Next Course: “Innovative Biotechnological Approaches in Health - From Research to Application”, April 2026

This intensive course offers a comprehensive exploration of cutting-edge
biotechnological strategies addressing infectious diseases, encompassing
diagnostics, prevention, and therapeutic interventions.
Module I: Advanced Diagnostics and Surveillance
·Foundations in Health Biotechnology: An introductory session contextualizing
biotechnology's role in health, emphasizing its impact on disease management
and public health.
·Recombinant Protein Technologies: Hands-on training in classical and
recombinant cloning techniques for producing antigens, laying the groundwork
for serological assay development. WET-Lab
·Nanobody Applications: Exploration of nanobodies as versatile tools in
diagnostics and therapeutics, including their properties, modifications, and real-world
applications. WET-Lab
·Biosensor Development: Case study analysis of GISENS, a biotech startup,
illustrating the journey from laboratory research to market-ready biosensors,
highlighting technology transfer processes.
·One Health Surveillance: Examination of hepatitis E virus as a model for
zoonotic disease surveillance, discussing diagnostic tool development and crossspecies
transmission monitoring. WET-Lab.
·Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE): Introduction to WBE as a method for
community-level pathogen surveillance, including discussions on metagenomics
and targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) techniques for comprehensive
pathogen detection.
Module II: Preventive Strategies and Host-Microbe Interactions
·Mucosal Vaccine Innovations: Comparative analysis of mucosal versus
parenteral vaccines, evaluating the efficacy and safety profiles of attenuated and
subunit vaccine platforms.
·Probiotics and Immunobiotics: Investigation into the role of probiotics in
modulating immunity, gut microbiota, and their implications in obesity and
infection control.
·Microfluidic Co-Culture Systems: Utilization of microfluidic devices to assess
the impact of live and inactivated lactic acid bacteria on swine intestinal epithelial
cells, facilitating the selection of strains with potential as vaccine adjuvants.
·In Vivo Modeling: Application of murine models for evaluating novel vaccines
and the use of Caenorhabditis elegans to study innate immunity and infection
dynamics, including protocols for synchronization, survival analysis, colonyforming
unit (CFU) enumeration, and microscopy. Lectures and WET-Lab
Module III: Therapeutic Innovations and Antimicrobial Strategies
·Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Overview of the global AMR
crisis, exploring innovative solutions such as phage therapy, bacteriocins, and
engineered antimicrobials. Design of new antimicrobial therapies that consider
interactions. Use of bacteria as biocontrol (e.g., Bacillus spp. or Lactobacillus as
producers of active compounds). Development of anti-biofilm medical devices.
Diagnostic potential: coexistence patterns that predict clinical outcome. Lectures
and WET-Lab.
·Synthetic Microbiome Models: Discussion on the development of simplified gut
microbiome communities (e.g., SIHUMI model) to study pathogen interactions
and antimicrobial interventions in controlled settings.
· Phage Therapy Applications: Evaluation of phage cocktails against planktonic
bacteria and biofilms through in vitro assays and validation using C. elegans
infection models. Lectures and WET-Lab
· Translational Research and Entrepreneurship: Insights into bridging
academic research with societal needs, featuring case studies of biotech startups
like Untech, emphasizing the transition from bench to bedside.

Objectives of the course:

To train professionals in advanced biotechnology techniques applied to human and animal health with especial focus in infectious diseases.

Activities Objectives

● To train professionals in advanced biotechnology techniques applied to human and animal health with especial focus in infectious diseases.
● To foster a critical understanding of new biotechnological tools and their application in clinical and research contexts.
● To gain hands-on experience in:
− expression, purification and assessment of recombinant proteins and nanobodies
− ELISA set-up (indirect, sandwich, competitive) and validation.
− In vitro assays to assess antimicrobial, phage and probiotic effects on biofilm.
− C. elegans as an in vivo model of infection to assess antimicrobial, phage and probiotic effects.

To get insights on the process of biotechnology transfer. To envision how their scientific work can move beyond the laboratory and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, emphasizing the vital role of technology transfer, collaboration, and entrepreneurial mindset in the biotech sector.