Course description
In this course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of extracellular vesicles (EVs), including their biogenesis, molecular composition, and roles in intercellular communication. They will explore the latest research on how EVs can be harnessed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, learning about the methodologies used to isolate and characterize these vesicles, as well as their potential applications in various diseases.
Students will develop mainly theoretical competence but this course will also have breakout sessions in the lab aiming to develop practical skills in the isolation, purification, and analysis of extracellular vesicles using advanced techniques such as size exclusion chromatography, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and single EV flow cytometry. These practical sessions will be implemented as far as feasible, partly by practical demonstrations. In these practical sessions, they will also learn the basics of designing and conducting experiments in EV research. This will be complemented with theoretical course parts to impart the knowledge to conceptually investigate the functional roles of EVs in disease models, and to critically evaluate scientific literature in the field.
The course will emphasize the importance of critical thinking in the application of EV research. Special emphasis also will be put on discussion of general limitations of measurements concerning extracellular vesicles and other nanoparticles. Students will learn to make informed decisions about experimental design, data interpretation, and the potential clinical translation of EV-based diagnostics and therapies. They will also be encouraged to adopt a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, recognizing the value of integrating knowledge from different scientific domains.
Note! Before the start of the course, the students will be provided with material for self studies to prepare for the course.
Prerequisites and Selection
Prerequisite courses, or equivalent
No prerequisite courses, or equivalent, demanded for this course.
Selection
Selection, within each category of applicants (selection category), will be based on:
1) the relevance of the course syllabus for the applicant’s individual study plan/research (according to written motivation).
2) start date of doctoral studies (priority given to earlier start date).
Course director
André Görgens
Department of Laboratory MedicineDivision of Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine (BCM)
andre.gorgens@ki.se
Samir El Andaloussi
Department of Laboratory MedicineDivision of Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine (BCM)
samir.el-andaloussi@ki.se
Course syllabus
H5F3175
Department
Department of Laboratory Medicine
Doctoral programme
Development and Regeneration (DevReg)
Type of course
**Other course
Keywords
extracellular vesicles, exosomes, cellular communication, biomarker, therapy, extracellulära vesiklar, exosomer, cellulär kommunikation, terapi, biomarkör