Professional Development and Workforce Training
Short Courses in
Science That Matters
Hands-on, intensive training programmes in Microscopy, Genomics, DNA Barcoding, Field Research, and Bioinformatics delivered by world-class faculty at Sena Institute of Technology Ghana, with partnerships across Harvard, MIT, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Why train with us
Research-Active Faculty
Learn from SITG faculty whose work is published in leading international journals and conducted in collaboration with world-class global partners.
Real Laboratory Access
Train on the same equipment — sequencers, microscopes, PCR platforms, and genomics pipelines used in SITG's active research programmes.
Recognised Certificates
All SITG short courses issue certificates of completion. With forthcoming accreditation, selected programmes will carry nationally and internationally recognised academic credit.
International Cohorts
Train alongside scientists from Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, and across Africa — building networks that last a career.
Career Pathway Support
Courses are designed as building blocks toward academic research, biotechnology industry roles, government science agencies, and international research organisations.
West African Context
Field courses, biodiversity projects, and applied research case studies rooted in West Africa's unique ecosystems, health challenges, and scientific priorities.
Six Discipline Tracks
Each track offers a series of short courses progressing from foundation to advanced level allowing participants to build comprehensive expertise over successive cohorts.
Build Your Scientific Career, Step by Step
SITG short courses are structured as a progression from foundational skills through specialised expertise to independent research capability. Return to SITG each year to advance your proficiency.
Foundation Skills
Core Techniques
Specialisation
Integration
Sena Institute of Technology at 10 years Workshop Series
Coming soon:
Therapeutic Biomolecules: From Computer design to recombinant protein
Facilitator: Dr. Mamadou Diallo, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Belgium
In-sillico design
Production of recombinant protein in procaryotic system
Purification of recombinant protein by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC)
Date: July, 2026
How to image plant samples to study biodiversity and support agriculture
Facilitator: Dr. Alyssa Mathiowetz, University of California, Berkeley, Cell Biologist
Sample preparation
Collect plant tissues, fix and stain, and mount onto slides
Fluorescence imaging
Set up illumination, filters, and exposure to capture high quality images and minimize photobleaching
Image analysis
Process images and quantify cell morphology and division
Date: 19 – 30 January, 2026
Registration Deadline: Jan 15, 2026
Coming Soon
Using bioinformatics and computer systems to identify new diagnostic markers
Date: August 2026
Coming soon:
Using AI for Agriculture
Facilitator: Mr. Dexter Shepherd, University of Sussex, UK
Date: November 2026
Coming Soon
DNA Barcoding for Species Identification
Fluorescence Labeling & Imaging Workflow for Antimicrobial Screening
Facilitator: Dr. Mamello Mohale, University of Arkansas, USA
What You’ll Learn:
Smart strategies for fluorescent dyes selection for reliable imaging of microbials.
Fluorescent Labeling
Culture bacteria, prepare the dyes, label & learn about dyes photophysical properties.
Fluorescence imaging
Image bacteria & learn key imaging parameters to consider for high quality images e.g., laser power, PMT gain, frames, exposure, saturation, cross talk.
Image processing
Process images using segmentation & colocalization to study spatial distribution of molecular interactions within bacterial cells.
Date: 17-21 Nov, 2025
Registration: https://forms.office.com/r/5Nw3vkebTA
DNA Barcoding Technology and its applications
DNA barcoding is a molecular technique that uses a short, standardized DNA sequence from a specific region of an organism’s genome as a unique identifier, similar to a barcode on a product.
The primary goal of DNA barcoding is to enable the rapid and accurate identification of species by comparing the DNA barcode sequence of an unknown sample to a reference database of known species barcodes.
Here are some of the key applications of DNA barcoding in everyday life:
• DNA barcoding allows for the accurate identification of species, even when traditional morphological identification is difficult or impossible.
• It can be used to detect and prevent illegal trade of protected species by rapidly identifying the species from samples.
• DNA barcoding can be used to verify the species composition of food products, detecting adulteration or substitution of ingredients.
• DNA barcoding can be used in forensic investigations to identify the species of origin for biological evidence, such as hair, feathers, or plant materials.
• DNA barcoding can be used to identify plant and animal pests, pathogens, and diseases, aiding in disease management and control in agriculture and veterinary settings.
The widespread applications of DNA barcoding make it a valuable tool in fields such as ecology, conservation biology, food science, forensics, and many others, driving advancements in research,
policy, and sustainable resource management. This program is for senior high school tutors, colleges of education tutors, lecturers, researchers, graduates, and undergraduate students interested in understanding the technique and application in everyday life.
Register here
Certificate in Biotechnology Training:
The aim of the 3-month training program is to prepare high school students, undergraduate, graduate and tutors to pursue careers in the life sciences through hands-on experiential learning. The certificate course currently trains high school students, undergraduate and graduate students. Courses taught includes ecology and biodiversity, genetics, microscopy and drug discovery. We have trained more than 40 elementary students, 15 high school, 5 undergraduates and 1 doctoral student since our inception. In addition, through a partnership with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center, we recently organized a DNA barcoding workshop in Ghana to train high school tutors in genetics and DNA sequencing.
The next workshop is scheduled for Sept 3 – 5, 2024.
African Seminar Series
Conferences
Junior Training Program
Advanced Training Program
International Exchange Program
High School Tutors Training
Past presentations organized through the African Seminar Series can be assessed on Sena Institute of Technology Youtube Channel above.
Past Speakers
Tom Broker, PhD Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Title: Early Electron Microscopic Studies of DNA Structures, Genome Organization and Gene Expression in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes.
Andrew Seeber, PhD Harvard Fellow, Harvard Center for Advanced Imaging
Title: Chromatin mobility and precision genome engineering.
Kim McKim, PhD Professor, Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, USA
Title: How chromosomes direct their own segregation in Drosophila oocytes.
Doug Richardson PhD, Director, Harvard Center for Biological Imaging, USA
Title: Clarifying tissue clearing.
Gisele Miranda PhD Chan-Zuckerberg Imaging Scientist & Researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Title: Image Analysis Using Open Software.
Christian Hellriegel PhD Carl Zeiss Corporation
Title: Super-resolution Optical Microscopy – A review of techniques, theoretical backbones and applications.
Leila Mostaço-Guidolin, PhD, P.Eng. Assistant Professor, Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, Carleton University, Canada
Title: Microscopy, image analysis and 3D-bioprinting: combining tools to understand collagen remodelling