First Announcement

November 4-10, 2006

 Dear Colleague,

We are delighted to extend you a cordial invitation to the 3^rd International Workshop on Genomics Research and 1^st Cuban Workshop on Genomics and Community Genetics which will be held in (Varadero Hotel: Playa Varadero 1920) and Havana (CIGB) - from Nov 4 to 10, 2006.

Genomics 2006 should be a fruitful source of scientific exchange and discussion among researchers from all over the world.

The program will include the usual state-of-the-art lectures, discussions and short report presentations from worldwide authorities in genomics and genetics which will be held at the famous health resort of Varadero 4-8 Nov2006.
There will also be a series of practical demonstrations which will be organized  in the days following the Theoretical Lectures (9-10 Nov) at the CIGB lab facilities.

As a novelty, sessions devoted to Young Investigators will be incorporated to the main program in an attempt of extending the possibility of knowing the work of these groups by all the attendees interested.

November is one of the most beautiful months in Cuba.
We wish to achieve a perfect mix of art and science, research and culture, and paradisiacal beach.
We sincerely hope you will be part of the challenge.
We look forward to see you in Cuba in 2006 for what we expect to be a stimulating and exciting meeting.

Yours sincerely,

Lidia Ines Novoa and Annia Ferrer
 Organizing Committee

Scope

Genomics 2006 follows the tradition of the CIGB International Workshops on Genomic Research and comprises this year two important workshops: the 3rd Workshop on Genomic Reseach and the 1st Cuban Workshop on Genomics.
The 1st Cuban Workshop on Genomics is an International Workshop, organized and sponsored by the INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR GENETIC ENGINEERING (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy an international organization dedicated to advanced research and training in molecular biology and biotechnology, with special regard to the needs of the developing world.

The 3rd International Workshop on Genomic Reseach is organized this year as a Satellite Meeting for the International Congress Biotechnology Havana 2006 .

Genomics 2006 is organized to review the state of the art on Genetics and Genomic of Complex Traits (High Blood Pressure, Schizophrenia, Autoimmune Diseases), Study Design for Complex Traits, HLA typing and Disease Association, SNPs, Haplotyping and Pharmacogenomics, Databases, Bioinformatics and Statistical Analysis.

Genomics 2006 is aimed to teach the participants both theoretical basis and practical applications of genomic research, genetics and molecular biology methods. The main goal is to stimulate basic research in these fields in Central and South American and the Caribbean countries.
The workshop also intends to encourage the development of local and regional laboratories where different human samples will be collected and analysed for genomic and genetic studies. The workshop has been planned as an international forum for scientific exchange on all major areas of genomics and human genetics, with an opportunity for each of the participants to exchange views on the present state of knowledge, the emergence of new concepts and the development of innovative techniques relevant to regional problems.

Genomics 2006 will include a series of lectures, a range of tutorials and a practical course embodying cutting-edge technology. The workshop is intended for students and researchers with limited experience in using different tools for genomic research and bioinformatics methods.

Main Topics

Lecture topics have been selected that have an emphasis on genomics and community genetics appropriate to the region. These will include:

1.      Human population genetic structure/substructure, founder effect, drift, endogamy, consanguinity

2.      HLA typing and Diseases Association.

3.      Genetic and Genomic of Complex Traits

4.      Statistical Methods for Population Genetic and Genomic

5.      Admixture mapping

6.      Genetic determinants of reproductive success/failure

7.      Molecular cytogenetics

8.      Single gene defects, especially the haemoglobinpathies/ thalassaemias

9.      Genetic predisposition to disease (hypertension, diabetes, etc)

10.  Host susceptibility to infectious disease (SARS, AIDS, TB, Leprosy, etc)

11.  The genetics of blindness and deafness, and genetic factors in intellectual disability

12.  Cancer genetics

13.  Diseases of adult-onset

14.  The design of community-based education and counseling programs/community involvement in the prevention of genetic disease

15.  Establishment of disease registers/screening programs for diseases of high local/regional/community prevalence.

16.  Ethical issues of human genetics.

Tutorials will be held, which will describe:

1. Introduction to human genetics on the internet (NCBI, ENSEMBL, OMIM, GENECARDS ETC...)

2. Pedigree creation using PROGENY and Cyrillic software.  
3. Genome and population data analysis: introduction to population structure and differentiation, migration inference and genetic distance matrix (ARLEQUIN software and others
4. Linkage analysis including - parametric methods (two-point and multipoint analysis); allele sharing (nonparametric) methods for sib-pairs and extended families (two-point and multipoint analysis), fine mapping, linkage admixture, association studies (trios and case control, sample size estimation (extended families [simulation studies], sib-pairs and case-control data) and estimating empirical p-values. Introduction to GENEHUNTER/ALLEGRO and LINKAGE/FASTLINK software
5. Medical diagnosis, questionnaires and blood sample collection and witness preservation.
6. Genomic DNA purification, evaluation, amplification and preservation.
7. HLA genotyping by SSP, SSO – PCR and sequencing.
8. Bioinformatics

Practical classes will include:

Genomic DNA purification, evaluation, amplification and preservation, PCR, real-time PCR, SSCP, HLA genotyping by SSP, SSO – PCR and sequencing, gene sequencing, cytogenetics (including FISH), SNP analysis by sequencing and cell culture, Bioinformatics and data handling

Confirmed Speakers

Registration

Registration Fees:

1st Cuban Workshop on Genomics

Due to lab limitations, practical demonstrations are limited to 30 participants. There is a fellowship program for 14 undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Caribbean and Latin American countries. The fellowship program includes accommodation assistance and will cover registration fees that include lectures, tutorials and practical sessions. Only students from ICGEB member countries can apply for this program.

CIGB 3rd International Workshop on Genomics Research

The Registration fee covers all the lectures and theoretical activities. It will cover the practical demonstrations.

Remarks

·         Due to venue capacity restrictions, registration is limited to 50 places. Applications will be processed on a "first come, first served" basis.

·         It is not required to present a paper in order to participate in the workshop. Even when we are encourage to all participants to present a short report that will be published in a Proceeding as an official publication. The design of this forum grants outstanding importance to the presence of persons who are interested in the topics in discussion and to their participation in the debates during the work sessions. In this respect, all participants are considered as delegates.

·          All prices given are in CUC (Cuban Convertible Pesos).

For more details, please contact the Organizing Committee at:

Or visit our Web Site at http://eventogenomica.cigb.edu.cu/