Training

Designing Future Wheat (DFW) in Practice : DFW Training Course, 14. - 18. Nov 2022

The BBSRC funded Designing Future Wheat (DFW) Institute Strategic Programme spans eight UK research institutes and universities and aims to develop new wheat germplasm containing the next generation of key traits. The aim of this DFW course is to offer training in important methodologies employed by different groups within DFW. The participants will gain the skills necessary to apply these methodologies in their own research.

The deadline for submission of application is Friday 8 July 2022.

Target Audience
The course is aimed at anyone with an interest in cereals research and crop breeding. The course is an entry level introduction, giving a taste of crop development and phenotyping, wheat genetics and genomics, wheat pathology, sources of genetic diversity in wheat and genomics data resources. Applications are welcome from UK and international undergraduates, breeders, PhD students, and postdocs. A total of 16 places are available for this course. The course is a five-day-programme of classroom lectures and hands-on exercises. A guest speaker representing UK commercial breeding and a visit to a commercial breeding programme will expand the topics covered. There will also be opportunities for the whole group to enjoy social activities and discussions.
Prerequisites
It is essential that participants are fluent English speakers, as this intensive course will be given in English. Successful applicants will be provided with bibliography to read in advance.
Programme costs
The registration fee is £499, payable in advance. This includes:

• Accommodation including breakfast for four nights. The accommodation is situated on the Campus of the University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich.
  
• Lunches and refreshments Monday to Friday and the workshop dinner on Thursday evening.
  
• Transport for the visit to the breeding station.
  
• The deadline for submission is Friday 8 July 2022.
  

Applicants are required to submit their completed application form, CV (maximum length two sides of A4) and a letter of recommendation from their Head of Department (or equivalent). Applications should be sent by email to dfw.course@jic.ac.uk quoting “DFW course 2022”.
See the DFW_2022_Course Flyer, Programme and Application Form for detailed information and use the application form (the last two pages) to apply.

DFW Course Draft Programme (14-18 November 2022):

• Day 1 - Monday 14 November :
  

  ·         Introduction of tutors and participants

  ·         Wheat Evolution.

  ·         Wheat Synthetics and Tetraploid x Hexaploid Wheats

  ·         Diversity from Wild Relatives

  ·         Wheat Grain Structure, Composition and Healthier Wheat

• Day 2 - Tuesday 15 November :
  

  ·         The use of Molecular Markers in Wheat Breeding

  ·         Wheat Recombination

  ·         Wheat Inflorescence Development

  ·         Tour of the JIC Field-Experimental Sation

  ·         Digital Plant Phenotyping

• Day 3 - Wednesday 16 November :
  

  ·         From QTL to Breeding Pipeline

  ·         Trip to a wheat breeding station

• Day 4 - Thursday 17 November :
  

  ·         Wheat Genomic Assemblies and REsources

  ·         JIC Special Collection of Historic Books

  ·         The DFW Grassroot Portal including Field Trial Database

              Workshop dinner

• Day 5 - Friday 18 November :
  

  ·         Wheat Transformation and Genome Editing

  ·         Guest speaker: Ruth Bryant (RAGT)

  ·         Wheat Pathology

  ·         Germplasm Research Unit at JIC

See the DFW_2022_Course Flyer, Programme and Application Form for detailed information and use the application form (the last two pages) to apply.

Information on previous Course: WISP course on Wheat Genetics

• DFW Course 2018 : Report on the 2018 Course