Molecular Diagnostics

The quality control in clinical laboratory
Relevance of quality contol;
Type and rate of error in laboratory medicine;
Methods for the analytical quality control;
Accuracy and precision in laboratory medicine;
Analytical goal for precision;
Biological variability and reference intervals.

2. Clinical Biochemistry: Specimen Collection, Handling, and Stability
Specimen collection and storage. Recognize the importance of correct blood collection in managing total patient care;
The correct specimen for the requested test:whole blood, serum and plasma
Collection of serum sample;
Collection of the urine sample;
Collection of CSF;
Collection of olfactory mucosa, tears, saliva and skin
Stability of biological samples;
The core lab and the point of care testing.

3. Standard Urine and Blood Tests: Analysis and Clinical Interpretation
Renal clearance
Physicochemical parameteres of urine
Microscopic analysis of urinary sediment
Hematology
Hemocoagulation and fibrinolysis
Complete blood count (CBC) analysis and interpretation
Morphological analysis of blood cells and hint on disease significance

4. Neurological diseases: classic and innovative biomarkers
Biomarkers (protein, genomic, and enzymatic) and a discussion on the characteristics of an ideal biomarker
Analysis of cerebrospinal fluids (biochemical, microscopic and tips on microbiological analyses)
Analysis of blood biomarkers (recently developed)
Analysis of other tissues biomarkers (new promising biomaker)
Diagnosing rare diseases: problematics and tracing.
Biochemical and molecular markers and laboratory approaches for the diagnosis of some rare diseases.
Non-invasive prenatal tests for rare diseases.
Current research approaches for improving the diagnosis of rare diseases.
Focus on childhood leukodystrophies.
Human genetics:
Specimen collection for genetic analyses
Types of genetic tests and their specific applications (diagnostic, predictive, presymptomatic, carrier, neonatal screening, pharmacogenetic, prenatal testing)
Methods to identify DNA variants: DNA sequencing (Sanger, NGS) and RNA sequencing; MLPA and Q-PCR for detection of copy-number variants; Third generation sequencing
NGS applications: gene panels, clinical exome, whole exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing
Bioinformatic analyses of NGS data, filtering strategies and variants of unknow significance (VUS)
Genetic test reports, NGS limits and incidental findings
NGS application in oncogenetics and prenatal tests (NiPT)
Microsatellite analysis for paternity and DNA fingerprint tests
Methodologies to detect pathological microsatellites in repeat expansions disorders
Methylation tests in repeat expansion diseases and imprinting disorders
Microbiology:
Bacterial identification of clinical isolates: from lab to the bedside. Phenotypic and genotypic methodology for bacterial detection:
Define the importance of clinical isolates;
Define the needs of Clinicians and Turn Around Time (TAT) Lab;
Evaluate the type of microorganisms and their incidence;
Define methods for phenotypic identification;
Define methods for genotypic identification;
Evaluate properly the molecular methodology for bacterial identification;
Define the antimicrobial susceptibility methods;
Evaluate the issues of the antimicrobial resistance.

Microbiota and Microbioma in large human ecosystems. Metagenomic analysis of bacterial microbiotas:
Define the general characteristics of human microbiota;
Describe the microbial connections in the human microbiota;
Understand the microbiota in health and disease;
Describe gut, oral and skin microbiota and their microbial content;
Define the role of microbioma and the interactions between microbes and immune system;
Describe the most relevant microbial clusters in the different disease conditions.

Climate changes, environment, microbes and human beings interplay in newly emerging viral infections:
To understand the viral origins and evolution;
To understand which exogenous factors (environment) and how are involved in the viral evolution;
To understand which endogenous factors (virus) and how are involved in the viral evolution ;
To understand which host factors and how are involved in the viral evolution;
To learn which are the emerging viral infections: Zika virus, Chikungunya virus, other Flaviviruses, Ebola virus .;
To understand which and why some viral infections are re-emerging.

Current technologies for the virological diagnosis (I):
To learn about the use of direct methods to detect the virus in the host: which, when and how;
To learn about the use of indirect methods to detect the virus in the host: which, when and how.

Current technologies for the virological diagnosis (II):
To learn about the diagnosis and monitoring methods of infections during pregnancy;
To learn about the diagnosis of the Central Nervous System Infections;
To learn about the diagnosis of Influenza and other respiratory infections.

Molecular approach for the discovery of new viruses and gene editing for cleaning up the viral infections:
To learn about the methods used for the human virus discoveries;
To understand the use of the Cell cultures and the electron microscopy;
To understand the use of Immunologic Methods to Detect unknown Viral Antigen;
To understand the use of Cross-hybridization to Identify Related Viruses;
To understand the use of Differential Display Strategy in Viral Pathogen Discovery;
To understand the development of digital transcriptome substraction;
To learn about the paradigmatic case of the human polyomaviruses discovery during the last ten years.