I just noticed that there's a workshop being offered from June 13th to June 18th, 2011, in Vancouver, Canada, that provides technical and hands-on training for "scientists and non-scientists interested in human cloning." This course has a price tag of $1400 (does not include transportation, room and board) and apparently provides the following:
"This professional course (which can accept only 12 clients) will guide participants through the various methodologies involved in the production of a human clone. This includes extensive lectures on the various techniques as well as a significant portion of the course being hands-on sessions where clients will become adept at blastocyst tissue culture maintenance. Note that this course also includes a full day devoted to practicing on equipment that allows robotic micro-injection of nucleic material into host cell nuclei, and that the workshop includes 8 hours of equipment access time, after the workshop is finished."
Unreal right? Well, o.k. - it is actually unreal. I'm only kidding here, if only to let you know that I will be offering a professional workshop (same dates, same pricetag, and same locale) where molecular cloning is actually covered, although this is more in the vein of general molecular biology techniques used in biomedical research, or molecular characterization of any life science related endeavour.
Additional details on the course can be seen at the above link, or below the fold.
*THE MICHAEL SMITH LABS AND ADVANCED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LAB PRESENTS OUR MOLECULAR BIOLOGY*
*WORKSHOPS 2011 SUMMER Session.*
*
ONE WEEK VERSION (6 DAYS) - MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES WORKSHOPS*
JUNE 13 - 18, 2011 (CAN$1400)
DESCRIPTION: Updated for 2011: This intense 6 day workshop will focus on a myriad of different techniques used in the molecular manipulation of DNA, RNA and protein, as well as inclusion of exercises in some basic bioinformatics tools. Primarily aimed at researchers who are new to the area, familiar but require a quick updating, or would like more practical bench training.
PHILOSOPHY: Whilst molecular techniques have evolved at a speedy rate over the last few decades, the underlying biochemical principles behind the vast majority of them has actually changed little. This workshop therefore combines opportunities to perform the latest, as well as commonly used older techniques, with particular attention to the chemical nuts and bolts behind them. In all, this allows the researcher to not only gain needed familiarity with the techniques, but also achieve a comfortable theoretical level to allow for both (1) that all important skill of troubleshooting, and (2) the often undervalued skill of judging the utility of "tricks" that aim to speed up, or lower costs of a given methodology.
TECHNIQUES COVERED: Various nucleic acid purification methodologies (silica bead, organic, and/or pI based), restriction digests, ligations, dephosphorylation assays, agarose gel electrophoresis, transformation (including electroporation), PCR, reverse transcriptase assay, real time qPCR, basic bioinformatics, (including primer design tools), SDS-PAGE, Western blot analysis, Isoelectric focusing strips, and 2D protein gels.
Full details can be found at http://www.bioteach.ubc.ca/mb-workshops/#molecular
To register or inquire about the workshop, please contact
Dr. David Ng at db@interchange.ubc.ca or 604-822-6264
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