The course is intended for all who work with molecular diagnostics, (flow)cytometry or microscopy techniques in a clinical laboratory. The training will review the actual techniques and illustrate their use in daily practice.
We will focus both on the technical aspects and the clinical and scientific basis they relate to. We will mainly use the English language. Workshops (small groups of max. 25 persons) will be highly interactive, either in English or Dutch dependent on the participants.
08.30 – 09.00 Coffee and Registration
09.00 – 10.30 Plenary Session
09.00-09.15 Welcome
09.15-09.40 Evolutions in molecular techniques - Karl Vandepoele (UZ Gent)
09.40-10.05 Evolutions in flow cytometry - Eleni Linskens (UZ Brussel)
10.05-10.30 Evolutions in digital microscopy – Winnok Devos (UAntwerpen)
10.30 – 11.00 Coffee Break
11.00 – 12.30 Parallel Sessions
11.00-11.25 Opportunities of optical genome mapping for genetic diagnosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia - Barbara Dewaele (UZ Leuven)
11.30-11.55 Nanopore Sequencing (e.g., Covid) - Toon Janssen (UZ Brussel)
12.00-12.25 Comparison of digital droplet systems - Wim Trypsteen (UGent)
11.00-11.25 PID with flow – Jana Neirinck (UZ Gent)
11.30-11.55 Cross-matching in renal transplantations using flow cytometry- Steffi De Pelsmaeker (Red Cross Flanders)
12.00-12.25 Impact of the IVD regulation on flow cytometry – Pieter Vermeersch (UZ Leuven)
12.30 – 13.30 Lunch Break
13.30 – 14.45 Workshop Session 1 (see workshop overview)
14.45 – 15.15 Coffee Break
15.15 – 16.30 Workshop Session 2 (see workshop overview)
16.35 – 17.00 Plenary Session
Large scale whole genome sequencing of metastatic cancers – Paul Roepman (Hartwig Medical Foundation, The Netherlands)
17.00 – 18.00 Reception Closing day 1
09.00 – 09.25 Plenary Session
CAR-T monitoring with PCR and Flow cytometry and impact on MRD measurement - Mattias Hofmans (UZ Gent)
09.30 – 10.45 Workshop Session 3 (see workshop overview)
10.45 – 11.15 Coffee Break
11.15 – 12.30 Workshop Session 4 (see workshop overview)
12.30 – 13.30 Lunch Break
13.30 – 15.15 Plenary Session
13.30-14.45 University colleges presenting research projects
14.50-15.15 MRD detection in multiple myeloma: NGS versus NGF - Wouter de Brouwer (UZ Brussel) & Nancy Boeckx (UZ Leuven)
15.20– 16.45 Parallel Sessions
15.20-15.45 Single cell sequencing: applications from a diagnostic perspective - Celine Everaert (UGent)
15.50-16.15 Targeted RNA sequencing for the detection of SNVs, indels, splice variants and gene fusions in lung cancer - Sofie Claerhout (UZ Leuven)
16.20-16.45 ABL1 kinase mutation detection via NGS and ddPCR - Pascal Vannuffel (IPG Gosselies)
15.20-15.45 Gain insight into flow cytometry data with brightfield images using the Attune CytPix – Cora Chadick (Amsterdam UMC)
15.50-16.15 Digitalisation of bone marrow morphology - Kathleen Deiteren (UZ Antwerpen)
16.20-16.45 Digitalisation of APO - Ivo Van den Berghe (AZ Sint Jan)
16.50 – 18.00 Farewell reception and closing words
There are 25 participants per workshop. If a workshop is full, you will not see it in the registration form. (not see = full)
1.1 Basic: Set-up a protocol and standardization of a cytometer - Antoine Pacheco (Analis)
1.2 Advanced: Start-up with spectral cytometry -Carole Astruc (Cytek Biosciences)
1.3 Advanced: Flow cytometric MRD applications in hemato-oncology - Barbara Denys (UZGent)
1.4 Basic: Massive Parallel Sequencing - Ben Caljon (VUB)
1.5 Advanced: Interpretation of clonality analyses (IG & TR) and IgH hypermutation analysis - Elke Boone (AZ Delta) & Sabine Franke (CHU Liège)
1.6 Advanced: Advanced Designing low-cost and highly multiplexed qPCR assays with limited sample input -Rajendra Kumar Chauhan (Fluidigm)
2.1 Basic: Start validation of a novel flow cytometer - Malicorne Buysse (UZ Gent)
2.2 Basic: Blood and bone marrow differentiation by flowcytometry - Barbara Depreter (UZ Brussel)
2.3 Advanced: Data mining and machine learning in flowcytometry - Sofie Van Gassen (Ugent)
2.4 Basic: Bioinformatics for dummies - Paco Hulpiau (HOWEST) & Cedric Hermans (HOWEST)
2.5 Advanced: RNA sequencing for the detection of fusion transcripts - Joni Van Der Meulen (UZ Gent), Claude Van Campenhout (CUB Hopital Erasme) & Ken Maes (UZ Brussel)
2.6 Advanced: Chimerism evaluation by NGS - Helena Devos (AZ Sint-Jan)
3.1 Advanced: LAIP versus LAIP-based DfN approach in MRD AML - Angèle Kelder, Sander Snel, Jacqueline Cloos & Lok Lam Ngai (CCA Amsterdam, VUmc)
3.2 Advanced: Multicolor panel design: tips & tricks - Gert Van Isterdael (VIB-UGent)
3.3 Basic: Spread and controls in flow cytometry - Alexander Bak Dinitzen (Miltenyi Biotec)
3.4 Basic: Bioinformatics workshop on sequencing, introducing data formats, analysis and visualization - Paco Hulpiau (HOWEST) & Marieke Mispelaere (HOWEST)
3.5 Advanced: Copy number variation by shallow sequencing in CLL and MM - Barbara Cauwelier (AZ Sint-Jan)
3.6 Advanced: Covid testing - from low to high throughput - Jasmine Coppens (UZ Antwerpen) & Laurent Gillet (ULiège)
4.1 Basic: Quality assurance in flow cytometry: discussion of guidelines - André Gothot (CHU Liège)
4.2 Advanced: Digital microscopy of bone marrow and body fluids - Marie Salin (West Medica)
4.3 Basic: Switching from 8 to 12 colors - Siska Blomme (AZ Sint Jan)
4.4 Basic: Statistical methods in validation reports and QC - Jérémie Gras (IP Gosselies)
4.5 Advanced: Advanced Application using Droplet Digital PCR Technology- TBA (Biorad)
4.6 Advanced: NGS variant interpretation + user experience with different NGS interpretation software tools Guy Froyen (Jessa Hospital) & Sara Vander Borght (UZ Leuven)
Registration will be open from the 10th of March until the 10th of April. Registration for each workshop will be limited to a specific number of participants. If a workshop is full, you will not be able to choose it in the registration form.
€ 120.00 (working in a non –profit organization)
€ 200.00 (other)
€ 200.00 (working in a non-profit organization)
€ 300.00 (other)
AP University college, campus Viaduct, is the host institution for the sixth edition of the MB&D course.
Are you coming with your own bike? There is a spacious underground bicycle parking at campus NOO nearbye.
Prefer to take the Velo? Nearest Velo stations:
In the vicinity of the campus, you have a choice of several streetcar and bus lines.
More info about fares & routes on the De Lijn website.
Rooseveltplaats junction at about 1000 m
Stop Noorderplaats [103341 & 103342] just in front of the campus (t.h. Italiëlei)
Noorderplaats stop [108395 & 104390] at about 50 m (on the Van de Wervestraat)
Opera stops [103354 & 103357] & Opera Metro [103365 & 103368 & 103394] at approximately 1 km
Antwerp-Central Station is about 1.5 km away or 20 min on foot.
More info about fares & routes on the NMBS website.
You can travel to campus Viaduct by car, but this is not the most optimal choice.
A low emission zone (LEZ) is in force in the city center of Antwerp. Check here whether your vehicle is allowed inside.
Campus Viaduct is in the red parking zone: street parking is limited and expensive.
Public car parks nearby:
On the outskirts of the city, you will find several park and rides (P+Rs). Here you can park for free for a longer period and easily transfer to a bicycle, streetcar, or bus.
ELL Campus nearby has an underground car park, but this is reserved for staff and evening students.
