learn how to culture and maintain human cells in culture. No prior knowledge of cell culture or microscopy will be required, and the purpose of the course is to offer a practical point of access to these techniques in a practical user-friendly form.

What will you gain from the course?

Learn how to use the basic scientific equipment required for cell culture
How to routinely grow and maintain cells in culture
How to keep the cultured cells contamination-free
How to distinguish several cell types using microscopy
Learn how to calculate cell concentrations within a specific volume
Handy summary resources and protocols to take home

Course Tutors

Your course tutors will be Dr Noelia Dominguez Falcon and Dr Laura Wagstaff.

Dr Noelia Dominguez Falcon is a lecturer in Biomedicine at the School of Biological sciences at UEA with ten years of experience in cell culture techniques. Noelia has worked in different fields such as molecular biology, pharmacology, cancer therapeutics, stem cell biology, polymer chemistry, and tissue engineering. After completing her bachelor's degree in her home country Spain, she specialised in biomedicine by doing a two-year master's degree, including a year-long research internship in industry. Noelia then moved to the UK in 2015, having spent the past eight years at UEA. At UEA, she started as a visiting researcher and then as a research technician from 2015 to 2017. She then obtained her PhD in 2020 and worked as a senior research associate until September 2022. She has been a lecturer in the Biomedicine course since then.

Dr Laura Wagstaff is a Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at UEA. Throughout her research career, Laura has focused on cellular behaviour and is particularly interested in how cancer cells and normal cells differ. Laura completed both her undergraduate degree and her PhD at UEA. She then spent a further five years at UEA as a postdoctoral researcher, focusing on how specific genetic changes can alter cellular behaviour. In 2009 Laura started working at the University of Cambridge on a project focusing on how cancer cells and normal cells interact in the body. In 2015 Laura moved into an industry setting to explore commercialisation of research and gain experience in molecular biology and genetic engineering. In 2019 Laura joined UEA as a Biomedicine lecturer.

Accessibility

The laboratories and building is fully accessible and there are chairs and moveable benches available in the lab. The university can also provide the use of electronic pipettes if your dexterity is impaired. If you have questions surrounding this, please contact the training team.

Technical skills and continuing professional development

This practical based course contributes to the RSB Technical Skills certificate, which can support applications to our professional registers.

This course is approved for purposes of CPD, and attendees will receive a certificate of attendance and 9 CPD points.

Fees

Early bird additional 10% discount on course fees available until 15th June**

Members - £180 + VAT

Members of Member Organisations, SCAS members - £270 + VAT

Non-members - £360 + VAT

Non-members who have completed a membership application and made payment - £180 + 20% VAT - get in touch with training@rsb.org.uk to access this rate.

If you or your organisation wishes to book staff in bulk for this course, please get in touch.

Contact

For further information about the course please contact Emily Lunn, training and registers officer at training@rsb.org.uk or on 020 3925 3447.

Refunds

Unfortunately, the Royal Society of Biology is unable to offer refunds on training courses that have been attended. We do, of course, welcome and encourage any feedback from a course and will continue to improve the service we offer.

Terms and Conditions

By booking to attend this event, you are confirming you have agreed to the RSB's Terms and Conditions which can be found here.

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Tissue Culture Techniques, September 2024