Microbial Metagenomics: A 360º Approach

Overview
Speakers
Programme

Course Overview

Using a balanced approach of lectures and practical sessions, a general background to metagenomics will be provided, as well as the latest advancements in the field and its relationship with other disciplines. Throughout the course, poster presentations, discussion rounds, quizzes and group works will engage participants and speakers in active discussions and thus, boost the learning experience.

Course participants will learn all about experimental design, how to prepare metagenomic libraries from soil samples and are invited to bring their own environmental samples from soils or aquatic environments (previously filtered). The bioinformatic analysis is a key part of the course, where students will learn how to process data from raw sequence to the application of algorithms for analysing metagenomic datasets. Trainers will provide short lectures with follow-up hands-on exercises in order to have the participants learning and assessing their knowledge.

Audience

This course is aimed at advanced PhD students and post-doctoral researchers who are doing or planning to start research in the field of metagenomics.

Modules/Resources

– Experimental design
– Extraction of metagenomic DNA
– Construction of metagenomic libraries
– Bioinformatic analysis of metagenomic data: data standards and submission, processing of raw data, assembly, functional annotation, overview of databases, retrieval and analysis tools.

Learning Outcomes

– Construct your own metagenomic library
– Analyse and organise your data
– Interpret results, explore different databases, use different retrieval and analysis tools

For an impression of the course content you can check the 2017 course programme.