[BiO BB] Course: Mitochondriomics

[J.W. Bizzaro]

                                Mitochondriomics

                   Online at the Bioinformatics Organization
               In collaboration with Roskilde University, Denmark

                               November 5-9, 2007

CONTENTS:

    1. BACKGROUND
    2. OBJECTIVE
    3. INSTRUCTORS
    4. COURSE OUTLINE
    5. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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1. BACKGROUND
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Mitochondria are semiautonomous organelles, presumed to be the evolutionary product of a symbiosis between a eukaryote and a prokaryote. The organelle is present in almost all eukaryotic cells in an extent from 103-104 copies. The main function of mitochondria is production of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation and its involvement in apoptosis. The organelles contain almost exclusively maternally inherited mtDNA, and they have specific systems for transcription, translation and replication of mtDNA.

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been correlated with mitochondrial diseases where the clinical pathologies are believed to include infertility, diabetes, blindness, deafness, stroke, migraine and heart-, kidney-, and liver diseases. Recently cancer was added to this list when investigations into human cancer cells from breast, bladder, neck, and lung, revealed a high occurrence of mutations in mtDNA. With the emerging understanding of the role of mitochondria in a vast array of pathologies, research of mitochondria and mitochondrial dysfunction have in the last decade yielded a huge amount of data in form of publications and databases. Nevertheless, the field of mitochondrial research is still far from exhausted with many unknown factors yet to be discovered.

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2. OBJECTIVE
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The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the various databases and wet-lab methods available. Furthermore the course will through selected articles give an understanding of the pitfalls and limitations of the various databases and methods.

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3. INSTRUCTORS
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    * Claus Desler (cdesler at ruc.dk)
    * Prashanth Suravajhala (prash at ruc.dk) 

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4. COURSE OUTLINE
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    * Day 1: Introduction to mitochondria and its pathways, genetics; proteomics of mitochondria 

    * Day 2: Various assays used and advances in mitochondrial research 

    * Day 3: Tools and databases used in mitochondrial research; exercises 

    * Day 4: Exercises, report, review of literature continues 

    * Day 5: Summary and questions and answers; evaluation 

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5. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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Please visit:
    * http://wiki.bioinformatics.org/BI221A_Mitochondriomics