Edit Buzás
Semmelweis University
Hungary
Overview
Course overview
A rapidly increasing number of researchers aim to purify and identify extracellular vesicles and many methodologies to isolate and analyse these vesicles are available and have been implemented. This course will cover the basics, possibilities, and limitations of different purification and characterisation techniques and will address strategies to understand their role in biomedical applications.
Audience
This course is intended for PhD students and Postdoctoral researchers who are interested in learning how to work with extracellular vesicles and know more about their biomedical applications.
Modules/resources
- Extracellular vesicles (continuous and discontinuous density gradient ultracentrifugation, ultrafiltration techniques, bead-capture and precipitation techniques, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC))
- Extracellular vesicles characterisation (Immunoblot and electron microscopy, fluorescent labeling, quantitative and qualitative analysis by flow cytometry, nanoparticle tracking analysis, in vivo imaging, proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of EV)
- Extracellular vesicles composition (lipidomics, proteomics, transcriptomics)
- Extracellular vesicles and function (molecular players for extracellular vesicle biogenesis, extracellular vesicle targeting to cells, extracellular vesicles as diagnostics and/or therapeutics in pathophysiology)
Learning outcomes
In this course we intend to make PhD students and post-doctoral researchers familiar with good-practice-guidelines and methods for purification and identification of extracellular vesicles with practical sessions included.
What past participants say about the course
“This course was very informative and covers all the major aspects of EV research. It addresses questions of what level of quality is required for good publications but also offers relevant approaches towards analysing data and critical thinking in the EV field. Whether you are taking your first steps in this field or more experienced, this course applies to you.” – Dr. Berglind Eva Benediktsdóttir, University of Iceland, Iceland
“My research is focused on understanding the role of exosomes in the progression of glioblastoma. While working on exosome-mediated regulation of angiogenesis in glioblastoma, I found significant difficulties in getting a pure population of exosomes as it is often contaminated with other biomolecules. As a result, we were in delusion whether the data which we were getting was the effect of exosomes or other biomolecules. Fortunately, I found the EMBO Practical Course on extracellular vesicles, focusing on the isolation and purification of extracellular vesicles, which was extremely important for my research work. We were trained to use cutting-edge research tools for extracellular vesicles and learned bioinformatic analysis of biomolecules that are present in exosomes. I also got an opportunity to interact with world-leading researchers and discuss my research. ” – Abir Mondal, National Centre for Cell Science, India
Speakers
Speakers, trainers, and staff
Anaïs Bécot
Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris
France
Sarah Deville
Ghent University
Belgium
(Virtual trainer)
Olivier De Wever
Ghent University
Belgium
Mario Gimona
Paracelsus Medical University
Austria
André Görgens
Karolinska Institutet
Sweden
An Hendrix
Ghent University
Belgium
Maribel Lara-Corona
Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris
France
Cecilia Lässer
University of Gothenburg
Sweden
(Virtual speaker)
Estefanía Lozano Andrés
Utrecht University
The Netherlands
Suresh Mathivanan
La Trobe University
Australia
Esther Nolte-’t Hoen
Utrecht University
The Netherlands
Michiel Pegtel
Amsterdam UMC
The Netherlands
Cláudio Pinheiro
Ghent University
Belgium
Johan Swinnen
KU Leuven
Belgium
Guillaume Van Niel
Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris
France
Marca Wauben
Utrecht University
The Netherlands
Scientific organisers
An Hendrix
Ghent University
Belgium
Esther Nolte-’t Hoen
Utrecht University
The Netherlands
Guillaume Van Niel
Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris
France
Course organisers
Raili Pall
Course and Conference Officer
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Swetlana Krez
Training Lab Manager
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Programme
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- Some pre-course work (such as watching pre-recordings, protocol reading and computational exercises) with estimated time 0-10 hours will be required and will be shared in advance of the course.
- Some speakers may need to join virtually to give their lecture or Q&A, and the programme is subject to change.
Day 1 – Sunday 12 March 2023
| Time (Europe/Berlin) | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 16:00 – 16:30 | Registration | ISG Hotel |
| 16:30 – 17:00 | Welcome & house notes | ISG Hotel |
| 17:00 – 19:00 | Flash talks by participants & Ice breaker exercise | ISG Hotel |
| 19:00 | Buffer dinner & Networking | ISG Hotel |
Day 2 – Monday 13 March 2023
| Time (Europe/Berlin) | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 08:40 | Bus from ISG hotel to EMBL | ISG hotel bus stop |
| 08:50 – 09:00 | Safety instructions Swetlana Krez – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Outline of the day An Hendrix – Ghent University, Belgium | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 09:15 – 10:00 | Lecture: Heterogeneity in EV methods An Hendrix – Ghent University, Belgium | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Coffee break | |
| 10:30 – 11:15 | Lecture: Heterogeneity in EV subtypes Edit Buzas – Semmelweis University, Hungary | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 11:15 – 11:45 | Introduction to practicals and separation methods An Hendrix – Ghent University, Belgium | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 11:45 – 12:45 | Lunch break | EMBL Canteen |
| 12:45 – 13:45 | Practical 1: Preparation of EVs by differential ultracentrifugation | Training Lab A & B |
| 13:45 – 14:30 | Lecture: Fluorescent labeling of EVs Esther Nolte-’t Hoen – Utrecht University, The Netherlands | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 14:30 – 15:30 | Practical 1: Fluorescent labeling Trainers: An Hendrix, Esther Nolte-’t Hoen, Anaïs Bécot, Cláudio Pinheiro, Estefania Lozano Andrés, Maribel Lara Corona | Training Lab A & B |
| 15:30 – 16:15 | Lecture: EV biogenesis Guillaume Van Niel – Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, France | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 16:15 – 16:45 | Coffee break | |
| 16:45 – 17:30 | Lecture: RNA sorting in EVs Esther Nolte-’t Hoen – Utrecht University, The Netherlands | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 17:30 – 19:45 | Practical 2: EV separation using Optiprep density gradient centrifugation Trainers: An Hendrix, Esther Nolte-’t Hoen, Anaïs Bécot, Cláudio Pinheiro, Estefania Lozano Andrés, Maribel Lara Corona | Training Lab A & B |
| 19:45 – 20:45 | Dinner | EMBL canteen |
| 20:45 | Bus from EMBL to ISG hotel | EMBL bus stop |
Day 3 – Tuesday 14 March 2023
| Time (Europe/Berlin) | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 08:40 | Bus from ISG hotel to EMBL | ISG hotel bus stop |
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Outline of the day Guillaume Van Niel – Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, France | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 09:15 – 10:25 | Practical 3: EV separation using size exclusion chromatography Trainers: An Hendrix, Esther Nolte-’t Hoen, Anaïs Bécot, Cláudio Pinheiro, Estefania Lozano Andrés, Maribel Lara Corona | Training Lab A & B |
| 10:25 – 10:35 | Practical ONI: CHIP demonstration and addition of EVs | Training Lab A & B |
| 10:35 – 10:55 | Coffee break | |
| 10:55 – 12:00 | Practical 2 (continuation): Collect and process fractions from density gradients Trainers: An Hendrix, Esther Nolte-’t Hoen, Anaïs Bécot, Cláudio Pinheiro, Estefania Lozano Andrés, Maribel Lara Corona | Training Lab A & B |
| 12:00 – 12:45 | Lecture: Quantitative and qualitative EV analysis by flow cytometry Marca Wauben – Utrecht University, The Netherlands (Virtual Speaker) | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 12:45 – 13:45 | Lunch break | EMBL Canteen |
| 13:45 – 14:30 | Lecture: Single EV analysis André Görgens – Karolinska Institutet, Sweden | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 14:30 – 15:45 | Practical 4: Particle analysis (rotation 1) Trainers: An Hendrix, Esther Nolte-’t Hoen, Anaïs Bécot, Cláudio Pinheiro, Estefania Lozano Andrés, Maribel Lara Corona | Training Lab A & B |
| 15:45 – 16:15 | Coffee break | |
| 16:15 – 17:30 | Practical 4 (continuation): Particle analysis (rotation 2) Trainers: An Hendrix, Esther Nolte-’t Hoen, Anaïs Bécot, Cláudio Pinheiro, Estefania Lozano Andrés, Maribel Lara Corona | Training Lab A & B |
| 17:30 – 18:45 | Practical 4 (continuation): Particle analysis (rotation 3) Trainers: An Hendrix, Esther Nolte-’t Hoen, Anaïs Bécot, Cláudio Pinheiro, Estefania Lozano Andrés, Maribel Lara Corona | Training Lab A & B |
| 18:45 – 19:30 | Tapas dinner | ATC Foyer |
| 19:30 – 21:30 | Poster session I (ODD numbers) with drinks | ATC Foyer |
| 21:30 | Bus from EMBL to ISG hotel | EMBL bus stop |
Day 4 – Wednesday 15 March 2023
| Time (Europe/Berlin) | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 08:40 | Bus from ISG hotel to EMBL | ISG hotel bus stop |
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Outline of the day Esther Nolte-’t Hoen – Utrecht University, The Netherlands | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 09:15 – 10:15 | Practical 8: Data Analysis (in 3 groups) Trainers: An Hendrix, Esther Nolte-’t Hoen, Anaïs Bécot, Cláudio Pinheiro, Estefania Lozano Andrés, Maribel Lara Corona, Guillaume Van Niel | Courtyard Room A & B, Flexlab A & B, Seminar room ATC B11 |
| 10:15 – 10:45 | Coffee break | |
| 10:45 – 11:45 | Lecture: EV characterization by transmission electron microscopy and western blot analysis Guillaume Van Niel – Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, France | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 11:45 – 12:00 | Intro to practical session: Guillaume Van Niel – Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, France | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 12:00 – 12:45 | Group activity: Tour of electron microscopy core facility with Q&A session | |
| 12:45 – 13:45 | Lunch break | EMBL Canteen |
| 13:45 – 17:15 | Practical sessions 5,6,7 in parallel (with flexible coffee break) | |
| Group 1: EM Prep – Maribel Lara Corona Group 2: EM remote – Guillaume Van Niel Group 3: EV Track – An Hendrix, Cláudio Pinheiro, Sarah Deville (virtual) | Training Lab A & B, EM Facility, Courtyard Room A & B | |
| Group 1: EM Prep – Maribel Lara Corona Group 2: EM remote – Guillaume Van Niel Group 3: EV Track – An Hendrix, Cláudio Pinheiro, Sarah Deville (virtual) | Training Lab A & B, EM Facility, Courtyard Room A & B | |
| Group 1: EM Prep – Maribel Lara Corona Group 2: EM remote – Guillaume Van Niel Group 3: EV Track – An Hendrix, Cláudio Pinheiro, Sarah Deville (virtual) | Training Lab A & B, EM Facility, Courtyard Room A & B | |
| 17:15 – 18:15 | Q&A Session | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 18:15 – 19:00 | Pizza dinner | ATC Foyer |
| 19:00 – 21:00 | Poster session II (EVEN numbers) with drinks | ATC Foyer |
| 21:00 | Bus from EMBL to ISG hotel | EMBL bus stop |
Day 5 – Thursday 16 March 2023
| Time (Europe/Berlin) | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 08:40 | Bus from ISG hotel to EMBL | ISG hotel bus stop |
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Outline of the day Esther Nolte-’t Hoen – Utrecht University, The Netherlands | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 09:15 – 10:00 | Lecture: Impact of pre-analytical factors on EV separation Cecilia Lässer – University of Gothenburg, Sweden (Virtual Speaker) | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 10:00 – 11:15 | Practical 8: Data Analysis (in 3 groups) Trainers: An Hendrix, Esther Nolte-’t Hoen, Anaïs Bécot, Cláudio Pinheiro, Estefania Lozano Andrés, Maribel Lara Corona, Guillaume Van Niel | Courtyard Room A & B, Flexlab A & B, Seminar room ATC B11 |
| 11:15 – 11:45 | Coffee break | |
| 11:45 – 12:45 | Practical 8 (continuation): Data Analysis (in 3 groups) Trainers: An Hendrix, Esther Nolte-’t Hoen, Anaïs Bécot, Cláudio Pinheiro, Estefania Lozano Andrés, Maribel Lara Corona, Guillaume Van Niel | Courtyard Room A & B, Flexlab A & B, Seminar room ATC B11 |
| 12:45 – 12:55 | Group photo | |
| 12:55 – 13:45 | Lunch break | EMBL Canteen |
| 13:45 – 15:45 | Practical 8 (continuation): Presentation data analysis and discussion | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 15:45 – 16:15 | Coffee break | |
| 16:15 – 17:00 | Lecture: Functional EV analysis in vivo Michiel Pegtel – Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 17:00 | Bus from EMBL to ISG Hotel | EMBL bus stop |
| Free evening |
Day 6 – Friday 17 March 2023
| Time (Europe/Berlin) | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 08:40 | Bus from ISG hotel to EMBL | ISG hotel bus stop |
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Outline of the day An Hendrix – Ghent University, Belgium | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 09:15 – 10:00 | Lecture: Transcriptomics Cláudio Pinheiro – Ghent University, Belgium | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 10:00 – 10:45 | Lecture: Separation of EVs from different biofluids Olivier De Wever – Ghent University, Belgium | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 10:45 – 11:15 | Coffee break | |
| 11:15 – 12:00 | Lecture: Proteomics Suresh Mathivanan – La Trobe University, Australia | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch break | EMBL Canteen |
| 13:00 – 15:30 | Practical 9: Practical/Bioinformatics Suresh Mathivanan – La Trobe University, Australia | Computer Training Lab |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Coffee break | |
| 16:00 – 16:45 | Lecture: Lipidomics Johan Swinnen – KU Leuven, Belgium | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 16:45 – 17:30 | Lecture: Clinical application Mario Gimona – Paracelsus Medical University, Austria | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 17:30 – 18:30 | ‘Meet-the-speakers’ session | Courtyard Room A & B, ATC Foyer |
| 18:30 – 19:00 | Wrap up session | Courtyard Room A & B |
| 19:00 | Bus from EMBL to Neckarmünzplatz (via ISG Hotel) | EMBL bus stop |
| 19:45 | Course dinner downtown |
Practical information
Registration fees and motivation letter
The course is limited to 24 participants. For selection purposes, please note that your application will not be considered without a letter of motivation.
Registration
Registration fees include admission, course materials, COVID-19 safety measures, meals and coffee breaks.
This EMBO course includes accommodation and transportation to and from the ISG Hotel to the venue.
| Academia | €500 |
| PhD Student | €500 |
| Industry | €1000 |
NO visa support letters will be issued until payment of the registration fee is confirmed.
Confirmation and payment
The registration fee should be paid only after acceptance to the course. The results will be announced approximately 2-3 weeks after the application deadline.
Motivation letter submission
After you have logged in and successfully registered, you will receive an email asking you to submit your motivation letter. Click on the link provided and enter your motivation letter in the text box provided. Alternatively you can submit your motivation letter by clicking on the link on the confirmation page directly after registering.
Instructions
- Include your relevant skills, experience and qualifications showing why you would be suitable for the course.
- Explain why you would like to attend, including what you can contribute and how you think you will benefit from the course.
Please note:
- The limit of 2000 characters refers to manually typed text and excludes spaces. If an error occurs try using a different web browser (preferably Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox).
- If you copy-paste the text into the form, hidden formatting might still be included which may cause the text to exceed the 2,000 character limit resulting in an error message. We recommend you clear all formatting before pasting in the text.
- If you have special symbols in your text, make sure you are using Unicode characters, otherwise these will not be recognised.
For detailed instructions, please watch our video on how to submit a course motivation letter.
Further details
For further information about registration and motivation letter submission please refer to the FAQ page.
Financial assistance
Financial assistance
Limited financial assistance is provided by the EMBL Advanced Training Centre Corporate Partnership Programme and EMBO in the form of both registration fee waivers and travel grants. Availability is limited to participants attending on-site EMBL Courses and virtual or on-site EMBO Practical Courses in Heidelberg, and will be indicated during the motivation letter submission process.
Your place in the course is only confirmed by paying the registration fee, which is mandatory even when receiving a fee waiver.
Registration fee waiver
The fee waiver will cover the registration sum that you have paid to attend the course.
Travel grant
The travel grant will cover the cost of travel (airfare, train, bus, taxi, accommodation, visa, and/or registration fees*) and is provided up to specified caps which are normally as follows:
– up to €400 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course within Europe.
– up to €1000 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course from outside Europe.
– up to €500 for any participant travelling to an EMBO Practical Course.
– up to €1000 for any participant working in Chile, India, Singapore or Taiwan travelling to an EMBO Practical Course.
– up to €700 for any participant working in Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, and Turkey travelling to an EMBO Practical Course.
*Registration fees are only covered for EMBO Practical Courses
The organisers may reduce the grant cap to accommodate more participants. Recipients will be notified of their travel cap amount when they are informed of the outcome of their application. Original receipts must be provided with your signature for all costs incurred within two months of completion of travel. Scanned copies cannot be accepted.
Childcare grant (EMBO Practical Courses only)
For EMBO Practical Course participants with children, there is the possibility to apply for a childcare grant to offset child care costs incurred by participants or speakers when participating at a course. Eligible costs include fees for a babysitter or child-care facility, travel costs for a caregiver, or travel costs for taking the child to the meeting etc. Please note that priority will be given to early-stage researchers. A maximum amount of €500 can be awarded per participant applying for an EMBO childcare grant.
Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds travel grant
Applies to selected courses only. Availability will be indicated during the motivation letter submission process.
This grant covers costs related to your attendance at the course (registration, travel and accommodation costs). The grant is restricted to PhD students and postdocs who conduct basic biomedical research.
Whether you are eligible to apply for a travel grant, depends on when you received your university entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur, A-Levels, High School Diploma, Final State Examination):
– for PhD and MD students, as well as graduates, the university entrance qualification must not have been obtained more than 11 years ago at the time of the envisaged course
– for postdocs, the university entrance qualification must not have been obtained more than 13 years ago at the time of the envisaged course
Application
You may apply for financial assistance when submitting your motivation letter for courses. In your application, you will be asked to answer questions regarding why your lab cannot fund your attendance and how your attendance will make a difference to your career. Application for financial support will not affect the outcome of your registration application.
For the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds Travel Grant, there is a pre-application question during the motivation letter submission process, and if selected you will be requested to complete a standard form and documentation consisting of your travel expense estimation.
Selection
The scientific organisers will select the recipients of all financial assistance during the motivation letter selection process. Results will be announced approximately 6-8 weeks before the event start date, however for some events this may be delayed. Selection results do not impact your admission to the course. Selection is based on scientific merit, your current work or study location, the reasons for needing financial support, and the impact this event will have on your career.
Reimbursement
Costs will be reimbursed after the meeting only once a reimbursement form and original receipts (from travel costs) have been received.
Further details
See our list of external funding opportunities and for further information about financial assistance please refer to the FAQ page.
Accommodation and shuttles
Hotel
Accommodation has been pre-booked for you at the ISG Hotel for the default dates of Sunday 12 March to Saturday 18 March (6 nights). Please note that the course registration fee includes coverage of accommodation costs in twin rooms, including breakfasts, for your stay at the ISG. In case you would like to have a single room, please let us know and please note that you will be required to pay an additional cost of 31€ per night. This should be paid by you directly to the ISG during your stay. Any additional nights need to be booked and paid for by you. We recommend that all course participants stay at the ISG Hotel which is the dedicated hotel for the course.
Local transport
Shuttle buses will go from the ISG Hotel to EMBL and back, mornings and evenings. A bus schedule and location of the bus stops will be made available prior to the meeting.
Further details
Address: EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
For further information on getting to EMBL Heidelberg visit our Travel Information page.
For enquiries about accommodation and local transportation please refer to the FAQ page.
Technical requirements and event software
Technical requirements
Below you will find the software and technical requirements for this course.
- Participants need to bring their own laptops, which will be used to remotely access EMBL virtual machines with pre-installed software.
- You will need admin rights to install the software required to access the virtual machines. If you do not have admin rights, please contact your technical support team in advance to make sure the software can be installed.
- If you have a non-standard HDMI port (other than type A), you need to bring an adaptor.
- Keyboard and PC mouse are available for use with a standard USB port. If you have a different port type, such as USB-C, you will need to bring your own.
Event software
The EMBL eCampus learning platform will be used to collaborate, communicate and network with all of the course participants. All participants will receive information on how to join shortly before the course. We recommend using Chrome, Safari or Mozilla Firefox browsers for eCampus.
Additional information
Please find additional information including FAQs, terms and conditions, COVID-19 safety policy and travelling to EMBL on our Information for Participants page.
COVID-19 related questions
COVID-19 information for on-site events at EMBL Heidelberg can be found in our COVID-19 FAQs.
Sponsors
Event partners
Event sponsors
Event supporters
Sponsorship opportunities
We offer a variety of event sponsoring possibilities, with the flexibility to select a set sponsorship package or combine individual sponsorship options to suit your event budget. Discounts are available for companies sponsoring multiple events at EMBL Heidelberg. View other conferences, or contact sponsorship@embl.de for further information on sponsoring possibilities.
If you are interested in becoming a media partner of this event, please visit our media partnerships webpage.
Warning
EMBL wishes to warn sponsors of EMBL conferences and courses of fraudulent schemes purporting to offer sponsorship opportunities on behalf of EMBL or affiliated with EMBL officials. One current scam campaign of which we are aware is conducted using the name ‘Judy Eastman’ (judy@gopcontact.a2hosted.com) and entails approaches to sponsors offering sponsorship opportunities on EMBL’s behalf. Please be kindly advised that all relevant communication regarding sponsorship of EMBL conferences, symposia and courses is handled by EMBL directly and is sent from an official EMBL account. EMBL does not work with any external providers on sponsorship acquisition.
Please also note that:
- EMBL never provides attendee lists for purchase. Any offers of such are fraudulent.
- EMBL will never call or email you to ask for your credit card details or to request a payment.
- All payments are on invoice.
Suspicious communications purportedly from, for or on behalf of EMBL should be reported to EMBL at the following email address sponsorship@embl.de.
Media kit
Want to let others know you’re attending this event? Take a look at our shareable media and feel free to use them in your social media channels or presentations.
Date: 12 - 17 Mar 2023
Location: EMBL Heidelberg
Venue: EMBL Advanced Training Centre
Deadline(s):
Application: Closed
Organisers:
-
An Hendrix
Ghent University, Belgium -
Esther Noltet Hoen
Utrecht University, Netherlands -
Guillaume Van Niel
INSTITUTE OF PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSCIENCE OF PARIS, France
Contact: Raili Pall
Download event poster
