Archive Site Provided for Historical Purposes
Human Genome News, November 1991; 3(4)
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Human Genome Program
Kerryn Brandt, training coordinator for the Welch Medical Library Laboratory for Applied Research in Academic Information, and Robert Robbins, Laboratory Director, participated as instructors in the recent European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) practical course, "Exploring Genome Information," held August 26-30 in Heidelberg, Germany. The course offered 20 European and Israeli students hands-on training in genetic and molecular biology databases and software programs.
The course was challenging for instructors and rewarding for students, who came to Heidelberg from diverse educational and professional backgrounds. Database managers, graduate students active in gene mapping, and postdoctoral fellows pursuing improvements in gene-sequencing technologies were among those represented. While some students had years of laboratory experience in molecular biology, others were still grappling with the field's jargon. Course evaluations suggest that despite this challenge, the students left with a thorough knowledge of Genome Data Base (GDB) and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), the role of these databases, and their practical applications to professional life.
Robbins, who lectured on the development, structure, administration, and future of GDB and OMIM, had discussed the role of the databases at the previous week's HGM 11 Workshop in London. In a series of sessions, Brandt provided over 7 hours of hands-on instruction in the use of the Welch databases, including opportunities for in-depth work on specific problems of interest to each student. Through the entire course, students had access from their own terminals to both GDB and the international network.
The EMBL copy of GDB, updated with the most current database brought directly from HGM 11, was the first in Europe and is intended for training, research, and collaborative projects. GDB is available at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) under support from the European Commission's human genome program.
Course instructors were drawn mainly from EMBL, DKFZ, Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain, University of Utah Human Genome Center, Research Institute for Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna, and the Medical Research Council Clinical and Population Cytogenetics Unit in Edinburgh. The course was organized by Howard Bilofsky and Patricia Kahn (EMBL), Richard Lucier (former Welch Laboratory Director), Andreas Weith (IMP), and Sandor Suhai (DKFZ).
HGMIS Staff
The electronic form of the newsletter may be cited in the following style:
Human Genome Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Human Genome News (v3n4).
The Human Genome Project (HGP) was an international 13-year effort, 1990 to 2003. Primary goals were to discover the complete set of human genes and make them accessible for further biological study, and determine the complete sequence of DNA bases in the human genome. See Timeline for more HGP history.
Published from 1989 until 2002, this newsletter facilitated HGP communication, helped prevent duplication of research effort, and informed persons interested in genome research.
