"Strengthening Capacities of Influenza Laboratory Experts: WHO course for National Influenza Centres on Principles of PCR assays’ Development and Validation" took place May 25–29, 2015, at the Research Institute of Influenza in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The course, organized jointly with WHO/Europe, was aimed at strengthening NIC capacities in virological surveillance in the WHO European Region and improving skills of molecular identification of circulating human and emerging influenza virus strains and validation of molecular assays for seasonal and emerging influenza viruses.
The event gathered 26 PCR specialists from CIS and Baltic countries, who over the course of the week, gained knowledge about PCR quality control and validation algorithms, designing new primers and probes for real-time PCR and introducing into laboratory practice test kits based on published sequences of primers and probes. The course was taught by RII’s researchers Andrey Komissarov and Artyom Fadeev.
Upon completion of the course the trainees received personal certificates.
