CATCC 2026 course

Theory and laboratory work, right after the symposium.

Dates: 2 – 5 November 2026
Venue: Instituto de Biotecnología · Cuernavaca, México

About the course

Four days of laboratory work, right after the symposium. It is for people already working with cell lines who want hands-on practice: maintaining a culture, designing a medium, following the process and scaling it up.

How to get in

There are two parts, and you do not get into them the same way. The theory sessions are open to anyone enrolled. The practical work happens in the laboratory, has 13 places and is requested with a letter of motivation that the committee reviews.

Preliminary programme

2 November 2026

Day 1

08:00–08:30Transfer and arrival at the Institute of Biotechnology, UNAM
08:30–09:00Ceremony
Registration
09:00–10:00Invited lecture
Advances in mammalian cell culture technology: applications in biotherapeutic production and development prospects
Dr. Francesc Gòdia
10:00–10:50Invited lecture
Metabolism of cultured mammalian cells
Dra. Claudia Altamirano
10:50–11:40Invited lecture
Protein glycosylation in animal cells
Dr. Marcos Oggero
11:40–12:00Coffee Break
12:00–13:00Invited lecture
INDICASAT Drug discovery programme in Panama
Dr. Timothy Thomson, INDICASAT-AIP
13:00–14:30Lunch
14:30–15:20Invited lecture
Vector generation for mammalian cells
Dra. Norma Adriana Valdez-Cruz
15:20–16:10Invited lecture
Generation of recombinant cell lines
Dr. Claudio Prieto
16:10–16:30Coffee Break
16:30–17:00Invited lecture
Cytometry tools for cell and product characterisation
M.Sc. Emiliano Balderas Ramírez
17:00–18:30Practical session
Practical session: visit to the Advanced Microscopy Unit
Instructors
- M.Sc. Emiliano Balderas Ramírez
- Dra. Diana Carolina Villalpando Sánchez
- M. Sc. Victor Xavier Abonza Amaro
- M. Sc. Arlen Ramírez Corona
18:30–19:30Social activity
Ice-breaker gathering

3 November 2026

Day 2

08:30–10:30Invited lecture
Caracterización fisicoquímica de bioterapéuticos
Dra. Mabel Rodríguez / Dra. Roberta Salinas / M. en C. Vanessa Hernández/ Ing. Alberto Porras
10:30–11:20Invited lecture
Biological characterisation of biotherapeutics
Dra. María Carmen Molina
11:20–11:40Coffee Break
11:40–12:30Invited lecture
From lab to plant: transfer challenges
Dr. Ernesto Chico
12:30–13:10Technical talk
Technical talk: Infors HT
Ing. Mario Novoa Belmán
13:10–14:30Lunch
14:30–15:20Invited lecture
Regulatory aspects of biopharmaceuticals and biological products
Qca. Adriana Hernández
15:20–16:00Technical talk
Tangential flow filtration demonstration (Sartorius)
Hiroshi Bando
16:00–19:00Coffee Break

4 November 2026

Day 3

08:30–11:30Practical session
Practical Session B: Practical Session B: Cell Culture and Biological Characterization of an Antibody by Flow Cytometry.
11:30–12:00Coffee Break
12:00–12:50Invited lecture
Bioinformatics and protein engineering for the design of new biopharmaceuticals
Dr. Enrique García
12:50–13:40Invited lecture
3D Culture Platforms for Discovery & Development of Advanced Therapeuticsto be confirmed
Dr. Catarina Freitas (iBeT, Portugal)
13:40–15:00Lunch
15:00–15:50Invited lecture
Bioprocess modelling and control to increase productivity and product quality
Dra. Ziomara Gerdtzen
15:50–16:40Invited lecture
Modelling, glycosylation and secretion in CHO cells
Dr. Santiago Benavides López
16:40–17:00Coffee Break
17:00–19:00Practical session
Practical Session D: National Laboratory for the Production and Analysis of Biotechnological Molecules and Biopharmaceuticals (LAMMB)
Instructors
- Dra. Mabel Rodríguez González
- Ms. C. Vanessa Hernández
- Ing. Alberto Porras

5 November 2026

Day 4

08:00–10:00Practical session
Practical Session C: Antibody Purification and Physicochemical Characterization.
Instructors
- Dra. Mabel Rodríguez González
- Dra. Roberta Salinas
- Ms. C. Vanessa Hernández
- Ing. Alberto Porras
10:00–10:30Coffee Break
10:30–11:10Invited lecture
Development of therapeutic vaccinesTo be confirmed
11:10–11:40Technical talk
OCTEC Advanced Flow Cytometry
Dr. Giroshi Bando, Sartorius
11:40–12:30Invited lecture
Design of chimeric proteins as a vaccine development strategyTo be confirmed
13:00–14:30Lunch
14:30–17:30Practical session
Practical Session A: Bioreactor Cultivation, Equipment Demonstration, Metabolite Measurement, and Data Analysis for the Calculation of Key Bioprocess Parameters
Instructors
- Ms. C. Martha A. Contreras
- M. Sc. Emiliano Balderas Ramírez
- Dr. Octavio Tonatiuh Ramírez Reivich
17:30–18:30Social activity
Farewell event

Fees & Registration

CATCC 2026 course registration fees, in US dollars.
Format	Reduced fee, if paid in time	From 1 October
Theory	Reduced fee, if paid in time$200.00	From 1 October$250.00
Theory and practiceOnly 13 places	Reduced fee, if paid in time$500.00	From 1 October$550.00

Figures in US dollars (USD).

Call for abstracts: format and fees Register for the course

What it covers: Both formats include working materials, Coffee Breaks and a midday meal, from 2 to 5 November. The practical format adds materials for three hands-on sessions in specialised laboratories and visits to the national laboratories.
How to pay: When you register you choose where you are paying from, because the procedure differs. From Mexico, the committee issues a slip with your agreement number and your reference, and you pay it at the bank as a service payment. From outside Mexico, you deposit into UNAM's account at JP Morgan. Either way, you upload your receipt on the platform.
Invoice: An invoice can be issued on request. Ask the committee and send your tax details when you upload your receipt.

The mascot

HamCell was born in March 2026 and is the official mascot of SLATCC 2026 and the CATCC course. She represents a Chinese hamster mammalian cell, drawn after the ones used to produce recombinant proteins, and carries the main compartments of a biomanufacturing cell. She will welcome attendees and accompany them through both events.