Molecular and genomic techniques have revolutionised the routine identification and characterisation of bacterial meningitis. This has led to both opportunities and challenges from sample collection, to diagnosis, surveillance, data sharing, and public health policy.

This week-long training course, led by a team from Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS) en Côte d’Ivoire in collaboration with the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) and the Global Meningitis Genomic Partnership (GMGP) is funded by Wellcome, with support from the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The course will examine the impact of molecular and genomic approaches using regionally relevant clinical scenarios.

Participants will be guided through an intensive programme delivered by field experts providing a clear and comprehensive overview of the meningitis genomic workflow, with hands-on sequencing and data and bioinformatic analysis. They will also be introduced to different bioinformatic tools for sequence analysis including a new PUBMLST platform (AMERT) designed for African reference laboratories to store and analyse meningitis sequence data.

What will this course cover?
This course seeks to strengthen capacity by emphasising how techniques may be applied in different resourced settings and encouraging knowledge exchange through networking opportunities.

The programme will be delivered as a combination of lectures, interactive tutorials, and hands-on laboratory and computer practical sessions which cover approaches which are:

• currently applicable in clinical and diagnostic microbiology labs
• likely to be applicable in the foreseeable future, including whole genome sequencing (WGS) using portable devices
• of value to participants in interpreting the literature and assessing the likely utility of new technologies as they are developed