Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Training in Biomedical Research at HKU-PRC

HKU-PRC has established in close synergy with the University of Hong Kong and Institut Pasteur, a Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Training in Biomedical Research for postgraduate students, preferentially from HKU, the International Pasteur network and Asian universities. The incorporation of the third floor of the HC Dexter Man Building into HKU-PRC allows us to propose to expand this training program, starting in 2009. The floor has been renovated and equipped thanks to our own funds, an interest-free loan from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and a donation from the Drs Richard Charles & Esther Yewpick Lee Charitable Foundation. This has made it possible to organize hands-on (“wet lab”) practical sessions on a regular basis, as already implemented during the Virology and Immunology courses in 2008. 

We have made an accurate analysis of the local need in postgraduate training and have proposed to the Faculty of Medicine of HKU the organization of two new courses on Immunology and Cell Biology. Other shorter technical training courses may be envisaged, including on high-throughput screening and cytometry in a BSL-2 platform just to give an example. Our goal is to establish a mid- to long-term planning for these high-level courses, which will feature lectures from international experts and practical sessions for students and trainees across Asia. We are very pleased that the Research Postgraduate Committee of HKU has approved our courses for inclusion in the coursework curriculum of MPhil/PhD students. We feel that this decision will ensure that a stable core of high quality students from HKU will take part in our courses and also increase their attractiveness for the region. We welcome all suggestions to improve this proposal and make it well tailored to fit with the directions of our network programs (RESPARI of the Institut Pasteur International Network, http://www.hku.hk/respari/ & the Area of Excellence “Control of pandemic and inter-pandemic influenza in Hong Kong).

THE FACILITY
The Teaching and Training Centre will be located on the 1st and 3rd floor of HC Dexter Man Building. It will consist of:
1. A teaching room on 1st floor with a capacity for 30 students (DONE);
2. A student room on the 3rd floor with computers and internet connection (Air conditioning renovation);
3. A fully furnished laboratory with 6 large benches with a capacity of 12-14 students;
4. A large BSL-2 laboratory of 45 square meters with 4 BSL2 hoods for cell culture and handling of BSL2-level pathogens;
5. A technology platform of 36 square meters in a BSL-2 environment for high throughput-high content (HT/HC) screening, flow cytometry and imaging;
6. Equipment for molecular biology, biochemistry (electrophoresis, gel reader, real-time PCR);
7. Storage capacity: 40C, cold room, -200C and –800C freezers.

Equipment
HKU-PRC is already equipped with the following large equipment (also used for research):
• LSRII cytometer
• FacsCalibur cytometer
• Plate handler
• Luminometer
• Standard fluorescent microscope (Zeiss Axiovert 200)
• Axio observer Z1 fluorescent microscope equipped with the ApoTome module (Zeiss)

COURSE SERIES
Combining excellence in research and teaching the course series will encompass three major international courses per year, such as the Pasteur-Asia Virology course held in July by HKU-PRC, and smaller training and technology-oriented courses organized or co-organized by HKU-PRC and HKU. The platform will also be available to HKU for organization of workshops.

1. Pasteur-Asia Virology course
Since 2004, HKU-PRC is organizing the Pasteur-Asia Virology course, whose reputation is now well established. The development of the Teaching and Training Centre will allow the organization of hands-on practical works using state of the art equipment. In 2008, the Pasteur-Asia Virology course has focused on (1) Viruses and Cancer and (2) Influenza. In 2009 the 6th Course will focus on neurotropic viruses that pose a very serious problem in this region.

2. Pasteur-Asia Immunology course
The Immunology course will focus on some of the main themes in cellular and molecular immunology, such as molecular basis of antigen recognition by B and T cells, development of the immune system, repertoire selection and auto-immunity, intracellular communication, immune response, experimental immunotherapy and innate immunity. The first course took place from October 23 to November 5, 2008. It was co-organized with Prof Jean-Marc Cavaillon from Institut Pasteur and Prof Allan Lau from HKU. There were two practical sessions, under the supervision of tutors from HKU and HKU-PRC, which allowed the students to be exposed to new techniques and experimental approaches. The course was a resounding success and this team will be returning for the 2009 edition

3. Pasteur-Asia Cell Biology course
We are already involved in the organization of the Molecular Biology of the Cell course at Institut Pasteur in Paris. The course is run in partnership with Institut Curie. We will build on this very successful foundation to start a new course that will be devoted to exploring the fundamental principle of cellular organization. The course will maintain the same structure of the Paris one, with the two other co-directors (Chiara Zurzolo from Institut Pasteur and Philippe Chavrier from Institut Curie) alternating in the organization of the course. Professor Tsao (Department of Anatomy at HKU) and Dr Beatrice Nal (HKU-PRC) will be the local co-organizers. The Cell Biology training program will be an intensive laboratory and lecture course devoted to new experimental techniques and current concepts in the study of cellular function. Topics will include: functional organization of the cell, polarity and intracellular traffic; communication and cellular signaling; cell-pathogen interactions; nucleocytoplasmic shuttling; cell cycle. The practical course will provide training in cell culture of transfected and infected cells, in-vitro reconstitution of cellular functions and will introduce students to cutting edge techniques for the dynamic visualization of subcellular components thanks to the partnership with Professor Tsao and the Core Imaging Facility of the Faculty of Medicine. The first course has been scheduled from March 30 to April 10, 2009.

Special courses
We are keen to promote, in association with other departments at HKU, the organization of special events that may not become part of our annual program. For instance, we have been in contact with Professor Cheah and the Department of Biochemistry for a course on “Stem Cells”, but the proposed dates (beginning of 2009) were in conflict with the final round of renovation (air conditioning) on the third floor. We have teamed up with Professor Lok of the Genome Research Center and Dr Fredj Tekaja of Institut Pasteur to organize a Bioinformatics course. Our proposal has been funded by EMBO and it will be one of the few EMBO World Practical Courses in 2009.

Perspectives
The objective of these courses will be to attract renowned scientists to present to HKU students the most advanced studies in the field and to provide a special environment where students can closely interact with leading scientists that can share with the younger generation the value of fundamental research for diagnostics, drug discovery and molecular medicine.
Overall we anticipate that these courses will stimulate and/or strengthen collaborations between HKU, HKU-PRC and other Asian research institutes and will help orient students for their post-doctoral training and future careers. Practical sessions will be co-organized by HKU-PRC, HKU and, when possible in association with the Asia-Pacific Pasteur International Network.

Calendar 2009

1st Pasteur-Asia Cell Biology : March 30-April 10, 2009
6th Pasteur-Asia Virology :  July 6-24, 2009
Bioinformatic and Comparative Genome Analysis (EMBO World Practical Course) : August17-29, 2009
2nd Pasteur-Asia Immunology : November 23-December 4, 2009 

TECHNOLOGY FOCUSED TRAINING WORKSHOPS
On the 3rd floor of Dexter Man building, HKU-PRC is developing in a BSL-2 environment a technology platform that will be available for shorter training sessions. The following is a preliminary list of workshops that could be organized by HKU-PRC, together with HKU and the Pasteur Network, on a rotating basis.

a. High Throughput / High Content screening
The HT/HC screening platform will be located in a BSL-2 laboratory and will allow functional screening using BSL2-level materials such as pseudotyped viral particles. HKU-PRC has a strong experience in high throughput assay development and screens. Currently, several projects using this technology are ongoing at the center, such as drug discovery against viral diseases, sero-epidemiology studies, siRNA library screens, and other. HKU-PRC aims to share its expertise by organizing technical workshops on these applications.

b. Flow cytometry
HKU-PRC is equipped with 2 cytometers: a Fascalibur and the state of the art 10-colors LSRII flow cytometer in a BSL2 environment. Training sessions could be organized at the cytometry station, which is also opened to HKU for research.

c. Cell biology, Cell imaging
At HKU-PRC, a particular emphasis is given on studying the cellular mechanisms involved during the early (entry) and late (assembly and budding) stages of enveloped virus infections. In close collaboration with Pr. Tsao and Dr. Nicholls (HKU), experiments on living or fixed samples could be analyzed by fluorescent confocal microscopy or electron microscopy, respectively. Imaging workshops could also involve the Platform of Dynamic Imaging at Institut Pasteur Paris, where specific algorithms are developed for quantitative analysis of 3D and 4D images.

d. Good laboratory practices in a BSL-2 environment
The teaching and training Centre would be a perfect place to hold a safety course on good laboratory practices in a BSL2 laboratory. This training could be a module integrated to the safety workshop given to research postgraduate students of HKU.