Courses with reduced fee for PE&RC PhDs

The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of the statistical principles underlying experimentation. A proper set-up of an experiment is of utmost importance to be able to draw statistically sound conclusions.

The MicroSpectroscopy Research Facility and the Wageningen Light Microscopy Centre of Wageningen University will organize a VLAG & EPS funded advanced practical course for postdocs and PhD candidates. The course will cover the theory behind a number of advanced microscopic and micro-spectroscopic techniques that have a wide range of applications in both the Food and Plant Sciences.

This course will teach participants how to use 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC milling for use in their research. In the course, participants will familiarize themselves with the steps from idea to manufactured object. For this, there will be a lecture about each of the three techniques, focusing on how the methods work, and pros and cons of each one of them. This will be followed by tutorials on how to use the required software for 3D design, making sketches, and slicing programs, and how to optimize a design for the relevant manufacturing method. Participants will design and produce a custom object for all three techniques to take them through the entire process. This will give the participants a basis to apply this skill to their research projects afterward. This course is designed for PhDs from different backgrounds without any previous experience in the design and use of manufacturing instruments or PhDs who want to gain more autonomy and confidence in using these tools.

Linux and Python, a dynamic, readable programming language, is a popular combination for all types of bioinformatics work, from simple one-off scripts to large, complex software projects. This workshop is aimed at complete beginners and assumes no prior programming experience. It gives an overview of the language with an emphasis on practical problem-solving, using examples and exercises drawn from various aspects of bioinformatics work. The workshop is structured so that the parts of the language most useful for bioinformatics are introduced as early as possible, and that students can start writing plausibly-useful programs after the first few sessions. After completing the workshop, students should be in a position to (1) apply the skills they have learned to tackling problems in their own research and (2) continue their Linux and Python education in a self-directed way.

In this two-day workshop, a combination of external and local speakers will present various topics related to single-cell transcriptomics in plants. Presentations will cover the latest technologies and computational approaches employed during single-cell transcriptomics experiments, as well as how these single-cell approaches are being used to address both fundamental and applied research questions in plants. During the computer practicals, participants will also learn how to analyze and visualize single-cell transcriptomic datasets. Altogether, we aim for this course to help plant researchers design, execute and analyze single-cell transcriptomics experiments, and explore up-and-coming single-cell genomic applications.

In this workshop we will focus an a subset of different plant hormones. These will include, but not be limited to, Gibberellins, Ethylene, and Strigolactones. We will discuss how these plant hormones, individual or in concert, are involved in regulating plant growth and development. We will look into how to integrate plant hormone analysis into plant research and the different tools available to do this. We will combine theory with practice as the morning lectures will be followed by afternoon practical work.

How do I write an appealing news article? How do I get my research in the spotlights? How do I tell a broader audience than my own peer group about my work? And how do I deal with possible discussions that may arise from my research? These, and other important questions about animal science and society will be addressed during the training course ‘Societal Impact of your research’. The course is meant for PhD candidates and postdocs who want to get tips and tricks for communicating their research to non-colleagues including journalists, companies, farmers, policymakers, politicians, NGOs or students.

How do I write an appealing news article? How do I get my research in the spotlights? How do I tell a broader audience than my own peer group about my work? And how do I deal with possible discussions that may arise from my research? These, and other important questions about animal science and society will be addressed during the training course ‘Societal Impact of your research’. The course is meant for PhD candidates and postdocs who want to get tips and tricks for communicating their research to non-colleagues including journalists, companies, farmers, policymakers, politicians, NGOs or students.