Master Class Series: Emerging Disruptive Technologies in Life Sciences
University of the West of England, Bristol
This IBST Master Classes Series provides a relaxed forum to learn of key emerging and 
potentially disruptive technologies in the life sciences. Presented by expert practitioners in the field, drawn from academia, public sector laboratories and commerce, the informal lectures will describe the technology, discuss current research and describe some application areas in the commercial market place. The master classes are targeted at Senior Managers and Technical Officers who need to keep abreast of key technology developments. The classes will include ample opportunity for discussions with peers and experts in a relaxed environment.
This IBST Master Classes Series will be run as an all-day event in Spring and individual sessions can be run on demand - please contact us if you would like to know more.
Sessions include:
- STEM Cells
- Biosensors
- Biophotonics
- MEMS
STEM Cells
STEM cells are found in all multi-cellular organisms and can divide and differentiate into specialised cells found in different tissues and organs. There are two main sources of stem cells; embryonic stem cells which have the ability to differentiate into many different cell types, whereas the second source of stem cell, from adults, are more restricted in the number of different cell types that they can generate. The plasticity of stem cells enables the development of new therapeutic avenues for the treatment of degenerative disease such as Parkinson’s disease and regeneration of tissues that may have been lost through trauma. Notwithstanding the potential benefits offered by stem cells there are a number of safety and ethical considerations that impact on the use of stem cells. The Master Class will discuss the generation of embryonic and adult stem cells and their potential for therapy and an introduction to the ethical issues surrounding the use of stem cells.
Biosensors
Biosensors combine a biological component, which can offer exquisite selectivity of detection, with a physical component to provide the readout mechanism. The biological element includes antibodies and enzymes which offer highly selective and sensitive detection chemistries. A wide range of readout transducers, e.g. building on recent advances in nanotechnology and photonics, are now available. Applications range from laboratory based systems for high throughput measurements to hand held systems for point of care or other in the field measurements. Examples of commercial biosensors include the blood glucose sensor and pregnancy kits. A wide range of biosensors are now emerging, e.g. to detect illicit substances such as drugs or explosives, to determine the quality of food or to identify the presence of infections such as MRSA or C. Difficile. This Master Class will review the wide range of technologies that biosensors can employ and give specific examples of cutting edge technologies developed for particular applications such as point-of-care diagnostics or environmental analysis.
MEMS
MEMS: Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) technology offers the possibility of producing a wide range of miniaturised sensors and actuators in silicon based technology. Devices range from physical sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes through chemical and biological sensors to complete miniaturised micro-laboratories on a chip. Example applications include inertial sensors for navigation, microphones for mobile phones and point of care sensors for medical diagnostics. This Master Class will review the application of MEMS devices and give specific examples of where the technology has been developed for life science applications.
Biophotonics
Biophotonics –The interaction of photons with biological systems provides a very flexible diagnostic probe both for the investigation of fundamental processes in living systems and also as a diagnostic tool. Photons are particularly useful for in-vivo measurements as they may be able to penetrate inside the organism or may be transported into organism, e.g. to investigate sensitive organs, via thin catheters. Spatial resolution is possible from the macroscale, e.g. 3D imaging of an organism down to the nano-scale where imaging at the sub –cell level is possible. There are a wide range of photonics based spectroscopies which may be used for as the basis of a wide range of applications. These include sensitive assays for point of care diagnostics and the early identification of cancerous tissue within the body or in pathological samples. This Master class will review principals of biophotonics and spectroscopic methods giving examples how these are used for diagnostic applications.
Cost
£ 25.00 per session
*Multiple session registration discount available*
Venue
University of the West of England, Bristol - map and directions
Free car parking available.
Contact us
If you would like to find out more about this event, please contact:
Denise Hope or Urszula Strzemiecka
Institute of Bio-Sensing Technology
Tel: +44(0)117 32 81110
Email: ibst@uwe.ac.uk