Topics to be covered during the 2–3-month attachment
| Outline of topic | Description |
|---|---|
| DNA | Overview, structure, replication |
| RNA | Transcription, types/structures, RNA polymerases, regulation of transcription, microRNAases |
| Proteins | Amino acids, genes and genetic code, translation |
| NA extraction methods | Isolation of DNA and RNA, assessment of quality and quantity of nucleic acids |
| PCR | History of PCR, advanced PCR and PCR optimisation, PCR detection and evaluation techniques, limitations of PCR and troubleshooting |
| Analysis and characterisation of NA | Hybridisation technologies, detection systems, results interpretation |
| Nucleic acid amplification | Target, probe and signal amplification |
| Gene mutations | Types, detection and nomenclature of gene mutations |
| DNA sequencing | Direct sequencing, bioinformatics |
| Molecular oncology | Analytic targets of molecular testing, gene rearrangements |
| High-throughput technologies | DNA/RNA microarrays, NGS and TGS, whole genome sequencing |
| Validation and optimisation procedures | R&D within molecular diagnostics present and future |
| Quality control and quality assurance | Discussion of QA and QC in molecular diagnostics |
| Regulation in the use of human tissues for research | Introduction to biobanking, research ethics and research governance within academia and the healthcare setting |
| Core skills in slide annotation | Be able to identify and annotate areas for macrodissection relevant to downstream testing. Be able to assign percentage tumour content |
| Core skills in macrodissection | Taught how to perform tissue macrodissection procedures |
| Core skills in DNA extraction | Taught how to perform DNA extraction procedures |
QA, quality assurance; QC, quality control; NA, nucleic acid; NGS, Next Generation Sequencing; TGS, Third Generation Sequencing.