By Archelyn Sumampong

The Genomics and Genetic Engineering Laboratory of the MMSU College of Medicine (COM), together with the NICER Project 1 of the Research Directorate, and Lifeline Diagnostics Supplies, Inc., conducted a training on Genomics and Next Generation Sequencing Workflows on January 16 to 18, 2024.

Led by Dr. Peter Icalia-Gann, who earned his doctorate in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Arkansas on a Fulbright scholarship, the activity aimed to enhance the research skills of MMSU faculty, staff, and partner agencies, and to provide foundational principles, practical training, and familiarize the common challenges in next-generation sequencing workflows and provide strategies for troubleshooting. 

Among the topics discussed were gene expression analysis, experimental design and sample preparation, quantitative PCR (qPCR), microarray analysis, next-generation sequencing technologies, quality control and validation techniques, and resources and tools for gene expression analysis. 

MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis expressed her interest on the multimillion molecular biology tools such as the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and iSeq, as well as their specifications and applications in genomics-related research. “These tools will contribute in enhancing the capabilities of MMSU researchers, paving the way for stronger collaborations in the scientific community,” she said.

The trainees included Dr. Aira Cassandra Castro, Dr. Ina Krista Irapta, Dr. James Patrick Peralta, Dr. Mae Ann Batuyong, Dr. Alice Geraldine H. Pagaling, Prof. Mae Rose Maoirat-Abad, Prof. Jessica G. Asuncion, Ms. Grace Sheila Jalani, Ms. Micah Benize Balbas, Ms. Hazel Achuela, Ms. Marcylyn B. Manuel, Mr. Marvin Jericho Cava, Ms. Kely Sambrano, Ms. Shaira Dawn C. Galacgac, Mr. Jan Ephraim R. Vallente, Mr. Jecho Prades, and Mr. Alvin G. Domingo. (MKA_StratCom)