Metagenomics - the microbes in you

Child & Family Research Institute Mini Med School XI Oct 13 - Nov 24, 2010 Did you know tiny organisms you can’t even see, live in us, on us and with us? Some of these are very useful to us, and perform important roles in our bodies. But sometimes this delicate balance is disrupted and this can cause disease or ill health. We have had difficulty in the past studying these microbes. Metagenomics is a powerful new technique for identifying microorganisms in biological samples using genomics, and thus has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the microbial environment within us.

• Dr. Rob Holt, Faculty, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, SFU; Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UBC; Advisor, Human Microbiome Project, National Institutes of Health ; Senior Scientist, Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency
• Dr. Patrick Tang, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC; Medical Microbiologist, BC Centre for Disease Control; Head, Tuberculosis Laboratory and Molecular Services, BC Centre for Disease Control
• Dr. Stuart Turvey, Clinician Scientist, Immunity in Health & Disease, CFRI; Co-Director, Immunity in Health & Disease, CFRI; Associate Professor, Division of Infectious and Immunological Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, UBC