Training Programs

The growth of the structural biology community continues to necessitate training of users of the synchrotron facilities in the new technologies. Already at the start of the BIOXHIT project it was realised that this would constitute a formidable task if it were to be handled exclusively by the synchrotron core-facilities. In this context it should not be forgotten that many BIOXHIT Partners are already performing immense work in training the user community. The four Training-Implementation-Dissemination (TID) Centres established in during the first part of the project (first in Oulu, Finland and Poznan, Poland and then in Lisbon, Portugal and Heraklion, Greece), have now reached a stage where they are fully operational and can provide a very efficient and important dissemination of BIOXHIT results, Figures 3.13.a,b. During Year 4 the TID centres played a pivotal role in the dissemination of and training in BIOXHIT hardware and software technologies because they possess the background of structural biologists that are competent users of the macromolecular crystallography beamlines at different synchrotron facilities. The virtual data collection platform created by the BIOXHIT core Partners at the TID centres has been used to train users from the region geographically close to the location of the centres. This was further supported by real time remote access data collection sessions at the ESRF. The TID centres have been actively engaged in the development and testing of the BIOXHIT platform and provided a constructive and critical analysis of the associated demonstration material.

Parallel to these activities the TID centres play an important role in dissemination of BIOXHIT results in their local communities. All four TID centres have created websites that serve as good information points. The BIOXHIT TID-committee was in continuous contact with and ensured an optimal operation of the TID centres. Each TID centre had in return a contact person from the TID committee.

Figure 3.13.a. The first joint TID meeting in 2006 at the ESRF, Grenoble, France.

Figure 3.13.b. The cake that was made by the attendees of the 6th BIOXHIT TID workshop in Poznan, Poland.