by Merc Emil Matienzo (Riboswitch), Jickerson Lado (Integrons)
Los Baños – Seventeen participants from state universities,
private institutions and government agencies gather in UPLB to attend a
week-long training course on basic molecular techniques and data analysis,
organized by the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MBB) Laboratories and the
Genetics and Molecular Biology Division (GMBD) of the Institute of Biological
Sciences (IBS) this July 6-10, at the Molecular Genetics Laboratory of IBS.
Among the participants, 15 came from Luzon and one each from the
Visayas and Mindanao. Luzon participants include 5 from Laguna (Maria Renina
Nissa Agcaoili, Darwin Landicho, Laurie Salumbides, Aldwin Mendoza and Aleli
Marasigan), 4 from NCR (Jenny Lyn Chua, Christine Eden Cortez, Kris Ortizo and
Joshua Vacarizas), 2 from Cavite (Vanne Christine Angus and Jonathan Digma),
and 1 each from Pampanga (Gerald Salas), Albay (Maria Lara Balingasa), Romblon
(Eddie Fetalvero), and Sorsogon (Ma. Victoria Hadap). Edgar Hortillosa and
Lowell Aribal are from Iloilo City and Bukidnon, respectively.
MBB Laboratories staff and GMBD faculty and facilitators together with the participants. Photo Courtesy | Prof. Ria Alcabedos |
The week-long training course started with an overview of the
program and lectures on introductory molecular biology and nucleic acid
isolation techniques, followed by hands-on activities on the use of
micropippetors, genomic DNA Isolation, agarose gel electrophoresis, and DNA
quantitation. First day ended with demonstration on new technologies like Qubit ® Fluorometer
and Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer.
Other hands-on activities are amplifications of DNA by Polymerase
Chain Reaction (PCR) using gene specific primers (GSPs) and simple sequence
repeat (SSR) markers. Data analyses constitute the rest of the training.
Ms. Gonzales demonstrating the proper use of micropippetors. |
Participants will examine DNA sequences produced from their
wet-lab through
scoring, sequence editing, homology and alignment. Lectures on different molecular markers and how to download and
upload sequences using Genbank will also be conducted. Last dry-lab works include genetic distance analysis and tree building.
Also included in the training is a tour of the laboratories in UP
Diliman-National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB),
Philippine Genome Center (PGC) Sequencing and Bioinformatics Facility, and
Genotyping Services Laboratory (GSL) of the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI).
The event is spearheaded by the MBB Laboratories Management Chair,
Dr. Ma. Carmina Manuel and GMBD Head, Dr. Ma. Genaleen Diaz. She was
assisted by the over-all and assistant training coordinators, Dr. Rachel Acil
and Ms. Aimee Cagalawan.
Other facilitators and staff include, Prof. Aprill Punongbayan, Ms. Diana Rose Gonzales, Ms. Bernabeth Jo Tendero, Ms. Joan Christine Adajar, Mr. Jickerson Lado, Prof. Riaflor Alcabedos, Mr. Wilson Aala, Ms. Rosalina Tandang, Mr. Eufrocino Aquino, and Mr. John Paul Balboa.
This week-long training course is sponsored by Philippine Genome
Center-Cocogenomics Project, BioTriune, Inc. and Fil-anaserve, Inc.
“[For me] very important, kasi kapag sa educ ka superficial lang
'yung binibigay sa'yo, karamihan alam mo more on theory, so dito nakikita mo
yung itinuturo at iniimagine, nakikita mo na variable lahat... Sample specific
kasi generalized masyado sa mga libro." Eddie Fetalvero, an Instructor
from Romblon State University and currently a PhD student of UP Open
University, responded when ask about how essential this training would be for
him.
Mr. Fetalvero also added that the activities in the training
already exceeded his expectations so far, knowing that it was just the second
day while commending the facilitators for being too hospitable and humble
enough in interacting with the participants.
GeneSoc Represents
An alumna of the organization, Ms. Maria Renina Nissa Agcaoili (Euchromatin),
is also present as one of the participants. She told the GENEWS Team that she's
really happy and grateful to be back in UPLB after years of not seeing her
beloved university.
Being a BS Biology graduate who took up Cell and Molecular Biology
as her major, she said that the training really help her recall all the
laboratory techniques she learned back in her undergraduate years. "I know
that this will be very significant to me especially in my future studies in
graduate school," she added.
About the MBB Laboratories, IBS
The Molecular Biology
and Biotechnology (MBB) Laboratories of Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS),
University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) was established in 2002. The MBB
Laboratories include the Molecular Genetics, Natural Products, and Toxicology
laboratories. IBS-MBB has adequate facilities and equipment for carrying out
academic and research activities in different areas of molecular biology and
biotechnology.
Most of the equipment
was initially obtained through the Department of Science and Technology -
Engineering and Science Education Program (DOST-ESEP) and later on through
institutional grants from PCIEERD-DOST (formerly PCASTRD) and from other
molecular biology-related projects.
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