Learn more about whole genome sequencing

Thursday, 31 August 2017

Everyone's talking about whole genome sequencing, but how does it really work and, most importantly, what does it mean for health professionals and patients? What are the benefits, and challenges, of being able to read a person's or organism's entire genetic code?

More about the course

'Whole Genome Sequencing: Decoding the Language of Life and Health' is a free online course starting on Monday 11th September and running across three weeks, with two to three hours of flexible learning each week.

Hosted by the fantastic FutureLearn platform and featuring genomics experts, healthcare professionals and patients, the course explores the way in which genomes are sequenced and how this technology is being harnessed for the good of patients and their families. Learning is through a range of articles, videos, animations and discussion forums, and there is the opportunity to engage with experts and other learners throughout the course. It is also possible to purchase certificates of completion as evidence for your CPPD portfolio.

Ideal for anyone interested to learn more about the process of whole genome sequencing, the course was developed for healthcare professionals and students with some scientific understanding but little direct experience of sequencing. Previous participants have included healthcare professionals from across the health service, as well as students taking our Master's and CPPD programmes, and feedback has been very positive:

“A wonderful course - something that every patient and clinician should find time to do.”

“The course has provided me a much better understanding of the possibilities that WGS offers in terms of improving healthcare provision and in particular the ability to offer/provide more targeted treatments to individuals.”

What does the course cover?

Led by Dr Anneke Seller, the Genomic Education Programme’s Scientific Director and previously Director of Oxford Medical Genetics Laboratories, the course gives a recap on the fundamentals of genomics before looking at how whole genome sequencing works and exploring its varied uses within healthcare - from personalised cancer care to cutting-edge 'walking labs' tackling Zika and Ebola. Participants in the course will learn more about the processes of sequencing the genome and interpreting results for patients through real life case studies in cancer, rare disease and infectious disease – including stories of participants taking part in the 100,000 Genomes Project.

For more information or to enrol please visit the course page or you can watch a video from the course here: