Organizer Description:
This is a specialised course. This means that 80% of the seats are reserved to PhD students enrolled at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at UCPH and 20% of the seats are reserved to PhD students from other Danish Universities/faculties (except CBS).
Learning objectives
A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:
Skills:
• Freeze and thaw human induced pluripotent stem cells
• Maintain and expand human induced pluripotent stem cells
• Generate iPSC via electroporation of episomal plasmids
• Differentiate human induced pluripotent stem cells into astrocytes, microglia and cortical neurons
• Generate 3D cultures
• Analyze induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural cells using different molecular methodologies
• Design CRISPRs guides and templates for gene-editing of pluripotent stem cells
• Perform nucleofection based CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing
Knowledge:
• Acquire a detailed understanding of the derivation of pluripotent stem cells
• Acquire a detailed theoretical understanding of the states of pluripotency
• Acquire a detailed understanding of early neural developmental processes and molecular cues that govern neural patterning
• Acquire a detailed understanding of the latest protocols for differentiation of iPSC into neural subtypes, astrocytes and microglia
• Gain detailed knowledge on state-of-the-art methods for culturing pluripotent stem cells
• Gain detailed knowledge on the latest methods for differentiating pluripotent stem cells into neural cell types (with focus on neurons, astrocytes) in 2D and 3D
• Gain detailed knowledge on the latest methods for differentiating pluripotent stem cells into microglia
• Gain detailed knowledge on implementing 2D and 3D cultures in basic research and translational aspects.
• Gain expertise on use and application of CRISPR guides in gene-editing of pluripotent stem cells
• Gain detailed knowledge on the potential of AI based application in the research context
Competences:
• Will be able to develop custom-designed experiments in their own lab pertaining to pluripotent stem cell culture and differentiation into neural cells, glia and microglia
• Will be able to custom-design CRISPRs for gene-editing of their own cell lines
• Will be able to perform iPSC reprogramming and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing using electroporation based methods
Please register before Aug 24, 2026.