This is a block proseminar covering “systems medicine approaches in infectious diseases” with a particular focus on microbial infections and antibiotic resistance. While microbial genomes can be readily analyzed by next-generation sequencing, genetic antibiotic resistance profiling and prediction of the optimal treatment regime remains a challenge. This challenge can be addressed by modelling the effects of point mutations on protein conformations to predict antibiotic resistance [1]; as well as by employing a deep learning approach to predict resistance genes from NGS data [2]. Moreover, a systematic approach to choosing drug combinations based on detailed understanding about antibiotic combination effects is required [3]. In this context, modelling collateral sensitivity, wherein the evolution of resistance to a first drug renders a pathogen more susceptible to a second, can inform the design of combination treatments [4]. Finally, to optimally treat patients with microbial infections, also a better understanding of within-host evolution of bacterial pathogens is required [5].

Tutor: Dr. Andreas Posch

Dates:

Registration * from October 17th, 2017 to October 24th, 2017 HERE
Kick-off meeting [optional] January 15th, 2018 – 2 p.m. (s.t.) – E2.1, room 206
Deadline for feedback ** [optional] January 29th, 2018
Deadline to (de-)register in HISPOS OR de-register from proseminar * February 5th, 2018
Presentations February 27th, 2018
Summary submission deadline from March 6th, 2018

* If you want to deregister from the proseminar, please send the tutor an email irrespectively whether you (de)registered in HISPOS or not.

** If you would like to get feedback about your slides, e.g. to improve your presentation before the talk, send your slides to the tutor before the feedback deadline. We strongly encourage you to take this opportunity. Before sending in the slides, check out our presentations guidelines (presentation guidelines, presentation guidelines checklist). Please note: The more complete the submitted presentation the more helpful the feedback can be. Please try to avoid submitting half-finished slides.

Hint Your slides will make up a substantial part of the final grade. Reading and paying attention to the provided presentation guidelines (see above) will help you to get an impression of which aspects are relevant for the evaluation. Disregarding many of the points listed in the guidelines may negatively affect your grade.

Place and Time:

  • E2.1, room 206, at 9 p.m. (s.t.)
  • Together with the seminar “Bioinformatic Tools in Bacterial Research”

Requirements for participation:

  • For Bachelor students only
  • At least in 3rd semester, Bioinformatics I

Certificate requirements:

  • Successful presentation:
    • Talk: 30 minutes
    • Questions from the audience after the presentation
  • Attendance to all presentations
  • Submitting a summary (can have an impact on the final grade):
    • Short description of the presented topic(s)
    • Ca. 2 pages of text, i.e. excluding title (page), references, figures, tables etc.
    • No figures or tables required
    • Main structure: title page, main text, references

Final grade:

  • Based on the given presentation (see “Certificate requirements”)
  • May be influenced by the submitted summary

Topics

Nr. Presentation Topic Participant
1 Proseminar Modelling proteins’ hidden conformations to predict antibiotic resistance Anna H.
2 Proseminar A deep learning approach for predicting antibiotic resistance genes from metagenomic data TBD
3 Proseminar Chemogenomics and orthology‐based design of antibiotic combination therapies. Molecular Systems Biology TBD
4 Proseminar Collateral sensitivity is contingent on the repeatability of evolution TBD
5 Proseminar Within-host evolution of bacterial pathogens TBD