Training
Planned INSECT DOCTORS Training Events, Workshops and Symposia.
Read more about the courses, symposia and workshops below the table.
| Number | Main training events and conferences | ECTS* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course I: Concepts and terms in insect pathology and their placement in the general context of diseases and health. | 2.0 |
| 2 | Course II: Laboratory methods (diagnostics, bio-assays) in insect pathology across organisms | 3.0 |
| 3 | Course III: Workshop on Individual research projects. | 1.5 |
| 4 | Course IV: The value and pitfalls of metagenomics in pathogen detection and discovery. | 2.0 |
| 5 | Course V: Using mixture models to predict expected joint effects of multiple pathogens. | 2.0 |
| 6 | Satellite symposium in connection with European Congress of Entomology 2022.. | 1.0 |
| 7 | Workshop: Insects for Food and Feed and the practical problems encountered | 0.5 |
| 8 | Symposium aimed at industrial dissemination of research data | 1.0 |
| Total | 13.0 |
* ECTS: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System.
Course I
Course I will teach important concepts in insect pathology such as virulence, covert infections, RNA interference and other aspects of insect immunity. The various pathogen types under study in INSECT DOCTORS will be used as examples to explain these concepts.
Course II
Course II is a “hands on course”, which ensures that the ESRs learn how to diagnose various kinds of diseases (viruses, fungi, bacteria, microsporidia) in living and dead insect hosts. The methods used will include various microscopical techniques (confocal, EM, immunofluorescence studies), diagnostic technologies such as PCR, qPCR, Multiplex PCR, MALDI-TOF, and ELISA.
Course III
Course III aims at learning how to clearly formulate research aims and hypotheses and how to orally present a research project. The ESRs will also learn how to give and receive feedback and how to peer review the plans of others (transferable skills).
Course IV
Course IV is an advanced course on cutting edge metagenomics and meta-barcoding concepts and on methods innovative methods applied in insect pathology for pathogen discovery. By including both theoretical and practical elements, hand-on experience will be acquired in bioinformatics. A major element is to develop critical thinking by analysing value and pitfalls.
Course V
Course V: Students will gain an understanding of how to describe combined effects of natural stressors and chemicals/pathogens on host insects, using concepts such as concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA). Students will gain experience with the eco-toxicological “MIXtox” mixture toxicity model as a framework in which to define and illustrate interactions between multiple microbial pathogens with other stressors.
Satellite symposium
The INSECT DOCTORS ESRs will attend the European Congress of Entomology in 2022. They will all present their results (poster or oral) in a satellite symposium and will receive immediate feedback from the audience.
Workshop
Workshop on “Insects for Food and Feed, and the problems encountered”, a transdisciplinary event organized together with the European Institute of the History and Cultures of Food of the University of Tours, France. The aim is to bring together biologists, social scientists and stakeholders from the private sectors in a unique networking event.