development of molecular biology in Vietnam

The development of Molecular Biology has had enormous implications for scientific research throughout the world, and is now considered integral to all aspects of biomedical research. For the last four years we have run a series of workshops in Vietnam with the aim of training staff in basic concepts and techniques in molecular biology. We hope our interest will help the various scientists and institutes in Vietnam to exploit recent scientific advances to maximise the biomedical and commercial opportunities that molecular biology offers.

History of the workshops

In 1997 we ran a one week programme of lectures, sponsored by The British Council, introducing the basic concepts of molecular biology and its application to disease control to a class of 20 students from Khanh Hoa province held at the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang.

Following the success of the first programme, the First Molecular Biology Workshop was held in 1998 at The Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam and was sponsored by the Wellcome Trust.

The programme was expanded to include a practical session in molecular biology techniques. The second workshop followed in December 1998-January 1999, at The Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, and was sponsored by The British Council, and included an extensive practical session on gene expression. The most recent workshop, ran in January 1999, again incorporated lectures on basic and applied aspects of molecular biology, and for the first time, a hands on bioinformatics practical together with a “wet science” lab. This workshop was sponsored by The Society for General Microbiology and the Wellcome Trust and was held The Centre for Tropical Diseases and The Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Unit Ho Chi Minh City.

If anyone is interested in participating in one of these workshops please contact Dr Simon Cutting, or click below to visit Simon's home page.