Random amplified polymorphic DNA PCR in the teaching of molecular epidemiology.

In this article, we describe a basic practical laboratory designed for fifth-year undergraduate students of Microbiology as part of the Epidemiology course. This practice provides the students with the tools for molecular epidemiological analysis of pathogenic microorganisms using a rapid and simple PCR technique. The aim of this work was to assay RAPD-PCR technique in order to infer possible epidemiological relationships. The activity gives students an appreciation of the value of applying a simple molecular biological method as RAPD-PCR to a discipline-specific question. It comprises a three-session laboratory module to genetically assay DNAs from strains isolated from a food outbreak. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(4):391-396, 2016.

An exercise in molecular epidemiology: human rhinovirus prevalence and genetics.

Human rhinovirus (HRV) is one of the most common human respiratory pathogens and is responsible for the majority of upper respiratory illnesses. Recently, a phylogeny was constructed from all known American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) HRV sequences. From this study, three HRV classifications (HRVA, HRVB, and HRVC) were determined and techniques for classifying new isolates of HRV were reported. The genetic change of this virus in specific populations over time is of great interest to understand the evolution and epidemiology of viruses. To facilitate the collections of HRV sequences over a number of years, a virology experiment was designed in which students test nasal lavage samples to look for HRV infection. Students will learn a variety of techniques including RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, qPCR, and agarose gel electrophoresis as well as bioinformatic skills though examination of sequences from the HRV-field isolates. Furthermore, students can look at symptom data from subjects to investigate correlations between symptom severity and factors such as stress and sleep patterns. Such information can be used to examine hypotheses regarding HRV mutation, symptom severity and epidemiology.

The state of cancer epidemiology curricula in postgraduate schools worldwide.

The study aimed to describe the cancer epidemiology curricula in postgraduate schools worldwide. Using a stepwise approach, information on the cancer epidemiology curricula were abstracted through an internet search of medical or public heath schools worldwide. The common scientific outline (a scholarly developed classification of cancer-related topics) was used to describe the extents that cancer epidemiology and its scientific domains are incorporated into postgraduate degrees in the epidemiology. Among the 120 studied schools, no school offered an explicitly doctoral degree in cancer epidemiology. Just eight schools offered cancer epidemiology as an area of concentration in their epidemiology curricula. The contents of the cancer epidemiology courses offered in different schools were related in 44% of times to topics of cancer control, 19% times to risk factors, and just 11% of times to biology of cancer. The need for comprehensive re-evaluation of the cancer epidemiology curricula in postgraduate teaching was concluded.

Essential veterinary education in modern molecular tools for the detection of disease: what veterinarians will need to know about genomics and molecular biology and diagnostics (including bioterrorist weapons) in 2025.

Future veterinary education programmes in microbiology will undoubtedly include an increasing emphasis on new and existing molecular tools. They should also, however, provide veterinarians with a comprehensive and clear understanding of the types of results that can be obtained using a particular approach (for example, specific diagnostic procedures as against open diagnostic procedures, phenotypic versus genotypic characterisation, etc.). Furthermore, students should gain a sound knowledge of which type of test is the most appropriate in a given clinical or epidemiological situation, and what conclusions can or cannot be drawn from the results. Consequently, each veterinary curriculum should focus on the following items: the principles of molecular biology and genomics; the detection of disease and characteristics of molecular tests; the principles of micro-organism taxonomy, sequence comparison and molecular epidemiology and their applications (such as: taxonomic identification, epidemiological survey, genetic evolution and the traceability of strains); and the role of the veterinarian in the field of zoonoses and human public health.

Education in epidemiology: "The Times They Are a-Changin'".

"The Changing Face of Epidemiology" is a series of symposia sponsored by Epidemiology for the purpose of addressing topical issues that cut across specialty areas. We comment here on 3 papers presented last summer at a symposium ("Education in Epidemiology: Changing needs for changing times") at the 2007 meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. These papers address current challenges in training epidemiologists, including the rise of molecular epidemiology, the ongoing need to redefine core epidemiologic methods and develop optimum approaches, and the increasing difficulty of assuring competency in primary data collection. We offer suggestions for educational programs and professional organizations on approaching these ongoing challenges.

Emerging technology in molecular epidemiology: what epidemiologists need to know.

Epidemiology has evolved with the development of new molecular technologies that refine the way we investigate the relationships between exposure and disease. While these novel tools open new opportunities to delve into the mechanisms of the molecular epidemiologic continuum, they also come with the challenge of ensuring their meaningful application in epidemiologic investigations. To train successful molecular epidemiologists in the postgenome/epigenome era, we can look to the "lessons learned" when epidemiologists first integrated molecular biomarkers into traditional epidemiologic designs. These examples show how interdisciplinary training in molecular epidemiology programs can help ensure that new technologies are used effectively to understand the mechanisms driving exposure-disease relationships.

The interface of genetics and public health: research and educational challenges.

As the target date for the sequencing of the human genome approaches, there is growing recognition that public health practice, research, and education will be impacted by new genetic technologies and information and that a multidisciplinary approach is required. Research in the emerging field of public health genetics encompasses a broad range of disciplines and will increasingly involve the interactions among the investigators in these fields. An overview of these areas of research is provided, with illustrative examples. Education in public health genetics needs to address a variety of audiences, including public health graduate students and practitioners, students from related disciplines, and health care professionals. Two new graduate programs at the Universities of Michigan and Washington and training opportunities for public health professionals are described. These educational efforts must be ongoing so that the potential of genetic technology and information can be appropriately used to benefit the health of all.