‘March 4-6 hands on training workshop for health personnel at NCBS-TIGS, ‘Molecular approaches for pathogens and AMR surveillance’
🗓️ 3rd Hands-on training workshop for Molecular approaches, Pathogens and AMR surveillance (04-06 March, 2025)
🧪 🥼 😷 🔎 The 3rd Hands-on training workshop was organized at NCBS campus, March 4-6, 2025, this time for nominated health personnel from Govt of Karnataka and BBMP: microbiologists, clinicians, health technicians and staff on 'Molecular approaches for pathogens and AMR surveillance'.
The organizing partners were National Centre for Biological Sciences| Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, India with outreach partner, BeST - Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster and ground partners ARTPARK| Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)| Department of Health and Family Welfare Services - Govt. of Karnataka| IDSP and AMR wings, Biome Environmental Solutions Pvt - India, and BWSSB Sewage Treatment Plant
With 15 participants, this workshop was to train the health technicians, microbiologists, and municipal organization personnel for capacity building and usage of novel molecular surveillance tools to monitor pathogens such as #SARS-Cov-2, #Dengue, #chikungunya and #AMR via #wastewaterbased epidemiology #WBE #WWS approach, #watsewatersurveillance and through #clinical samples. The module included end-to-end protocol: sample collection from the #Jakkur Sewage Treatment Plant site on day after a day-long lectures on outreach, context-setting, water-literacy-potential of wastewater for conveying disease pathogens and AMR, and clinical surveillance. After the sample collection, the participants visited the #BSL2 facility for a demonstration on processing. The next day, they extracting RNA/nucleic acid, qPCR, pathogens and AMR trends and loads analysis at a community level, using wastewater and clinical samples guided by the team volunteers from TIGS and NCBS.
On Day 3, the participants visited the NGS facility and TIGS labs, followed by educational activities for learning re-enforcement, with mentors and team volunteers.
Through the 3-day hands-on training, the health personnel were equipped with latest efficient and affordable #molecularbiology techniques and PCR-based kits for pathogens and AMR detection to monitor and carry out surveillance for outbreaks pathogens and AMR for #routineimplementation towards better #diseasepreparedness and #publichealthstrategies
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Rakesh Mishra| LS SHASHIDHARA|
Objective: The workshop is designed by NCBS-TIGS under the aegis of the Rockefeller Foundation-Alliance for Pathogen Surveillance Innovations, RF-APSI to provide training and capacity building of the health personnel across various public health sectors to implement novel routine surveillance systems in the public health domain. The workshop offers detailed understanding of the pathogens, AMR and optimum measures to mitigate diseases-by bringing in disease preparedness. Alongside, the course structure includes end-to-end hands-on training, from wastewater sample collection to processing and running molecular biology tools to get the community level trends. These educational and hands-on workshop modules bridge knowledge gaps and enhance the skills and regular practices of lab technicians, health technicians, microbiologists, municipal organization personnel, and epidemiologists under the jurisdiction of the Government of Karnataka (GoK) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). This will aid in our combined effort for better disease surveillance and preparedness.
Workshop Details:
Duration: 3 days (March 4-6, 2025)
Location: National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)
Organizers: NCBS, TIGS supported by RF-APSI with BeST cluster as outreach partner and BIOME-BWSSB as ground partners
Participants: Nominated participants from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kalburgi, and Belagavi divisions
Module Overview: The 3-day module included detailed talks and hands-on experiments, following end-to-end protocols for detecting pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) traits via wastewater (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, AMR) and clinical surveillance (e.g., dengue, chikungunya). It emphasized the use of novel molecular surveillance tools to monitor pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, dengue, chikungunya, and AMR through a wastewater-based epidemiology approach and clinical samples. Facility visits, and Reinforced learning: Trivia, quiz and engaging group activities and games.
Training Highlights: Participants received hands-on training in:
Sample collection, processing, total nucleic acid/RNA extraction, setting up PCR/qPCR, Ct value analysis, and data analysis for community-level trends.
AMR trends and loads analysis at a community level, using wastewater and clinical samples.
Facility visits to STP sites through BWSSB, Jakkur STP-collection of samples, understanding the wastewater and community-connectivity system for monitoring pathogens and AMR followed by BSL2, and NGS facilities visits at NCBS campus
Detailed technical talks on pathogens and AMR surveillance using wastewater-based epidemiology using novel molecular techniques, and indigenized, low-price, efficient kits-SARS-CoV-2, Dengue, Chikungunya and AMR kits were used
Reinforced learning through trivia, quizzes, and engaging group activities and games.
Workshop Details
Mentors:
Dr. Sufia Sadaf, NCBS, Dr. Shivranjani Moharir, TIGS, Dr. Mansi Malik, TIGS, Mr. Vishwanath S, BIOME Environmental.
BeST cluster Partners: Dr. Sreeparna Samanta| Dr. Suresh Kumar Mendem
Volunteers: Sai Disha K, NCBS, Apoorva Shrivatsa, Sreelekshmi sree, Manas Madhukar, Samruddhi Walaskar Ankita Ankita, Priyadarshini Mohapatra, PRAJAKTA JATHAR, Priyanka B. @Antony S @Ritika Majji-TIGS Yukta Rachannavar
Inaugural session, and context setting and significance of capacity-building of personnel through novel public health surveillance technologies by Dr. Sufia Sadaf, Program Manager-Public Health Surveillance-Outreach Lead, this was followed up with icebreaking activities and sensitization on key topics and their significance.
Expert talks by Mr. Vishwanath S : Mr. Vishwanath S, Founder & Director, Biome Environmental. ‘Water surveillance: Insights for community health via One Health approach’
Dr. Shivranjani Moharir, Senior Scientist, TIGS, ‘Wastewater surveillance for pathogens and AMR’
Dr. Mansi Malik, Research Scientist, TIGS, Surveillance of pathogens from clinical samples: A molecular approach
Prof. LS Shashidhara, Centre Director, NCBS, ‘Building public health surveillance warriors and ambassadors’
Demonstration and short talks on wastewater-based epidemiology for pathogens and AMR surveillance, clinical approaches and molecular diagnostics for indigenous surveillance, and data modelling & dashboard integration for public health surveillance, by TIGS and NCBS teams.
Field visits to STP sites, sample collection, pre-processing, data analysis, and results interpretation on Day 1.
Day 2 was hands-on experiments guided by volunteers-for nucleic acid extraction and setting up PCRs/qPCRS and result interpretation
These methods yield results within 2 hrs and are extremely cost-affordable, efficient and robust-for carrying out routine surveillance for better disease preparedness and management in the event of an outbreak. Day 3 was results interpretation; campus facility visits and final educational activities.
Reinforcement and educational activities through careful crafting questions and quiz, team efforts and creative ways of explaining complex concepts was led by Dr. Sufia Sadaf, NCBS. Learning materials were shared with the participants.
Final valedictory session with facilitation and certificate distribution.
Attendance: All nominated participants attended the workshop.
Some pictures from the 3 days-workshop
Mentors during expert talks
Field trip to STP site for samples
Short talks and demonstrations for technical steps
Bench experiments for extraction of total nucleic acids for AMR and RNA for SARS-CoV-2 and Dengue, Chikungunya, followed by PCR and Ct value analysis
Educational activities for learning reinforcement followed by felicitation
Note: Those participants who would like to stay for a 2-3 week complete hands-on training, metagenomics and other novel techniques are encouraged to apply, and write to Dr. Sufia Sadaf, sufias@ncbs.res.in. The accommodation and training will be free of charge, the participants need to seek leave from their institutional organization and attach a letter stating from their department authority.
For workshop details, please contact Dr. Sufia Sadaf, Program Manager, Public Health Surveillance-Outreach Lead| sufias@ncbs.res.in
APSI Outreach Leads: Dr. Sufia Sadaf, Dr. Shivranjani Moharir and Dr. Mansi Malik
Written by :-
Dr. Sufia Sadaf,
Program Manager,
The Rockefeller Foundation-Alliance for Pathogen Surveillance Innovations (RF-APSI)
NCBS-TIFR
Bangalore