Main
topic:
Liquid
Biopsy & Circulating Nucleic Acids
The capture of whole,
circulating tumor cells (CTCs) was the initial focus of liquid biopsy.
Today it includes the collection of cell-free nucleic acids (cell free
DNA
& RNA) and all type of micro-vesicles
(incl. exosomes), to provide useful information on the physiological
status.
The session includes any kind of circulating
nucleic acids families (DNA, RNA, small RNAs, microRNAs, piRNAs, and
long
ncRNAs). One focus will be on exosome or micro-vesicles isolation &
purification, amount & size quantification, and biomarker
characterisation
techniques, including intra-cellular, membrane bound protein or lipid
markers.
Main
topic:
Advanced
Molecular Diagnostics
This session is
focusing on the application of highly sophisticated methods,
application and
algorithms to discover, detect, and validate molecular diagnostic
marker
or biomarker
signatures. A special focus is lying on the integrative analysis of
multi-level biomarkers, e.g. microRNA –
mRNA, integrative analysis of genomic, proteomic, metabolomic and
phenotypic
markers.
Main
topic:
Integrative Big Data Analysis
The data analysis in
RT-qPCR expression profiling and NGS experiments is still challenging
and time
consuming. It is well known, that a lot of error is introduced by wrong
experimental study design, poor sample and group normalisation or
differential
gene expression analysis. This session is focusing on the application
of
useful new algorithms & data analysis
methods to getter better and more reliable results, e.g. R-based
freeware,
and software applications for data mining and comparison, calculation
of
relative expression, for any kind of nucleic acid (mRNA, microRNA,
piRNA). One focus
of this session will be the integrative
analysis of multi-level biomarkers (mainly the microRNA-mRNA),
mathematical
modelling, multivariate expression profiling, statistics in NGS and
qPCR,
multiple regression analysis, 3D data
visualization, and more.
Main
topic: Biomarker Signatures
A session about the
discovery, detection and validation of molecular biomarkers:
diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic markers
on DNA, RNA, microRNA or small RNA,
metabolome and proteome level (e.g. disease markers, cancer or
stem-cells
markers, tissue specific markers, differentiation markers, methylation
markers). New assay systems will be presented like high throughput
proteomics
(MS based proteome map), PLA (Proximity Ligation Assay) or PEA
(Proximity
Elongation Assay).
Digital PCR
Digital PCR (dPCR)
can be used to directly quantify and clonally amplify nucleic acids
including
DNA, cDNA, mRNA, microRNA or any other small-RNA species. It allows a
more
reliable collection and highly sensitive
measurement of nucleic acid amounts, applications in copy number
variants,
point mutations in molecular diagnostics.
Non-coding RNAs --
microRNA, isomiRs, small RNAs, long
non-coding RNAs
This session is
dedicated to the family of non-coding RNA and its RNAi mechanism and
applications. A new focus will be on the identification and the data
analysis
& modelling of new isomiR biomarkers
and long non-coding RNAs. RT-qPCR or
small RNA Seq technologies to quantify small & long non-coding RNAs
and other
classes of small RNAs, like piRNAs.
Further siRNA knock down applications, microRNA targets and microRNA
precursors, new siRNA manipulation, etc. will be presented.
MicroGenomics &
Single-Cells Diagnostics
Focus in this session
is on micro-genomics, the application of molecular methods to detect
biomarkers
in a minimal amount of tissue or any biological matrix. New
applications in single-cell biology will be presented: isolation,
separation, characterisation technologies, laser micro dissection,
capturing of
circulating tumour cells (CTC),
pre-amplification techniques, sub-cellular PCR, micro-manipulation of
cell
clusters, cellular micro injection, single-cell handling, FACS sorting
and
spotting.
Next Generation
Sequencing (NGS)
NGS applications
offers new holistic analysis of any kind of nucleic acid, to
investigate the Genome,
Exome, Epigenome, Transcriptome and Splicome (total RNA, microRNA,
small RNA
Seq, long ncRNA), CHIP purified nucleic acids, etc.
Various NGS sub-sessions will be
presented:
- NGS overview talks - information technology in the
era
of NGS & diagnostic applications
- Pre NGS -
sample preparation & setup & library
generation
- NGS – new
sequencing technologies (e.g. in-situ, single
molecule and pore sequencing)
- NGS – data
analysis (data management, mapping,
alignment algorithms, data de novo assembly )
Molecular
Diagnostics in Life Science
This session is
dedicated to molecular diagnostics in Life Science, with focus on
Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Food and
Environmental Science, which is the major research focus at the TUM
School
of Life Science Campus Weihenstephan. All applications of highly
sophisticated
quantification methods, field application or algorithms to research the
wide
field of agro-veterinarian or life science are very welcome.
MIQE & QM &
Standardisation Strategies in
Molecular Diagnostics
This session is
focusing on standardisation strategies and quality management in
molecular diagnostics. The goal is to
guarantee better and more valid results.
Of special interest in the context of qPCR or dPCR are the MIQE
guidelines (minimum information for publication of
quantitative real-time PCR experiments). Following these guidelines
will
encourage better experimental practice, allowing more reliable and
unequivocal
interpretation of qPCR and dPCR results.
Technical Lunch-Time
Seminars:
Technical lunch-time seminars can be booked by companies
to promote their technologies.