See One, Do One, Teach One: A Practical Course on Methods in Mammary Gland Biology

Abstract

The first EMBO Practical Course on "Techniques for Mammary Gland Research" took place at EMBL, Heidelberg, from the 20th -24th March 2017. The general aim of this practical and theory course was to ensure that all participants had the opportunity to learn about and practice some of the classical assays for studying mammary gland biology and tumorigenesis and also to enjoy some of the latest state-ofthe-art technology within the imaging facilities at EMBL. Specific goals for the course were to describe, demonstrate and practice key techniques for studying human and mouse mammary gland biology, with special emphasis on discussing both systems in the context of analysis of stem/progenitor cell populations. The course hosted 20 participants from 15 different countries, providing an additional excellent opportunity for scientific exchange and networking. Day OneOur first day's events were all located at the excellent ISG Hotel. Having made ourselves comfortable, we were briefed on how the course would work by Jacqueline Dreyer-Lamm, from EMBL. Dr. Maria Vivanco from CIC bioGUNE, Bilbao, introduced the course and its origins as an extension of the Workshop that the European Network of Breast Development and Cancer Labs (ENBDC, http://www.enbdc .org) organises every year in Weggis, Switzerland. It was the intention of this practical course to compliment the Weggis meeting, which is dedicated to oral presentations with a focus on methodology.We were then fortunate enough to have Professor Nancy Hynes from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, as a guest speaker. Prof. Hynes gave an inspiring overview of her career in breast cancer research, with a particular focus on the importance of novel methodological approaches in making breakthrough discoveries.