We are thrilled to announce the new funding period of the National Doctoral Programme in Infections and Antimicrobials (NDPIA) at Umeå University!
In collaboration with the National Doctoral Programme in Virus Infections and Pandemics (NDP-VIP), these programs, funded by the Swedish Research Council (VR) with 16 million SEK over four years, will offer advanced courses and practical workshops to researchers across Sweden.
Together, we aim to foster a collaborative environment, connecting research efforts from leading universities and focusing on all aspects of infection biology. By hosting these programs, Umeå University strengthens its role in preparing Sweden for future pandemics and infection threats.
From left: Louise Lindbäck, project coordinator, Annasara Lenman, national director, Fredrik Almqvist, Director of Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, UCMR, and Marta Bally, UCMR. Image: Anna Shevtsova.
We are pleased to offer our members the Fundamentals of Basic and Applied Phage Biology course at Lund University from May 12-16. This course provides a comprehensive theoretical overview and practical skills in phage biology, enabling participants to integrate phage techniques into their research.
Practicals: Include phage isolation, titre determination, infectivity assays, and mutant selection.
Expected Learning Outcomes: Participants will gain knowledge in phage diversity, ecological roles, molecular mechanisms of phage-bacteria interactions, and applications in treating antibiotic-resistant pathogens. They will also acquire essential laboratory techniques for phage research.
Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your research skills!
During the week of 7-11 October 2024, NDPIA organized its third course on microbiota and health that was held at Stora Brännbo in Sigtuna. As previous years, this course introduced the field of microbiomes with a focus on how microbiota affect the health of a host.
Group photo of the participants and organizers of Microbiota and Health 2024. The photo was taken by personnel at Stora Brännbo.
“This course exceeded my expectations. I was astonished by the thorough literature analysis performed by the lecturers to pinpoint the most essential information.”
-Anonymous participant
Seventeen national and international experts in the microbiome field, including Christine Moissl-Eichinger (Medical University Graz), Fredrik Bäckhed (University of Gothenburg), and Reetta Satokari (University of Helsinki) presented lectures and held engaged discussions on their topics. Areas covered include microbiota associated with the human gut, genitourinary tract, and mouth, interactions of the microbiota with the immune system, mucins and drugs and present-day trends on modifying the microbiota.
Lecture on “Introduction to microbiomes”, given by Björn Schröder, docent at Umeå University. Photo: Louise Lindbäck.
Lecture on “Vaginal microbiome and women’s health”, given by Juan Du, associate professor at Karolinska Institute. Photo: Louise Lindbäck.
The Microbiota and Health course of 2024 offered a new segment in the schedule as two workshop sessions on microbiome data analysis were included.These were led by Luisa Hugerth, assistant professor at Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, and covered the topic on how to retrieve, annotate, and analyse metabarcoding data in R.
Workshop session on microbiome data analysis given by Luisa Hugerth, assistant professor at Uppsala University. Photo: Louise Lindbäck.
In addition to the lectures, course participants had the opportunity to present and discuss their own research with participants and lecturers during poster sessions and free time. As always during a NDPIA course, plenty of time was also dedicated to social activities to promote interactions and networking.
Students were presenting and discussing their work during poster sessions. Photo: Louise Lindbäck.
Students and lecturers participating in a social activity playing Gut Check: The Microbiome game. Photo: Louise Lindbäck.
Students and lecturers participating in a social activity playing Gut Check: The Microbiome game. Photo: Louise Lindbäck.
“The main strengths of the course I would say is the broad range of topics the different speakers covered. I learned a lot, perhaps the most, from the speakers that were in a different field than my own. Not only things that are just interesting, but also things I think I can apply in my own projects. The fact that the speakers were some of the top ones in their own field is also a major strength.”
For who? Our MOOCs are aimed at people with a scientific background equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in life sciences
Format : Each MOOC is made up of 30 video lectures of 10 minutes, focusing on key messages, recorded with international experts. Students can test their knowledge with quizzes.
Price : All content is available free of charge (videos, quizzes). There is the possibility to obtain a certificate for a fee.
When ? : Once registered you have unlimited access to our resources, not all MOOCs are open at the same time (see calendar).
In what Language? In English, with French and English subtitles
How to register ? create your account on the FUN platform
