EMBL Events

23 March - 28 March 2025

Measuring translational dynamics by ribosome profiling

Pasha Baranov, Jan Medenbach, Sebastian Leidel, Elisabeth Zielonka

Quantitative assessment of mRNA translation is critical to understanding gene expression in many biological settings In this practical course we will summarise the state of the art in the theoretical sessions combined with hands on experiments and computational analyses Participants will learn a robust protocol and how to adapt it to different experimental systems and also learn the key steps of computational quality control... OverviewSpeakers, trainers and staffProgrammePractical informationMedia kitSponsors Overview Course overview Regulation of translation is key in the control of gene expression, playing a critical role in many biological and pathophysiological settings. In the last decade, methodological advances have provided comprehensive insights into cellular transcriptomes and proteomes, however, the systems-wide analysis of translation remained an unsolved experimental challenge. The advent of ‘ribosome-profiling’ provided the methodological basis for comprehensive transcriptome-wide analyses of translation at sub-codon resolution by the precise and high-throughput determination of ribosomal positions on mRNA. Its application in a variety of organisms yielded novel insights into protein synthesis and its dynamic regulation, significantly advancing our understanding of the post-transcriptional...

26 March 2025

BioChatter and the future of LLM driven bioscience

LLMs are the biggest new industry on our planet Considering the amount of research and investments in the field large and rapid progress is expected for the coming decade However to make use of the technology we need to have a solid grasp on its technical as well as infrastructural aspects LLM deployment entails a layered tech stack the LLM itself deployment use of services or self hosting technical guardrails instruction fine tuning auxiliary technologies retrieval augmented generation knowledge integration and end user accessibility programming APIs user interfaces Applying the latest knowledge about LLMs in a robust and trustworthy way is an operative challenge despite the large improvements we already see in the wider field In this webinar we will talk about the LLM stack with a focus on open source frameworks that facilitate deployment at various levels The base layer are the deployment frameworks themselves e g Ollama as well as harmonising APIs for open source LLMs by commercial providers The second layer are frameworks for LLM integration into user systems as championed by LangChain The third layer are domain specific frameworks such as our own development BioChatter which also reaches over into the fourth layer dedicated user interfaces To future proof our approach to this powerful technology it is imperative to avoid redundancies in order to not reinvent the wheel we need to be aware of which problems are solved and which are worth tackling We will discuss a flexible framework for using open source technologies at various stages of project maturity from proof of concept to service provision Finally we will discuss the scope of LLM application what can they safely be used for and which applications are still out of reach... LLMs are the biggest new industry on our planet. Considering the amount of research and investments in the field, large and rapid progress is expected for the coming decade. However, to make use of the technology, we need to have a solid grasp on its technical as well as infrastructural aspects. LLM deployment entails a layered tech stack: the LLM itself, deployment (use of services or self-hosting), technical guardrails (instruction, fine-tuning), auxiliary technologies (retrieval-augmented generation, knowledge integration), and end-user accessibility (programming APIs, user interfaces). Applying the latest knowledge about LLMs in a robust and trustworthy way is an operative challenge despite the large improvements we already see in the wider field.In this webinar, we will talk about the LLM stack with a focus on open-source frameworks that facilitate deployment at various levels. The...

31 March - 4 April 2025

Microscopy data analysis: machine learning and the BioImage Archive

Anca Belu

This virtual course will show how public bioimaging data resources centred around the BioImage Archive enable and enhance machine learning based image analysis The content will explore a variety of data types including electron and light microscopy and miscellaneous or multi modal imaging data at the cell and tissue scale Participants will cover contemporary biological image analysis with an emphasis on machine learning methods as well as how to access and use images from databases Virtual courseThis course will be a virtual event delivered via a mixture of live streamed sessions pre recorded lectures and tutorials with live support We will be using Zoom to run the live sessions all fully password protected with automated English closed captioning and transcription with support and both scientific and social networking opportunities provided by Slack and other methods taking different time zones into account In order to make the most out of the course you should make sure to have a stable internet connection throughout the week and are available between 08 00 18 00 BST each day In the week before the course there will be a brief induction session Computational practicals will run on EMBL EBI s virtual training infrastructure meaning participants will not require access to a powerful computer or install complex software on their own machines Selected participants may be sent materials prior to the course These might include pre recorded talks and required reading or online training that will be essential to fully engage with the course... This virtual course will show how public bioimaging data resources, centred around the BioImage Archive, enable and enhance machine learning based image analysis. The content will explore a variety of data types including electron and light microscopy and miscellaneous or multi-modal imaging data at the cell and tissue scale. Participants will cover contemporary biological image analysis with an emphasis on machine learning methods, as well as how to access and use images from databases. Virtual courseThis course will be a virtual event delivered via a mixture of live-streamed sessions, pre-recorded lectures, and tutorials with live support. We will be using Zoom to run the live sessions (all fully password protected with automated English closed captioning and transcription) with support and both scientific and social networking opportunities provided by Slack and other methods,...

31 March - 2 April 2025

AI in one health

Oliver Billker, Lionel Christiaen, Anna Kreshuk, Giancarlo Russo, Sameer Velankar, Qi Zhang

OverviewScientific OrganisersSpeakersYoung Investigators MeetingProgrammePractical InformationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Overview The 5th EMBL Partnership Conference will be held in Heidelberg from 31 March 02 April 2025 The conference brings together EMBL and its partner institutes to enable the exchange of expertise and build new collaborations and research networks The programme will... OverviewScientific OrganisersSpeakersYoung Investigators MeetingProgrammePractical InformationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Overview The 5th EMBL Partnership Conference will be held in Heidelberg from 31 March – 02 April 2025. The conference brings together EMBL and its partner institutes to enable the exchange of expertise and build new collaborations and research networks.  The programme will focus on the impact of the recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) on topics related to Health and related life science areas across 3 different sessions. Session topics Molecular medicine and precision health Genetics and genomics Technology and imaging “The Partnership Conference takes place at EMBL every 3 years and allows us to incite interactions with and across the EMBL Partnership network. It is organized by EMBL’s International Relations in close collaboration with scientific...

2 April 2025

Domain-specific knowledge extraction from scientific texts using LLMs

This webinar will explore how Large Language Models LLMs can streamline the extraction of critical information from scientific texts focusing on patient derived cancer models PDCMs PDCMs are vital tools for cancer research and preclinical studies with a growing body of literature in this field However manually extracting and curating information from scientific texts is labor intensive and prone to delays In this session we will introduce two innovative approaches direct prompting and soft prompting Direct prompting uses manually created instructions to extract PDCM related entities while soft prompting leverages machine learning to train continuous vector prompts We will discuss our comparative evaluation using state of the art proprietary and open source LLMs demonstrating how tailored prompt engineering can elevate the performance of smaller open models to match proprietary counterparts This session will highlight the potential of LLMs to enhance domain specific knowledge extraction and accelerate research workflows... This webinar will explore how Large Language Models (LLMs) can streamline the extraction of critical information from scientific texts, focusing on patient-derived cancer models (PDCMs). PDCMs are vital tools for cancer research and preclinical studies, with a growing body of literature in this field. However, manually extracting and curating information from scientific texts is labor-intensive and prone to delays. In this session, we will introduce two innovative approaches: direct prompting and soft prompting. Direct prompting uses manually created instructions to extract PDCM-related entities, while soft prompting leverages machine learning to train continuous vector prompts. We will discuss our comparative evaluation using state-of-the-art proprietary and open-source LLMs, demonstrating how tailored prompt engineering can elevate the performance of smaller, open models to match...

7 April - 14 April 2025

Microbial metagenomics: a 360º approach

Vladimir Benes, Giuseppe D´Auria, José Eduardo González-Pastor, Elisabeth Zielonka

OverviewSpeakers trainers and staffPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview This course will provide a global overview of the different metagenomic approaches to study microbial communities covering methods for the functional search of genes sequencing of metagenomes using the most recent technologies and in silico methods for sequence analysis... OverviewSpeakers, trainers, and staffPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview This course will provide a global overview of the different metagenomic approaches to study microbial communities, covering methods for the functional search of genes, sequencing of metagenomes using the most recent technologies and in silico methods for sequence analysis. During the course, participants will receive an overview of state-of-the-art genomic technologies and bioinformatic tools. A balanced approach of lectures and practical sessions will provide a general background and the latest advancements in the field as well as its relationship with other disciplines. The course will begin with experimental training in functional metagenomics by preparing metagenomic libraries for gene searching. Metagenomic DNA will be isolated from soil samples to analyze...

8 April - 11 April 2025

Wild frontiers of model organisms

Susana Coelho, Gautam Dey, Michael Dorrity, Nicole Dubilier, Flora Vincent

OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsors SupportersAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Symposium overview The scientific community relies on a small number of model organisms to study larger themes in biology with the assumption that gained insights can be extrapolated to most other... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsors & SupportersAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Symposium overview The scientific community relies on a small number of model organisms to study larger themes in biology, with the assumption that gained insights can be extrapolated to most other organisms. However, recent advances in our ability to study organisms in the context of their natural environments have revealed that Jacques Monod’s famous quote, ‘What is true for E. coli is true for the elephant’ does not do justice to the vast diversity of life on our planet. We will highlight research that challenges classical model organisms by looking at fluctuating, natural environments as a rich, relevant inspiration for new experiments in the lab and explore the challenges associated with...

10 April 2025

Exploring Human Disease and Protein Variant Data in UniProtKB and Contextualising Variation with ProtVar

UniProt KnowledgeBase UniProtKB supports biomedical research by providing a comprehensive high quality and freely accessible resource of protein sequence and functional information During this webinar we will provide an overview of how to access the human disease and protein variant information available in UniProtKB as well as contextualising protein variation with protein structure and function using ProtVar We will outline the annotation of protein molecular function involvement in human disease as well as disease associated variants including variant position variant characterisation and their impact on protein structure and function The protein variant viewer and feature viewer will be presented and we will show how the feature viewer facilitates visualisation of variant co localisation and impact on protein features and 3D structure Cross links to human specific databases and tools such as BLAST and Align will be briefly discussed We will give an overview of ProtVar a tool that combines data from UniProt PDBe Ensembl and novel predictions for the interpretation of missense variation in humans ProtVar helps users contextualise and interpret human missense variation within proteins to identify the potential effects of variation concerning human health and disease We will briefly introduce programmatic access to the UniProt Proteins API and ProtVar API and give examples on how to download human variation datasets available in UniProtKB Finally we will take live questions from the audience The UniProt APIs are available at https www uniprot org help programmatic accessThe ProtVar API is available at https www ebi ac uk ProtVar api swagger ui index html... UniProt KnowledgeBase (UniProtKB) supports biomedical research by providing a comprehensive, high-quality, and freely accessible resource of protein sequence and functional information. During this webinar, we will provide an overview of how to access the human disease and protein variant information available in UniProtKB, as well as contextualising protein variation with protein structure and function using ProtVar. We will outline the annotation of protein molecular function, involvement in human disease, as well as disease-associated variants, including variant position, variant characterisation and their impact on protein structure and function. The protein variant viewer and feature viewer will be presented and we will show how the feature viewer facilitates visualisation of variant co-localisation and impact on protein features and 3D structure. Cross-links to...

16 April 2025

LLMs in bioinformatics Q&A session

Join us for a live panel discussion as part of our ongoing webinar series Large Language Models and their applications in bioinformatics This interactive Q A session offers attendees the opportunity to engage with speakers from the series ask new questions and revisit key discussions The panel will address questions submitted throughout the series and welcome live queries from participants To find more details on the webinars from this series visit the event webpage https www ebi ac uk training events large language models and their applications bioinformatics... Join us for a live panel discussion as part of our ongoing webinar series, Large Language Models and their applications in bioinformatics. This interactive Q&A session offers attendees the opportunity to engage with speakers from the series, ask new questions, and revisit key discussions. The panel will address questions submitted throughout the series and welcome live queries from participants.To find more details on the webinars from this series, visit the event webpage: https://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/events/large-language-models-and-their-applications-bioinformatics/ 

29 April 2025

Sustainable research: fit for the future

Brendan Rouse, Marta Rodríguez-Martínez, Philipp Weber, Martin Farley, Valeria Scagliotti

Overview Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Symposium overview The symposium will delve into the critical role of sustainable practices within the scientific community As researchers grapple with global challenges it becomes imperative to adopt environmentally responsible and socially equitable research methodologies This... Overview Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Symposium overview The symposium will delve into the critical role of sustainable practices within the scientific community. As researchers grapple with global challenges, it becomes imperative to adopt environmentally responsible and socially equitable research methodologies. This symposium will explore topics such as green laboratory practices, the inspiring role of grassroots movements, organisation’s sustainability strategies, and the vital role of funders, always with an eye on the future. By fostering a culture of sustainability within science, we can reduce our ecological footprint, enhance research integrity, and ensure the long-term viability of scientific research. Through a series of keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive workshops, participants will...

4 May - 9 May 2025

Analysis and integration of transcriptome and proteome data

Vladimir Benes, Raffaele Calogero, Daria Fijalkowska, Jeroen Krijgsveld, Lennard Martens

OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview Systems biology is a still expanding field of research aiming to understand at the molecular level how cells tissues and organisms operate in their biological context Among the key technologies driving this forward are next generation sequencing and proteomics as they provide powerful means... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview Systems biology is a still expanding field of research aiming to understand at the molecular level how cells, tissues and organisms operate in their biological context. Among the key technologies driving this forward are next-generation sequencing and proteomics, as they provide powerful means to determine global expression levels of genes and proteins. Both fields have matured to a degree that they have now become accessible to researchers in many areas of biology. During this course, participants will gain theoretical insight in the structure of sequencing and proteomic data, and they will receive training in data analysis for the annotation, quantification, and statistical analysis of gene and protein expression using various computational tools. In addition, training will be provided...

6 May - 9 May 2025

Theory and concepts in biology

Alexander Aulehla, Christina Hueschen, Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo, Sriram Ramaswamy, Kirsty Wan

The goal of this symposium is to assemble an interdisciplinary community and to provide a platform to discuss perspectives on the role of theory in biology and importantly also vice versa the impact that biology can have on theory... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary ProgrammePractical informationSponsorsAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Symposium overview Recent progress in biology has led to an explosion of factual knowledge about the living world over a huge range of scales in space and time. Yet, many questions about how to make sense of this data remain across the entire diversity of the living world from the smallest bacterium to the ecosystems of the Serengeti. This meeting is the 2nd edition in a series of symposia aiming to bring together a diverse community of researchers interested in finding ways to transform into conceptual knowledge the ever-increasing amount of factual knowledge produced by biological research. The goal is to provide a platform to discuss perspectives on the role of theory in biology, and importantly also vice...

12 May - 16 May 2025

Cancer genomics and transcriptomics

Meredith Willmott

This course will focus on the analysis of data from genomic studies of cancer It will also highlight the application of transcriptomic analysis and single cell technologies in cancer Talks and interactive sessions will give an insight into the bioinformatic concepts required to analyse such data whilst practical sessions will enable the participants to apply statistical methods to the analysis of cancer genomics data under the guidance of the trainers Virtual courseParticipants will learn via a mix of pre recorded lectures live presentations and trainer Q A sessions Practical experience will be developed through group activities and trainer led computational exercises Live sessions will be delivered using Zoom with additional support and asynchronous communication via Slack Pre recorded material may be provided before the course starts that participants will need to watch read or work through to gain the most out of the actual training event In the week before the course there will be a brief induction session Computational practicals will run on EMBL EBI s virtual training infrastructure meaning participants will not require access to a powerful computer or install complex software on their own machines Participants will need to be available between the hours of 08 45 17 30 BST each day of the course Trainers will be available to assist answer questions and provide further explanations during these times... This course will focus on the analysis of data from genomic studies of cancer. It will also highlight the application of transcriptomic analysis and single-cell technologies in cancer. Talks and interactive sessions will give an insight into the bioinformatic concepts required to analyse such data, whilst practical sessions will enable the participants to apply statistical methods to the analysis of cancer genomics data under the guidance of the trainers.Virtual courseParticipants will learn via a mix of pre-recorded lectures, live presentations, and trainer Q&A sessions. Practical experience will be developed through group activities and trainer-led computational exercises. Live sessions will be delivered using Zoom with additional support and asynchronous communication via Slack.Pre-recorded material may be provided before the course starts that participants will need to watch,...

13 May - 16 May 2025

Chromatin and epigenetics

Asifa Akhtar, Amanda Fisher, Dirk Schubeler, Bing Ren

Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence At least three systems including DNA methylation histone modifications and non coding RNAs ncRNA are considered to play fundamental roles in epigenetic regulation Research over the last two decades has uncovered the role of epigenetics in a variety of human disorders and fatal diseases Moreover influence of age environment lifestyle and disease state on epigenetic states is being increasingly appreciated and actively studied This conference provides an international forum for cutting edge research in chromatin and epigenetics It provides the focal hub for people to present their research and exchange ideas in a virtual format Renowned speakers will cover the latest advances in the field... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Conference overview Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence. At least three systems, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNA), are considered to play fundamental roles in epigenetic regulation. Research over the last two decades has uncovered the role of epigenetics in a variety of human disorders and fatal diseases. Moreover, influence of age, environment, lifestyle, and disease state on epigenetic states is being increasingly appreciated and actively studied. This conference provides an international forum for cutting-edge research in chromatin and epigenetics. It provides the ‘focal hub’...

18 May - 23 May 2025

Advanced fluorescence imaging techniques

Manuel Gunkel, Aliaksandr Halavatyi, Joana Delgado Martins, Stefan Marawske

This practical course will cover advanced light microscopy techniques and participants will learn how to derive qualitative and quantitative insights on molecular mechanisms in cells and developing organisms Invited guest researchers together with experts from the EMBL and microscopy professionals will foster an intense information flow with a balance of lectures and practical workshops The focus of the course will be on the use of fluorescence microscopy to obtain information about protein localisation dynamics and functions at different spatial scales... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview This practical course will cover advanced light microscopy techniques and participants will learn how to derive qualitative and quantitative insights on molecular mechanisms in mechanisms in cells, tissues and developing organisms. Invited guest researchers together with microscopy experts from EMBL will foster an intense information flow with a balance of lectures and practical workshops. The focus of the course will be on the use of fluorescence microscopy to obtain information about localisation and functions of proteins and other bio-molecules at different spatial scales. Audience This course is directed towards researchers in the life sciences with access to light microscopy equipment, who have an immediate need to apply the techniques they will learn to solve biological problems at...

20 May - 23 May 2025

Introduction to metabolomics analysis

Juanita Riveros

This course will provide an introduction to metabolomics through lectures and hands on sessions using publicly available data software and tools Participants will become familiar with standardised workflows as well as with the current state of experimental design data acquisition LC MS MS imaging processing and modelling In addition they will learn about community standards and sharing in metabolomics particularly through the use of EMBL EBI s MetaboLights repository and Galaxy infrastructure Participants will learn through hands on tutorials to use tools available for data analysis and data submission Additionally case studies will be discussed to show how to employ the week s learning... This course will provide an introduction to metabolomics through lectures and hands-on sessions, using publicly available data, software, and tools. Participants will become familiar with standardised workflows as well as with the current state of experimental design, data acquisition (LC-MS, MS imaging), processing, and modelling. In addition, they will learn about community standards and sharing in metabolomics, particularly through the use of EMBL-EBI’s MetaboLights repository and Galaxy infrastructure. Participants will learn through hands-on tutorials to use tools available for data analysis and data submission. Additionally, case studies will be discussed to show how to employ the week’s learning.

20 May - 22 May 2025

BioMalPar XXI: biology and pathology of the malaria parasite

Yaw Aniweh, Liliana Mancio-Silva, Wiebke Nahrendorf, Stuart Ralph

OverviewSpeakersPreliminary ProgrammePractical InformationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Poster abstract deadline extended until 25 March 2025 Conference overview Malaria remains a significant global public health challenge with increasing drug resistance COVID interruptions to interventions... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary ProgrammePractical InformationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. **Poster abstract deadline extended until 25 March, 2025*** Conference overview Malaria remains a significant global public health challenge, with increasing drug resistance, COVID interruptions to interventions, and rising malaria deaths confounding our efforts against this persistent disease. BioMalPar reaffirms our commitment to understanding the Plasmodium parasite and its interactions with hosts and vectors. Despite the challenges, there are promising developments: new drug combinations are showing efficacy, and we now have two approved vaccines that offer hope for the future. Meeting for the 21st time, BioMalPar 2025 focusses on strengthening our global research community by fostering new partnerships and...

26 May - 28 May 2025

Infection: pathogens, hosts, and microbiomes

Maria Bernabeu, Pascale Cossart, Hiten Madhani, Kim Orth, Michael Way

OverviewSpeakersProgrammePractical informationSponsorsAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Symposium overview Infectious diseases are among the most prevalent causes of human illness and death in the world Epidemics pandemics have shaped human evolution and history and although for a while they were... OverviewSpeakersProgrammePractical informationSponsorsAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Symposium overview Infectious diseases are among the most prevalent causes of human illness and death in the world. Epidemics & pandemics have shaped human evolution and history, and although for a while they were considered a solved problem for the developed world, the recent past has showed us all why this is not the case. Antimicrobial resistance, global warming, human population size increase, modern lifestyles (urbanization, traveling), decrease of wild-life habitats for pathogen reservoirs all contribute to creating an ideal setting for infectious diseases becoming an even greater challenge in the future. This symposium will bring together experts working on different pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and...

1 June - 6 June 2025

Whole transcriptome data analysis

Marco Beccuti, Vladimir Benes, Raffaele Calogero, Francesca Cordero

This course will teach the biological researchers how to analyse biological data sets using open source software Most of the analysis will be performed with docker4seq and rCASC packages which was developed to facilitate the use of computing demanding applications in the field of NGS data analysis... OverviewSpeakers, trainers and staffPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview This course will teach biological researchers how to analyse biological data sets using open-source software. Most of the analysis will be performed with docker4seq and rCASC packages, which were developed to facilitate the use of computing demanding applications in the field of NGS data analysis. Docker4seq and rCASC packages use docker containers that embed demanding computing tasks (e.g. short reads mapping) into isolated containers. This approach provides multiple advantages: the user does not need to install all the software on its local server, the results generated by different containers can be organised in pipelines, and reproducible research is guarantee by the possibility of sharing the docker images used for the analysis. Computers for hands-on exercises...

2 June - 6 June 2025

Interdisciplinary challenges in the physics of complexity and life 2025 (IntCha25)

This conference aims at connecting young researchers from diverse backgrounds at the interface between the physics of complex systems and biology to build networks and new collaborations both across fields and between theoreticians and experimentalists... OverviewSpeakersProgrammePractical information Overview Conference overview This conference aims at connecting young researchers from diverse backgrounds at the interface between the physics of complex systems and biology, to build networks and new collaborations both across fields and between theoreticians and experimentalists. The talks will span a variety of topics from soft matter to biology and statistical physics. As the conference is aimed at early-career researchers, we strongly support applications from PhD students, postdocs and early-career permanent researchers.Since we are aware of the financial difficulties faced by young researchers, participants that are accepted for poster presentations will have the opportunity to apply to a travel grant. We will notably support environmentally friendly travelling options within our financial capabilities. Keynote Speakers Kate Jensen,...

3 June - 6 June 2025

25th international meeting of the European Light Microscopy Initiative

Elisa D’Este, Ulrike Engel, Elisa May, Rainer Pepperkok, Stefan Terjung, Timo Job Kristian Zimmermann

The primary goals of this conference are to advocate for light microscopy as an essential research tool in the life sciences and to enhance communication among researchers core facilities and the industry... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmeCommunity Room workshopsIndustry workshopsExhibitorsSponsorshipPractical informationMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Conference overview Founded in 2001, the European Light Microscopy Initiative (ELMI) was established to create a pivotal communication network among European scientists involved in light microscopy and equipment manufacturers. Its primary goals are to advocate for light microscopy as an essential research tool in the life sciences and to enhance communication among researchers, core facilities, and the industry. The 2025 edition of the European Light Microscopy Initiative conference sees a return to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, for the first time since 2010. With EMBL’s tradition of excellence in light microscopy, this...

5 June 2025

From sequences to structures

Barbara Etzi

Proteins are fundamental to biological processes and understanding their sequence structure and function is crucial for various applications in research This one day hands on virtual workshop will guide participants through a structured programmatic workflow using EMBL EBI resources Participants will learn how to retrieve protein sequences identify homologs annotate functional domains and explore structural information using REST APIs The course emphasises programmatic access APIs to integrate sequence functional and structural data into a unified analysis pipeline Through a step by step Python workflow participants will apply different EMBL EBI tools to analyse an example protein gaining practical experience in automating large scale protein data analysis Virtual courseThis course will take place on Zoom Trainers will be available to assist during practical sessions answer questions and provide further explanations during the Zoom To join the course you will need to create an EMBL EBI Training website account... Proteins are fundamental to biological processes, and understanding their sequence, structure, and function is crucial for various applications in research. This one-day, hands-on virtual workshop will guide participants through a structured, programmatic workflow using EMBL-EBI resources. Participants will learn how to retrieve protein sequences, identify homologs, annotate functional domains, and explore structural information using REST APIs. The course emphasises programmatic access (APIs) to integrate sequence, functional, and structural data into a unified analysis pipeline. Through a step-by-step Python workflow, participants will apply different EMBL-EBI tools to analyse an example protein, gaining practical experience in automating large-scale protein data analysis.Virtual courseThis course will take place on Zoom. Trainers will be available to assist during practical sessions,...

10 June - 13 June 2025

The ageing genome: from mechanisms to disease

George Garinis, Jaqueline Jacobs, Björn Schumacher, Agnel Sfeir

OverviewSpeakersPreliminary ProgrammePractical InformationSponsorsAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Symposium overview Ageing is often considered a complex phenotype that affects multiple organs and tissues in a time dependent manner This may result in the aged population consuming a myriad of medications... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary ProgrammePractical InformationSponsorsAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Symposium overview Ageing is often considered a complex phenotype that affects multiple organs and tissues in a time-dependent manner. This may result in the aged population consuming a myriad of medications, each aimed to treat, but not cure, the affected tissue. Recent studies have demonstrated that the “Primary Hallmarks of Ageing” are a set of five molecular mechanisms that malfunction, independent of tissue type, and drive ageing. Hence, focusing on these five hallmarks simplifies the efforts to understand ageing-associated disease. The second edition of this symposium will bring together an all-new, international line-up of speakers to continue the exchange on the basic/mechanistic aspects of chromosome...

14 June - 20 June 2025

Computational modelling of multicellular systems

Katie Bentley, James Sharpe, Alejandro Torres-Sanchez

This practical course teaches the basics of multicellular modelling to any researcher wishing to enter the field particularly experimentalists with no prior experience of computational modelling... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary ProgrammePractical InformationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Course overview This practical course teaches the basics of multicellular modelling to any researcher wishing to enter the field, particularly experimentalists with no prior experience of computational modelling. It is a “hands-on” course with 60% of the time devoted to students working on laptops performing exercises designed to give a practical familiarity with different types of computational modelling. The course focuses on the dynamics of multicellular systems- from embryos to organoids, covering both the molecular side (how gene regulatory networks perform pattern formation) and also the mechanical side in 2D and 3D (how the movements and activities of many cells together...

15 June - 20 June 2025

Imaging-based spatial-omics

Alvaro Crevenna, Andrea Radtke, Emerald Perlas, Sinem Saka,

OverviewSpeakersProgrammePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview The aim of the course is to provide participants a comprehensive introduction to the various methods of spatial omics and in particular those of multiplex immunofluorescence and spatial transcriptomics We want to provide a general overview of the methods and assist researchers choose the right method for... OverviewSpeakersProgrammePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview The aim of the course is to provide participants a comprehensive introduction to the various methods of spatial-omics and in particular those of multiplex immunofluorescence and spatial transcriptomics. We want to provide a general overview of the methods and assist researchers choose the right method for their needs. With hands-on practicals, the course will teach participants how to carry out open-source imaging-based methods for cost-effective spatial transcriptomics and multiplex immunofluorescence. The course will cover all experimental stages, including custom reagent preparation, sample preparation and data acquisition (with various microscopy modalities) as well as image processing and basic data analysis. Audience This course is open to PhD students, postdocs and staff. We seek participants...

16 June - 17 June 2025

In science we trust?

Flavien Affaki, Sandra Bendiscioli, Thomas Keane, Bernd Pulverer, Giorgia Renne, Lucia von Bredow

This conference will analyse the importance of public trust in science in a post truth society from public involvement in science to implications on funding and resource allocation and the political consequences of losing societal trust and buy in Above all it will ask what we role we can all play in shaping the future path of increased societal trust in science... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationCall for postersSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place as an in-person meeting on-site at EMBL Heidelberg. Conference overview We live in an era characterised by dazzling scientific and technological progress on an unprecedented scale. From the application of new gene editing techniques, pioneering stem cell research, or rapid vaccine development to emerging technologies such as AI or organoid research, advances in life sciences offer a myriad of potential benefits to society. However, these scientific endeavours exist against a backdrop of misinformation and disinformation in the scientific arena, which have the potential to cast a shadow on the public perception of science. From attitudes surrounding scientific issues in the pandemic, highly publicised cases of scientific fraud and misconduct, or ethical...

16 June - 20 June 2025

Data science for life scientists

Meredith Willmott

This course will introduce life scientists to practical data science topics used in life sciences such as data visualisation image analysis application of AI and use of publicly available databases You will initially be introduced to data science theory and practice including best practices for undertaking analyses data management and reproducibility The course will provide hands on training in tools and resources appropriate to your research including introducing the use of Python for handling and visualising data statistical analysis and the application of machine learning Group projectsThis course includes group projects where you will be placed in small groups to work together on a challenge set by trainers from EMBL EBI This allows you to explore the data sciences methods and resources you will learn about during the course and apply them to a set problem providing you with hands on experience The group work will culminate in a flash talk session involving everyone on the final day of the course Groups are mentored and supported by the trainers who set the initial challenge but the groups will be responsible for driving their projects forward with all members expected to take an active role There are two different group project topics gene expression and protein structure Both these projects will provide an opportunity for participants to apply the knowledge and skills learnt during the other sessions of the course including data handling in Python data visualisation statistics and machine learning The projects will also allow participants to gain experience of using EMBL EBI data resources including Expression Atlas and the Single Cell Expression Atlas for the gene expression project and the resources PDBe and AlphaFold for the protein structures project You will be asked during your application to select the group project topic you would most benefit from The projects cover mammalian data sets however in many cases the methods and approaches taught are transferable to data from various species... This course will introduce life scientists to practical data science topics used in life sciences, such as data visualisation, image analysis, application of AI, and use of publicly available databases. You will initially be introduced to data science theory and practice, including best practices for undertaking analyses, data management, and reproducibility. The course will provide hands-on training in tools and resources appropriate to your research, including introducing the use of Python for handling and visualising data, statistical analysis, and the application of machine learning.Group projectsThis course includes group projects where you will be placed in small groups to work together on a challenge set by trainers from EMBL-EBI. This allows you to explore the data sciences methods and resources you will learn about during the course and apply them to a set problem,...

24 June - 26 June 2025

Data visualisation for biology

Anca Belu

This course will give insights into and practical experience in data visualisation for exploring complex and multi dimensional biological data Biological and life sciences data often consists of multiple dimensions a combination of numerical values ordered data categories and time series To make sense of this data simple plots like scatterplots barcharts and boxplots are often not enough Still visualisation is critical in gaining deep insight into the data This is why many custom visualisations originated in the biological field In this course we will dive into the topic of visualisation of complex biological data and how it can be used to gain insight into and get a feel for a dataset so that targeted analyses can be defined It will be delivered through a mixture of lectures and workshop sessions and will provide hands on experience in developing visualisations The course will focus on working with omics e g genomics transcriptomics data rather than e g imaging data... This course will give insights into, and practical experience in, data visualisation for exploring complex and multi-dimensional biological data.Biological and life sciences data often consists of multiple dimensions: a combination of numerical values, ordered data, categories, and time-series. To make sense of this data, simple plots like scatterplots, barcharts, and boxplots are often not enough. Still, visualisation is critical in gaining deep insight into the data. This is why many custom visualisations originated in the biological field.In this course, we will dive into the topic of visualisation of complex biological data and how it can be used to gain insight into and get a "feel" for a dataset, so that targeted analyses can be defined. It will be delivered through a mixture of lectures and workshop sessions, and will provide hands-on experience in developing visualisations. The...

24 June - 27 June 2025

New approaches and concepts in microbiology

Pascale Cossart, Sophie Helaine, KC Huang, Michael Laub, Nassos Typas

This symposium will cover a broad range of topics in microbiology including antibiotic related research bacterial communities and microbiome cell biology regulation signalling pathogenesis and evolution Emphasis will be placed on novel approaches and technologies from systems based to single cell that drive each field or have the potential to revolutionise future research in microbiology... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kitAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Symposium overview This symposium is the seventh edition of a successful series started in 2013 and held biannually since. It has established itself as a must-attend fixture in the calendar for scientists working with bacteria and new technologies. The meeting covers a broad range of cutting-edge topics in microbiology, featuring diverse research. Emphasis is placed on novel approaches and technologies (from systems-based to single-cell) that drive each field or have the potential to revolutionise future microbiology research. The meeting is always oversubscribed and manages to bring together scientists from different areas, who usually don’t meet, creating a highly interactive and dynamic atmosphere. Session...

2 July - 9 July 2025

Transitions in developing systems: from theory to experiments

Karen Alim, James Briscoe, Jordi van Gestel, Nicoletta Petridou, Hanh Vu

This hands on training course will deliver the state of the art in knowledge concepts and methods utilised to study developmental transitions across biological scales through lectures discussions and application through practical sessions on model and non model systems... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview Developing systems at all biological scales are subject to transitions between states of collective organisation that are critical for their function and evolution. The study of transitions requires bridging biological scales and integrating diverse disciplines, including statistical physics, nonlinear dynamics, and developmental biology. Recent technological advances in quantitative biology, the acquisition of big data and machine-learning based analysis now make it possible to study this topic. This course will give applicants the unique opportunity to closely interact with a diverse group of renowned scientists (speakers/trainers) who work on biological transitions in fundamental developmental processes including morphogenesis, signal transduction, gene expression, collective cell and...

7 July - 11 July 2025

Systems biology: from large datasets to biological insight

Juanita Riveros

This course covers the use of computational tools to extract biological insight from omics datasets The content will explore a range of approaches from network inference and data integration to machine learning and logic modelling that can be used to extract biological insights from varied data types Together these techniques will provide participants with a useful toolkit for designing new strategies to extract relevant information and understanding from large scale biological data The motivation for running this course is a result of advances in computer science and high performance computing that have led to groundbreaking developments in systems biology model inference With the comparable increase of publicly available large scale biological data the challenge now lies in interpreting them in a biologically valuable manner Likewise machine learning approaches are making a significant impact in our analysis of large omics datasets and the extraction of useful biological knowledge... This course covers the use of computational tools to extract biological insight from omics datasets. The content will explore a range of approaches – from network inference and data integration to machine learning and logic modelling – that can be used to extract biological insights from varied data types. Together these techniques will provide participants with a useful toolkit for designing new strategies to extract relevant information and understanding from large-scale biological data.The motivation for running this course is a result of advances in computer science and high-performance computing that have led to groundbreaking developments in systems biology model inference. With the comparable increase of publicly-available, large-scale biological data, the challenge now lies in interpreting them in a biologically valuable manner. Likewise, machine learning approaches are making a...

14 July - 18 July 2025

Proteomics bioinformatics

Barbara Etzi

This course provides hands on training in the basics of mass spectrometry MS and proteomics bioinformatics You will receive training on how to use search engines and post processing software quantitative approaches MS data repositories the use of public databases for protein analysis annotation of subsequent protein lists and incorporation of information from molecular interaction and pathway databases The practical elements of the course will take raw data from a proteomics experiment and analyse it You will be able to go from MS spectra to identifying and quantifying peptides and finally to obtaining lists of protein identifiers that can be analysed further using a wide range of resources The final aim is to provide you with the practical bioinformatics knowledge you need to go back to the lab and process your own data when collected This course is organised in association with the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie VIB the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology Pre recorded material may be provided before the course starts that you will need to watch read or work through to gain the most out of the actual training event... This course provides hands-on training in the basics of mass spectrometry (MS) and proteomics bioinformatics. You will receive training on how to use search engines and post-processing software, quantitative approaches, MS data repositories, the use of public databases for protein analysis, annotation of subsequent protein lists, and incorporation of information from molecular interaction and pathway databases.The practical elements of the course will take raw data from a proteomics experiment and analyse it. You will be able to go from MS spectra to identifying and quantifying peptides, and finally to obtaining lists of protein identifiers that can be analysed further using a wide range of resources. The final aim is to provide you with the practical bioinformatics knowledge you need to go back to the lab and process your own data when collected.This course is organised in association...

14 July - 18 July 2025

Fluorescence imaging beyond intensity

Luis Alvarez, Manuel Gunkel, Andrea Mülter

As fluorescence lifetime based readouts become more accessible this course aims to provide a broad understanding of how the lifetime based information can be leveraged to solve biological questions... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This course is organised in cooperation with Leica Microsystems. Course overview As fluorescence lifetime-based readouts become more accessible, this course aims to provide a broad understanding of how the lifetime-based information can be leveraged to solve biological questions. This application-centred course will provide insights into how this additional dimension of fluorescence information can help unveil functional and mechanistic information. Audience This course is aimed at PhD students and Post Docs with experience in fluorescence microscopy. It will enable them to better apply confocal fluorescence microscopy and in particular lifetime-based readouts to their cutting-edge research, disseminate their gained expertise to colleagues at their home institution and, eventually, to develop imaging...

15 July - 18 July 2025

Gene regulation: one molecule at a time

Stirling Churchman, Arnaud Krebs, Mounia Lagha, Daniel Larson

OverviewSpeakersProgrammePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Conference overview Gene expression is controlled by the dynamic action of dozens of macromolecular complexes that assemble on DNA to transcribe genes and translate mRNAs to proteins Understanding of these mechanisms has... OverviewSpeakersProgrammePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Conference overview Gene expression is controlled by the dynamic action of dozens of macromolecular complexes that assemble on DNA to transcribe genes and translate mRNAs to proteins. Understanding of these mechanisms has historically been driven by biochemical and structural characterisation of the players, as well as probing their function through genetic deletions. The genomics revolution has provided us with a near- comprehensive picture of where these factors bind to regulate the genome and which transcripts are processed in various biological contexts. A key limitation of the resulting models is that they are derived using data that are static by nature, unfaithfully representing the dynamics of these regulatory processes...

3 August - 8 August 2025

Drosophila genetics and genomics

Justin Crocker, Kate O’Connor-Giles, Ella Preger-Ben Noon, Andreas Prokop

The EMBO Practical Course on Drosophila genetics and genomics offers advanced conceptual overviews used to train Drosophila leaders for nearly 30 years paired with hands on introductions to cutting edge experimental techniques taught by experts in the field... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview Drosophila as a model system has remained a powerful driver of biological research for over a century. Emergence of techniques like CRISPR-Cas9, next-generation sequencing, single-molecule(sm) FISH, and single-cell genomics have dramatically expanded the toolkit available for research in Drosophila. These techniques are now routinely applied to answer important knowledge gaps in developmental biology, cell biology, physiology, neurobiology, genome regulation, evolution, behavior and population genetics. This course will cover the latest advances in this direction through a combination of lectures delivered by world-renowned experts and hands-on practical sessions on the above topics delivered by excellent trainers – to help the participants rapidly absorb knowledge towards...

31 August - 5 September 2025

FISHing for RNAs: classical to single molecule approaches

Florence Besse, Imre Gaspar, Emerald Perlas, Elisabeth Zielonka

OverviewSpeakerPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview Over the past decades it became evident that the specific amount and localisation of an RNA transcript are important to understand the biological function of its non coding gene Whereby state of the art in situ hybridisation ISH technologies are key to visualise these RNAs in a given... OverviewSpeakerPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview Over the past decades, it became evident that the specific amount and localisation of an RNA transcript are important to understand the biological function of its (non-) coding gene. Whereby state-of-the-art in situ hybridisation (ISH) technologies are key to visualise these RNAs in a given tissue or cell. This course will teach participants to apply three powerful RNA visualisation techniques, all in histological tissue samples: conventional in situ hybridisation (ISH), hybridisation chain reaction ISH (HCR-ISH), and the cutting edge single molecule fluorescent ISH (smFISH). In addition, essential tissues embedding protocols adapted to facilitate visual interrogation of RNA transcripts will also be covered. Benefit from our excellent trainer to participant ratio for...

3 September - 7 September 2025

Protein synthesis and translational control

Alfredo Castello, Christopher Fraser, Fatima Gebauer, Christian Spahn

This conference focuses on the process of protein synthesis from the molecular and structural understanding of the translational machinery to its regulation its implications in cell and organismal biology and its alteration in disease... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Conference overview Mechanisms that shape cellular proteomes are critical for life. This conference focuses on the process of protein synthesis, from the molecular and structural understanding of the translational machinery to its regulation, its implications in cell and organismal biology, and its alteration in disease. The regulation of mRNA translation is critical to maintaining cell homeostasis and mediates cellular responses to environmental, physiological, and pathological cues. Given the central importance of protein synthesis, it is unsurprising that dysregulation or defects in mRNA translation are widely linked to disease, including cancer, neurological or metabolic disorders, and viral infection. In recent...

9 September - 12 September 2025

Developmental metabolism: flows of energy, matter, and information

Alexander Aulehla, Heather Christofk, Heidi Lempradl, Jonathan Rodenfels

This meeting will create an intellectual space to exchange ideas across disciplines and help form a vibrant diverse community at the interphase between developmental biology molecular metabolism mathematics and physics... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Conference overview The fundamental question of the role of metabolism in development has seen a revival in interest over recent years, creating the need for the first edition of this workshop in 2023. This second edition is set to reunite the community two years on, and to ensure the ongoing interactions that can propel progress in developmental metabolism. In this rapidly advancing field, metabolomic methods play a crucial role in unraveling complex processes. The workshop will again aim to bring together researchers from diverse backgrounds: developmental biology, genetics, epigenetics, ecology, physics and math, to provide the developmental metabolism community with cutting-edge research and methodologies applied...

14 September - 19 September 2025

Advanced methods in bioimage analysis

Ignacio Arganda-Carreras, Anna Klemm, Perrine Paul-Gilloteaux, Christian Tischer

OverviewTrainers speakers staffPractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This course will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Course overview Bioimage analysis has become a keystone of biological research the deluge of data produced by increasingly advanced microscopes calls for experts able to guide life scientists in the methods and software... OverviewTrainers, speakers, staffPractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This course will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Course overview Bioimage analysis has become a keystone of biological research: the deluge of data produced by increasingly advanced microscopes calls for experts able to guide life scientists in the methods and software to be used to produce quantitative knowledge from this data. Due to the complexity of the data, without such expert guidance, it is very likely that image analysis algorithms may be applied incorrectly, possibly even producing erroneous results. Moreover, the diversity of imaging modalities, analysis algorithms and software solutions is growing so rapidly that even experts are overwhelmed. This advanced course concentrates on teaching cutting-edge concepts and tools for quantitative image analysis and will...

14 September - 19 September 2025

Methods for infectious disease modelling using genomics

Barbara Etzi

This EMBO Practical course will introduce concepts methods and tools for carrying out infectious disease modelling as well as for developing models further by leveraging the power of genomics Modelling infectious diseases can help to understand the mechanisms of pathogen evolution and predict the development of epidemics This had an immense impact on the COVID 19 pandemic and is crucial for the general surveillance of pathogens In this course participants will learn about compartmental models such as Susceptible Infectious Recovered SIR models how to adapt them to a pathogen of their interest and the differences between stochastic and deterministic models Taking this further participants will apply these models to epidemic settings in order to predict changes in case numbers and disease severity Additionally the participants will learn how to implement and adapt genomics informed models for pathogen evolution and they will learn how to make use of genomics to create timed phylogenies and reconstruct ancestral states Finally bringing together transmission modelling and genomic data participants will learn about phylodynamic models and how this can help to detect changes in case numbers and pathogenicity earlier and more reliably than with transmission models alone... This EMBO Practical course will introduce concepts, methods, and tools for carrying out infectious disease modelling, as well as for developing models further by leveraging the power of genomics. Modelling infectious diseases can help to understand the mechanisms of pathogen evolution and predict the development of epidemics. This had an immense impact on the COVID-19 pandemic and is crucial for the general surveillance of pathogens. In this course, participants will learn about compartmental models, such as Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) models, how to adapt them to a pathogen of their interest, and the differences between stochastic and deterministic models. Taking this further, participants will apply these models to epidemic settings in order to predict changes in case numbers and disease severity. Additionally, the participants will learn how to implement and...

16 September - 19 September 2025

The human microbiome

Mani Arumugam, Ami Bhatt, Peer Bork, Nicola Segata

OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Symposium overview Human microbiota the collection of microbes living in and on our body have a significant impact on human health and well being They have been associated with numerous diseases yet we... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Symposium overview Human microbiota – the collection of microbes living in and on our body – have a significant impact on human health and well-being. They have been associated with numerous diseases, yet we are still far from understanding their role in the context of life-style and genetics. Various initiatives are underway around the world to survey the human microbiota at several body sites, characterize them, understand their interactions with the human hosts, elucidate their role in diseases, and design possible therapeutic or dietary interventions. Recent efforts have started mining the human microbiome data to discover bioactive compounds; detect interactions between microbes and molecules; and design...

29 September - 2 October 2025

NicE-RNA sequencing for multiomics on open chromatin and transcription

Vladimir Benes, Björn Textor

OverviewSpeakersSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview This course will focus on the latest state of the art novel library preparation protocols We will start with experimental design focusing on hands on library preparation including best practices standards and potential pitfalls concluding with sequencing of libraries bioinformatic evaluation best practices Multiomic data... OverviewSpeakersSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview This course will focus on the latest state-of-the-art novel library preparation protocols. We will start with experimental design, focusing on hands-on library preparation (including best practices, standards, and potential pitfalls), concluding with sequencing of libraries, bioinformatic evaluation & best practices. Multiomic data in scientific projects have become more and more important. NicE-Seq is a novel method enabling detection of open chromatin in fixed low numbers of cells without any additional instrumentation. Combining open chromatin with transcriptome information is crucial for interpretation of cellular states. Therefore, the course participants will also prepare mRNA libraries from the same cell populations.  Participants will carry out a complete workflow, from isolation of DNA & RNA from fixed...

6 October - 10 October 2025

Metagenomics bioinformatics at MGnify

EMBL-EBI Training

Learn about the tools processes and analysis approaches used in the field of genome resolved metagenomics This course will cover the use of publicly available resources to manage share analyse and interpret metagenomics data focussing primarily on assembly based approaches The delivered content will involve participants learning via live lectures and presentations followed by live Q As with the trainers Practical experience will be developed in group activities and in computational exercises run using containerised tools on our training infrastructure... Learn about the tools, processes, and analysis approaches used in the field of genome-resolved metagenomics.This course will cover the use of publicly available resources to manage, share, analyse, and interpret metagenomics data, focussing primarily on assembly-based approaches.The delivered content will involve participants learning via live lectures and presentations, followed by live Q&As with the trainers. Practical experience will be developed in group activities and in computational exercises run using containerised tools on our training infrastructure.

8 October - 11 October 2025

Seeing is believing: imaging the molecular processes of life

Jan Ellenberg, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Satyajit Mayor, Atsushi Miyawaki

OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kitAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Conference overview The molecular processes of life are naturally dynamic in space and time from the atomic to the organismal level The rapid development of imaging methods across the full scale of biological... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kitAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Conference overview The molecular processes of life are naturally dynamic in space and time from the atomic to the organismal level. The rapid development of imaging methods across the full scale of biological organisation is revolutionising our ability to visualise the inner workings of macromolecular complexes, organelles, cells, tissues, organs and whole organisms. Being able to see biological processes unfold in real time allows us to understand the mechanisms of life as well as disease.The symposium will bring together the leading developers of imaging methods with cutting-edge applications that illustrate how imaging can answer biological questions. We will emphasize methods that can capture the dynamics...

13 October - 17 October 2025

Liquid biopsies

Anders Ståhlberg, Martin Dalin

OverviewSponsorsMedia kit Overview Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Course Overview There is an increasing interest and need to analyse biomarkers in liquid biopsies including basic research and clinical applications Liquid biopsies have several advantages including being minimally invasive... OverviewSponsorsMedia kit Overview Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Course Overview There is an increasing interest and need to analyse biomarkers in liquid biopsies, including basic research and clinical applications. Liquid biopsies have several advantages including being minimally invasive, allowing repeated sampling and sampling is often clinical routine. This course will provide an overview of the several techniques to detect and analyse liquid biopsy-based analytes such as circulating tumour cells, cell-free tumor-DNA (ctDNA), miRNA, extracellular vesicles, mRNA, carbohydrates and proteins. Participants will be introduced to all aspects ranging from proper sampling through analyte analysis and final data analysis. Experimentally, we will demonstrate ultrasensitive ctDNA analysis using...

14 October - 17 October 2025

Spatial biology: the melting pot

Sean Bendall, Leeat Keren, Arutha Kulasinghe, Sinem Saka, Denis Schapiro

This EMBL Conference offers the next generation of spatial biologists an opportunity to exchange with the scientists who develop and implement spatial technologies Renowned speakers will cover the latest advances in the field... OverviewSpeakersSponsors Overview Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information, please register your interest. Overview This EMBL Conference, co-organised with the European Society for Spatial Biology (ESSB), builds on the momentum of the Society’s inaugural meeting in Berlin in December 2024.  Spatial biology extends beyond analyzing the molecular composition of individual cells—it considers their spatial arrangement and interactions within complex tissues and organisms. This dynamic, interdisciplinary field integrates insights from medicine, biology, physics, computer science, and other disciplines to deepen our understanding of biological systems in health and disease. ​The meeting aims to bring together the rapidly growing academic community, fostering discussions on cutting-edge spatial technologies, innovative data analysis...

22 October - 25 October 2025

Organoids: modelling organ development and disease in 3D

Meritxell Huch, Karl R. Koehler, Madeline Lancaster, Esther Schnapp

The aim of this meeting is to bring together researchers from different fields to enhance our understanding of how organoids can be formed and maintained how they can be used to study disease and how we might eventually use them to regenerate and replace human organ tissue... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Symposium overview The ability to grow tissues from stem cells in 3D culture to generate so-called organoids has revolutionised the study of tissue biology, especially human biology. This exciting technology has great potential for drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Because organoids model a variety of tissues with remarkably high fidelity, they allow for new discoveries in human development, homeostasis, regeneration, and disease. This symposium will bring together the leading researchers in this field, representing the premier conference for this research community, and providing a much-anticipated program that demonstrates how this field is truly pushing the boundaries for our understanding of tissue...

27 October - 31 October 2025

Structural bioinformatics

Juanita Riveros

This course provides a guide to the commonly used methods and tools in structural bioinformatics to analyse and interpret experimentally determined and AI predicted macromolecular structure data Structural biology determining the three dimensional shapes of biomacromolecules and their complexes can tell us a lot about how these molecules function and the roles they play within a cell Data derived from structure determination experiments and Artificial Intelligence AI assisted structure prediction enables life science researchers to address a wide variety of questions This course explores bioinformatics data resources and tools for the investigation analysis and interpretation of both experimentally determined and predicted biomacromolecular structures It will focus on how best to analyse and interpret available structural data to gain useful information given specific research contexts The course content will also cover predicting function and exploring interactions with other macromolecules This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details... This course provides a guide to the commonly used methods and tools in structural bioinformatics to analyse and interpret experimentally determined and AI-predicted macromolecular structure data. Structural biology, determining the three-dimensional shapes of biomacromolecules and their complexes, can tell us a lot about how these molecules function and the roles they play within a cell. Data derived from structure determination experiments and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted structure prediction enables life-science researchers to address a wide variety of questions.   This course explores bioinformatics data resources and tools for the investigation, analysis, and interpretation of both experimentally determined and predicted biomacromolecular structures. It will focus on how best to analyse and interpret available structural data to gain useful information given...

28 October - 30 October 2025

The epitranscriptome

Michaela Frye, Tsutomiu Suzuki, Chengqi Yi

OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Conference Overview The regulation of the transcriptome is key to cellular processes that underpin cell biology development and tissue function All classes of cellular RNA are subject to post transcriptional... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Conference Overview The regulation of the transcriptome is key to cellular processes that underpin cell biology, development, and tissue function. All classes of cellular RNA are subject to post-transcriptional modification, be it by direct chemical modification, editing, or non-templated nucleotide additions. This is the fourth edition, ‘The epitranscriptome’ meeting was first held at EMBL in 2016, followed by an edition in 2018, and a virtual conference in 2022. It was the first meeting dedicated to RNA modifications with a focus on mammalian systems. It is now established that biochemical modifications of nucleotides regulate RNA metabolism, modulate cell functions and contribute to severe human...

4 November - 7 November 2025

The mobile genome: genetic and physiological impacts of transposable elements

Deborah Bourc'his, Josefa Gonzalez Perez, Joseph Peters, Julius Brennecke

OverviewSpeakersPreliminary ProgrammePractical InformationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Conference overview Disparaged as selfish DNA for decades it s now clear that transposable elements TEs underlie the remarkably dynamic nature of bacterial plant and animal genomes This conference builds on... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary ProgrammePractical InformationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Conference overview Disparaged as “selfish DNA” for decades, it’s now clear that transposable elements (TEs) underlie the remarkably dynamic nature of bacterial, plant, and animal genomes. This conference builds on the highly successful 2021 and 2023 Mobile Genome EMBO workshops and has emerged as the major European venue in this ever-growing cross-disciplinary research field. The 2025 Mobile Genome conference will assemble recognized experts from diverse disciplines (e.g., genomics, epigenetics, structural biology, evolutionary biology, and developmental biology), as well as the next generation of scientists who will become leaders in the field, to discuss the broad impact of TEs on organismal...

10 November - 14 November 2025

Hands-on flow cytometry: learning by doing!

Daniel Gimenes, Diana Ordonez, Steffen Schmitt

This course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the underlying principles of flow cytometry while also emphasising practical considerations related to the most frequently used assays... OverviewSpeakers and trainersProgrammePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview Course overview Flow cytometry is a highly effective method for analysing individual cells that has become widely used in the fields of life sciences and medicine. By utilising flow cytometry, researchers can accurately identify and measure specific cell populations within complex mixtures, as well as assess cell cycle progression, proliferation status, and expression of fluorescent markers. Our course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the underlying principles of flow cytometry, while also emphasising practical considerations related to the most frequently used assays. Through a combination of theoretical instruction and hands-on training, students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively design, execute, and interpret flow cytometry experiments. Audience The course is...

11 November - 14 November 2025

Cancer genomics

Kathleen Burns, Isidro Cortés-Ciriano, Mariam Jamal-Hanjani, Young Seok Ju

OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Conference overview This conference will provide an opportunity to learn about and keep... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Conference overview This conference will provide an opportunity to learn about and keep up to date with the progressing area of cancer genomics. It will cover presentations from cancer genome projects, the areas of cancer functional genomics, systems biology, cancer immunogenomics and epigenomics, and the translation and clinical impact of scientific results. The meeting will bring together leading scientists and academic clinicians from across these areas for a unique opportunity to interact and stimulate further integration of these efforts. Topics AI and machine learning in cancer...

17 November - 21 November 2025

Genome bioinformatics: from short- to long-read sequencing

EMBL-EBI Training

A guide to the technology analysis workflows tools and resources for next generation sequencing data analysis This course will provide insights and training into how biological knowledge can be derived from genomics experiments and explain different approaches in analysing such data The main focus will be on introducing sequence informatics re sequencing differences between short and long read sequencing and variant calling during the analysis of higher eukaryotes with an emphasis on human genetic research Throughout the week more advanced topics will introduce the creation of pipelines automation and the scaling up of analysis experiments Practical sessions will be run on datasets prepared by the trainers not on personal research data Participants will learn how to process these training datasets and to apply appropriate statistical methods in their analyses This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details... A guide to the technology, analysis workflows, tools, and resources for next-generation sequencing data analysis. This course will provide insights and training into how biological knowledge can be derived from genomics experiments and explain different approaches in analysing such data. The main focus will be on introducing sequence informatics, re-sequencing, differences between short- and long-read sequencing, and variant calling during the analysis of higher-eukaryotes, with an emphasis on human genetic research. Throughout the week, more advanced topics will introduce the creation of pipelines, automation, and the scaling-up of analysis experiments. Practical sessions will be run on datasets prepared by the trainers, not on personal research data. Participants will learn how to process these training datasets and to apply appropriate statistical methods in their analyses....

17 November - 21 November 2025

Solution scattering from biological macromolecules

Clement Blanchet, Melissa Gräwert, Tobias Gräwert, Annette Langkilde

The course is aimed at young biochemists biophysicists and researchers active in related structural methods with little or no experience in solution scattering... OverviewSponsorsMedia kit Overview Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Course overview This course consists of two parts: a virtual module and an on-site module. The series of online lectures will take place from 6 – 10 October 2025. In addition to this, a small number of selected students that have completed the virtual module will be offered to take part in the practical component of this course that will take place in Hamburg from 17-21 November, 2025. For the other students we will offer the possibility to collect data remotely. We encourage advanced PhD students, postdocs and junior researchers to apply. The virtual module lectures will cover the basics of SAXS/SANS, instrumentation, data collection, modelling techniques and complementary use with other methods. A self-paced...

18 November - 21 November 2025

Cell biology of the nucleus

Simone Koehler, Patrick Lusk, Thomas Quail, Sara Wickström

OverviewSpeakersAboutPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia Kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Conference overview The nucleus houses the genome and plays a central role in all cellular processes Over the last decade advances in modern genomics have provided important insight into 3D genome... OverviewSpeakersAboutPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia Kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Conference overview The nucleus houses the genome and plays a central role in all cellular processes. Over the last decade, advances in modern genomics have provided important insight into 3D genome organisation but the underlying cell biology of the nucleus is often not considered. The nucleus is not just a passive scaffold for the genome: it is a highly dynamic organelle with a suite of unique mechanisms that help control its biochemical compartmentalization, its integration into both intra and extracellular mechanical networks, and its response to pathological and environmental insults. The goal of this conference is to showcase the cell biological mechanisms that define the nucleus as an organelle. To meet...

23 November - 28 November 2025

Volume electron microscopy by automated serial SEM

Christel Genoud, Amanda Lewis, Paolo Ronchi, Yannick Schwab

This course will further contribute to disseminating knowledge on fast evolving techniques to a growing community of vEM users and service providers... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsors Overview Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Course overview Recent developments in scanning electron microscopes (SEM) have led to ground-breaking opportunities in volume imaging of cells and tissues. This course aims to provide extensive theoretical and practical knowledge on the three main techniques for volume EM based on SEM: microtome-based serial block-face SEM, focused ion beam SEM, and array tomography. The participants will be able to assess the potential of each technique to understand which fits best with their own projects, and acquire the theoretical background to understand the different techniques as well as how to optimize the imaging conditions, the data processing, analysis and management.  This course will...

2 December - 5 December 2025

Computational structural biology

Rommie Amaro, Charlotte Deane, Jan Kosinski, Christine Orengo, Sameer Velankar

This conference will update on the impact of AI based structure prediction provide a forum to present new methods and applications build a wider community by integrating the new scientists now massively joining the field and open a platform to discuss future directions and opportunities... OverviewSpeakersPreliminary programmePractical informationSponsorsMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Conference overview This second edition of the EMBO “Computational Structural Biology” workshop builds on the success of the 2023 meeting. It aims to present and discuss advancements in computational studies of biomolecular structures, functions, and interactions, encompassing AI-driven innovations and classical methods while exploring future directions in the field. The program offers a diverse range of sessions covering key topics, from molecular modeling to systems-level analyses and evolution. New sessions for 2025 include drug design, focusing on computational approaches in therapeutic innovation, and infrastructures and software platforms, highlighting the technological frameworks essential for computational...

7 December - 12 December 2025

Genome engineering: CRISPR/Cas in cells and mice

Silke Deckert, Neil Humphreys, Kristof Kersse, Birgit Koch, Elisabeth Zielonka

OverviewSponsorsMedia kit Overview Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Course overview This course will provide training in genome editing and cell engineering in mammalian cells and mouse embryos using the highly efficient CRISPR Cas9 system Participants will learn design of CRISPR targets using... OverviewSponsorsMedia kit Overview Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Course overview This course will provide training in genome editing and cell engineering in mammalian cells and mouse embryos using the highly efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system. Participants will learn design of CRISPR targets using bioinformatics tools, generation of gene knock-outs/knock-ins, and target validation using the most current technologies. The course will be split into two groups (mammalian cells OR mice) based on participants’ expertise. Please note that all participants are expected to engage in all sessions. Participants should plan for approximately 1 hour extra per day for self paced learning modules. Audience This course is aimed at researchers who are familiar with basic molecular and cell biology...

8 December - 10 December 2025

Managing a bioinformatics core facility

EMBL-EBI Training

This knowledge exchange workshop is an opportunity for managers of bioinformatics core facilities to learn from EMBL EBI s service teams and from each other These facilities play an essential role in enabling research in the molecular life sciences The landscape is constantly evolving as new research tools emerge as experiments become increasingly data intensive and as their clients experimental researchers become more exposed to the power of data driven biology This course will allow participants to share experiences discuss challenges and solutions that they face and plan ways to cope with the ever changing demands raised by the molecular life science field It will include sessions to learn from bioinformatics service providers hear how others have tackled common problems and work together to design core services resource them and measure their impact This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details... This knowledge exchange workshop is an opportunity for managers of bioinformatics core facilities to learn from EMBL-EBI’s service teams, and from each other. These facilities play an essential role in enabling research in the molecular life sciences. The landscape is constantly evolving as new research tools emerge, as experiments become increasingly data-intensive, and as their clients – experimental researchers – become more exposed to the power of data-driven biology. This course will allow participants to share experiences, discuss challenges and solutions that they face, and plan ways to cope with the ever-changing demands raised by the molecular life science field. It will include sessions to learn from bioinformatics service providers, hear how others have tackled common problems, and work together to design core services, resource them, and measure their impact. This course is...

2 February - 6 February 2026

Single-cell RNA-seq analysis with Python

EMBL-EBI Training

This course covers the analysis of single cell RNA sequencing scRNA seq data using Python and command line tools Participants will be guided through droplet based scRNA seq analysis pipelines from raw reads to cell clusters You will explore and interpret single cell RNA seq data using Python as well as the Single Cell Expression Atlas Finally you will put their knowledge into practice through a group challenge on the last day This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here Virtual courseParticipants will learn via a mix of pre recorded lectures live presentations and trainer Q A sessions Practical experience will be developed through group activities and trainer led computational exercises Live sessions will be delivered using Zoom with additional support and asynchronous communication via Slack... This course covers the analysis of single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data using Python and command line tools. Participants will be guided through droplet-based scRNA-seq analysis pipelines from raw reads to cell clusters. You will explore and interpret single-cell RNA seq data using Python as well as the Single Cell Expression Atlas. Finally, you will put their knowledge into practice through a group challenge on the last day.This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here. Virtual courseParticipants will learn via a mix of pre-recorded lectures, live presentations, and trainer Q&A sessions. Practical experience will be developed through group activities and trainer-led computational exercises. Live sessions will be delivered using Zoom with...

9 February - 13 February 2026

Introduction to RNA-seq and functional interpretation

EMBL-EBI Training

Gain an introduction to the technology data analysis tools and resources used in RNA sequencing and transcriptomics The content will provide a broad overview of the subject area and introduce participants to basic analysis of transcriptomics data using the command line It will also highlight key public data repositories and methodologies that can be used to start the biological interpretation of expression data Topics will be delivered using a mixture of lectures practical exercises and open discussions Computational work during the course will use small example data sets and there will be no opportunity to analyse personal data This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here Virtual courseParticipants will learn via a mix of pre recorded lectures live presentations and trainer Q A sessions Practical experience will be developed through group activities and trainer led computational exercises Live sessions will be delivered using Zoom with additional support and asynchronous communication via Slack... Gain an introduction to the technology, data analysis, tools, and resources used in RNA sequencing and transcriptomics. The content will provide a broad overview of the subject area, and introduce participants to basic analysis of transcriptomics data using the command line. It will also highlight key public data repositories and methodologies that can be used to start the biological interpretation of expression data. Topics will be delivered using a mixture of lectures, practical exercises, and open discussions. Computational work during the course will use small, example data-sets; and there will be no opportunity to analyse personal data.This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here. Virtual courseParticipants will learn via a mix of pre-recorded...

16 February - 19 February 2026

The new cardiobiology: engineering, vascular, and molecular insights

Johannes Backs, Roger Foo, Kristina Haase, Sara S. Nunes de Vasconcelos

This next edition will focus on cardiovascular regeneration modeling the cardiovascular system in synthetic 3D multicellular systems cardiometabolic mechanisms leading to both vascular and cardiac complications the contribution of cardiovascular communication to multi organ disease and on new translational breakthroughs... OverviewSponsors Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Conference overview The dysfunction of the cardiovascular system is the leading cause of human mortality. New molecular and engineering approaches are revolutionising cardiovascular discovery research. In vivo and human cell-based 2D and 3D disease modeling for instance is now progressing beyond its infancy and mimicking the human situation ever more closely.These developments led to the concept of “The new cardiobiology” conference which took place for the first time in 2024. Given the success of that first meeting and considering the further advances in studying the multicellularity and the development of cardiovascular engineering approaches...

24 February - 27 February 2026

Collectivity in living systems: emergence, function, and evolution

Tomás Alarcón, Bernat Corominas-Murtra, Jordi van Gestel, Nicoletta Petridou, Allyson Sgro

OverviewSpeakersSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Symposium overview Many of life s most fascinating phenomena emerge from interactions among its building blocks The initiation of a... OverviewSpeakersSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview Many of life’s most fascinating phenomena emerge from interactions among its building blocks. The initiation of a heartbeat, the formation of bird flocks or the appearance of several pathologies can be explained with surprising accuracy through simple and universal principles arising from the interactions of the microscopic constituents of the system. Understanding how collective behaviour propagates across levels in biological systems – from cells, tissues, organs, organisms to animal groups – becomes, in consequence, a key and pressing issue lying at the core of the understanding of living systems. This symposium...

2 March - 6 March 2026

Introduction to multi-omics data integration and visualisation

EMBL-EBI Training

With the increase in the volume of data across the whole spectrum of biology more opportunities as well as challenges have been created to identify novel perspectives and answer questions in life sciences This may also include public domain data which can provide added value to data derived through the researcher s own work and inform experimental design This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here... With the increase in the volume of data across the whole spectrum of biology, more opportunities, as well as challenges, have been created to identify novel perspectives and answer questions in life sciences. This may also include public domain data, which can provide added value to data derived through the researcher’s own work and inform experimental design. This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here.  

10 March - 13 March 2026

AI and biology

Mohammed AlQuraishi, Wolfgang Huber, Anna Kreshuk, Mor Nitzan

The aim of this symposium is to catalyse synergistic interactions between AI researchers in different subfields of biology by exploring shared theoretical approaches cross domain experiments and data integration as well as shared topics in dissemination of tools and collaboration with experimental labs... OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming virtually all areas of science, and the life sciences are no exception. AI-based methods are pushing the limits of what is possible in experimental design, data analysis, simulation, and modelling. The aim of this symposium is to catalyse synergistic interactions between AI researchers in different subfields of biology by exploring shared theoretical approaches, cross-domain experiments, and data integration, as well as shared topics in dissemination of tools and collaboration with experimental labs. Furthermore, we will look into the future and discuss how the concerted actions of...

16 March - 20 March 2026

Microscopy data analysis: machine learning and the BioImage Archive

EMBL-EBI Training

This virtual course will show how public bioimaging data resources centred around the BioImage Archive enable and enhance machine learning based image analysis The content will explore a variety of data types including electron and light microscopy and miscellaneous or multi modal imaging data at the cell and tissue scale Participants will cover contemporary biological image analysis with an emphasis on machine learning methods as well as how to access and use images from databases This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here Virtual courseThis course will be a virtual event delivered via a mixture of live streamed sessions pre recorded lectures and tutorials with live support We will be using Zoom to run the live sessions all fully password protected with automated English closed captioning and transcription with support and both scientific and social networking opportunities provided by Slack and other methods taking different time zones into account... This virtual course will show how public bioimaging data resources, centred around the BioImage Archive, enable and enhance machine learning based image analysis. The content will explore a variety of data types including electron and light microscopy and miscellaneous or multi-modal imaging data at the cell and tissue scale. Participants will cover contemporary biological image analysis with an emphasis on machine learning methods, as well as how to access and use images from databases. This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here. Virtual courseThis course will be a virtual event delivered via a mixture of live-streamed sessions, pre-recorded lectures, and tutorials with live support. We will be using Zoom to run the live sessions (all fully password...

17 March - 20 March 2026

The cellular mechanics of symbiosis: sensing friend from foe

Aileen Berasategui, Thomas Richards, Hassan Salem, Flora Vincent

OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Symposium overview Host microbe interactions can be positive or negative for both a host organism and its symbiotic microbes Interacting... OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview Host-microbe interactions can be positive or negative for both a host organism and its symbiotic microbes. Interacting with microbes can allow eukaryotes to acquire crucial functions such as metabolite synthesis or production of defensive chemicals. However, such interactions are often pathogenic in nature. This cross-disciplinary meeting picks up where the well-received first edition in 2023 left off and will bring together scientists using cellular, molecular, ecological, physiological, and theory-based approaches to explore the evolution of intimate species-species interactions. The aim is to understand the cellular...

13 April - 17 April 2026

Data-driven approaches to understanding dementia

EMBL-EBI Training

This course provides individuals working in dementia research with the skills to access and analyse dementia data Participants will learn to apply bioinformatics methodologies combine different data types and utilise relevant dementia data resources enhancing their research capabilities in the field This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here... This course provides individuals working in dementia research with the skills to access and analyse dementia data. Participants will learn to apply bioinformatics methodologies, combine different data types, and utilise relevant dementia data resources, enhancing their research capabilities in the field.This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here. 

27 April - 30 April 2026

Sex differences in health and disease

Brian Aguado, Kristina Haase, Edith Heard, Irene Miguel-Aliaga

OverviewSpeakersSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Symposium overview Sex differences range from distinct dimorphisms in appearance and physiology to behaviour variations across males... OverviewSpeakersSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview Sex differences range from distinct dimorphisms in appearance and physiology to behaviour variations across males and females of the same species. These differences are numerous and varied and are often driven by combinations of genetic, hormonal and environmental factors. These differences also appear in manifestations of infectious disease, ageing and age-related diseases (cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases). Response to treatments can also vary drastically between females and males. Despite these wide-spread differences between sexes observed across species, the underlying mechanisms are poorly...

27 April - 1 May 2026

Introduction to metabolomics analysis

EMBL-EBI Training

This course will provide an introduction to metabolomics through lectures and hands on sessions using publicly available data software and tools Participants will become familiar with standardised workflows as well as with the current state of experimental design data acquisition LC MS MS imaging processing and modelling In addition they will learn about community standards and sharing in metabolomics particularly through the use of EMBL EBI s MetaboLights repository and Galaxy infrastructure Participants will learn through hands on tutorials to use tools available for data analysis and data submission Additionally case studies will be discussed to show how to employ the week s learning This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here... This course will provide an introduction to metabolomics through lectures and hands-on sessions, using publicly available data, software, and tools. Participants will become familiar with standardised workflows as well as with the current state of experimental design, data acquisition (LC-MS, MS imaging), processing, and modelling. In addition, they will learn about community standards and sharing in metabolomics, particularly through the use of EMBL-EBI’s MetaboLights repository and Galaxy infrastructure. Participants will learn through hands-on tutorials to use tools available for data analysis and data submission. Additionally, case studies will be discussed to show how to employ the week’s learning.This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here. 

11 May - 15 May 2026

Systems biology: from large datasets to biological insight

EMBL-EBI Training

This course covers the use of computational tools to extract biological insight from omics datasets The content will explore a range of approaches from network inference and data integration to machine learning and logic modelling that can be used to extract biological insights from varied data types Together these techniques will provide participants with a useful toolkit for designing new strategies to extract relevant information and understanding from large scale biological data This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here... This course covers the use of computational tools to extract biological insight from omics datasets. The content will explore a range of approaches – from network inference and data integration to machine learning and logic modelling – that can be used to extract biological insights from varied data types. Together these techniques will provide participants with a useful toolkit for designing new strategies to extract relevant information and understanding from large-scale biological data.This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here. 

19 May - 22 May 2026

Cellular mechanisms driven by phase separation

Paolo Arosio, Sara Cuylen-Haering, Amy Gladfelter, Alex Holehouse

OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Symposium overview The realisation that intracellular phase transitions underlie the formation of membrane less compartmentalisation in cells... OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview The realisation that intracellular phase transitions underlie the formation of membrane-less compartmentalisation in cells has transformed our understanding of cellular organisation in time and space. While the existence of membrane-less organelles, such as nucleoli, stress granules, and Cajal bodies had been known for a long time, it had remained largely unclear until recently how they were formed, maintained, and regulated. To take full advantage of these newly emerging principles, we need to develop new tools and approaches to characterise the emergent properties of phase-separated states and their impact on biological...

9 June - 12 June 2026

Mechanobiology across the tree of life

Alba Diz-Munoz, Nicoletta Petridou, Enrique Rojas, Xavier Trepat, Kirsty Wan

OverviewSpeakersAboutSponsors Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Symposium overview How do cells and tissues build themselves and respond to their environment Over the past decade it has become... OverviewSpeakersAboutSponsors Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview How do cells and tissues build themselves and respond to their environment? Over the past decade it has become clear that physico-chemical properties are rapidly modulated to accommodate or drive changes in shape or behavior and to exchange matter and information with the environment. Solving the grand challenges of this field requires integrating expertise from biology, physics, and engineering. Furthermore, understanding which processes are system-specific and which represent generalizable principles requires us to use the lens of evolution to compare across the tree of life. Responding to this important challenge,...

15 June - 19 June 2026

Data science for life scientists

EMBL-EBI Training

This course will introduce life scientists to practical data science topics used in life sciences such as data visualisation image analysis application of AI and use of publicly available databases You will initially be introduced to data science theory and practice including best practices for undertaking analyses data management and reproducibility The course will provide hands on training in tools and resources appropriate to your research including introducing the use of Python for handling and visualising data statistical analysis and the application of machine learning This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here... This course will introduce life scientists to practical data science topics used in life sciences, such as data visualisation, image analysis, application of AI, and use of publicly available databases. You will initially be introduced to data science theory and practice, including best practices for undertaking analyses, data management, and reproducibility. The course will provide hands-on training in tools and resources appropriate to your research, including introducing the use of Python for handling and visualising data, statistical analysis, and the application of machine learning.This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here. 

17 June - 20 June 2026

Microtubules: from atoms to complex systems

Carsten Janke, Zdenek Lansky, Francois Nedelec, Kassandra Ori-McKenney

OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Symposium overview This symposium initiated in 2010 has taken place every second year since and brings together early career and... OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview This symposium, initiated in 2010, has taken place every second year since and brings together early-career and established researchers from all over the world who are interested in microtubule biology and its impact on human health and disease. The microtubule cytoskeleton is essential for a wide variety of cellular functions, such as chromosome segregation, directed vesicle and organelle transport, cell motility, and cell polarity. Impaired microtubule function can lead to human diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, where microtubules serve as important therapeutic targets. In recent years,...

6 July - 10 July 2026

Proteomics bioinformatics

EMBL-EBI Training

This course provides hands on training in the basics of mass spectrometry MS and proteomics bioinformatics You will receive training on how to use search engines and post processing software quantitative approaches MS data repositories the use of public databases for protein analysis annotation of subsequent protein lists and incorporation of information from molecular interaction and pathway databases This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here... This course provides hands-on training in the basics of mass spectrometry (MS) and proteomics bioinformatics. You will receive training on how to use search engines and post-processing software, quantitative approaches, MS data repositories, the use of public databases for protein analysis, annotation of subsequent protein lists, and incorporation of information from molecular interaction and pathway databases.This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here. 

13 July - 17 July 2026

Bioinformatics for immunologists

EMBL-EBI Training

This course will provide participants with an introduction to a range of bioinformatics resources and approaches applicable to immunological research Participants will gain experience in analysis pipelines for NGS experiments relevant to immunology including immune receptor sequencing RNA sequencing single cell RNA sequencing and flow cytometry data analysis This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here... This course will provide participants with an introduction to a range of bioinformatics resources and approaches applicable to immunological research. Participants will gain experience in analysis pipelines for NGS experiments relevant to immunology including immune receptor sequencing, RNA sequencing, single-cell RNA sequencing, and flow cytometry data analysis.This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here. 

21 July - 24 July 2026

Metabolic interactions shape ecosystems

Kathrin Fenner, Diane Newman, Mohammad R. Seyedsayamdost, Michael Zimmermann

OverviewSponsorsAboutMedia Kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Symposium overview Metabolic interactions shape all kind biological ecosystems from holobionts to planetary scale environmental... OverviewSponsorsAboutMedia Kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview Metabolic interactions shape all kind biological ecosystems, from holobionts to planetary-scale environmental systems, and to anthropogenic, engineered environments. Their paramount importance is evident by a pervasive influence on the development, resilience, and sustainability of ecosystems. In environmental systems, whether marine or land ones, understanding metabolic interactions is key to deciphering nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and overall ecosystem functioning. Recognizing the interconnectedness of these metabolic networks is crucial for advancing our comprehension of ecosystem dynamics and for...

14 September - 18 September 2026

Metagenomics bioinformatics at MGnify

EMBL-EBI Training

Learn about the tools processes and analysis approaches used by MGnify in the field of genome resolved metagenomics This course will cover the use of publicly available resources to manage share analyse and interpret metagenomics data focussing primarily on the assembly based approaches used in MGnify analysis The delivered content will involve participants learning via live lectures and presentations followed by live Q As with the trainers Practical experience will be developed in group activities and in computational exercises run using containerised tools on our training infrastructure This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here... Learn about the tools, processes, and analysis approaches used by MGnify in the field of genome-resolved metagenomics.This course will cover the use of publicly available resources to manage, share, analyse, and interpret metagenomics data, focussing primarily on the assembly-based approaches used in MGnify analysis.The delivered content will involve participants learning via live lectures and presentations, followed by live Q&As with the trainers. Practical experience will be developed in group activities and in computational exercises run using containerised tools on our training infrastructure.This course is currently under development, please check back again soon for further details. You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here. 

15 September - 18 September 2026

Reconstructing the human past: using ancient and modern genomics

Mateja Hajdinjak, Choongwon Jeong, Maanasa Raghavan, Pontus Skoglund

This meeting will involve scientists from population genetics bioinformatics microbiology anthropology archaeology and history and will strengthen future interactions in this young research field that is already changing the way we think about our past and will shape how we study genetic variation in the future... OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview Combining genome-wide data from ancient and modern populations opens new windows into the past and, importantly, their integration with archaeological evidence and historical records elucidates aspects of human history and cultural evolution of past societies. Population-scale sequencing projects investigating past and present human diversity have already provided us with extraordinary insights into patterns of human variation and mobility through time and space. Moreover, genome-wide data from archaic human remains, such as Neandertals and Denisovans, allows to investigate human evolution in action and to provide direct...

13 October - 16 October 2026

The complex life of RNA

Elena Conti, Olivier Duss, Torben Heick Jensen, Juan Valcarcel Juarez, Karla Neugebauer

Bringing together leaders in the RNA field post docs and students with the aim of disseminating and discussing the most recent results The programme will include topics on transcription RNA processing and modification mRNA export and localisation mRNA surveillance and decay translation the activity of non coding RNAs the control of mRNA expression and coupling among these processes... OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview Before the genetic information stored in DNA can be used to direct cell growth and metabolism, it has to be transferred into RNA. Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that code for proteins and noncoding RNAs are key components in the transmission of genetic information in all life forms – from viruses to complex mammalian organisms. Following the success of the 2024 edition of this long-standing symposium, we are looking forward to returning in 2026, bringing together leaders in the RNA field, post-docs and students, with the aim of disseminating and discussing the most recent results. The programme will include topics on transcription,...

19 October - 23 October 2026

Structural bioinformatics

EMBL-EBI Training

This course provides a guide to the commonly used methods and tools in structural bioinformatics to analyse and interpret experimentally determined and AI predicted macromolecular structure data Structural biology determining the three dimensional shapes of biomacromolecules and their complexes can tell us a lot about how these molecules function and the roles they play within a cell Data derived from structure determination experiments and Artificial Intelligence AI assisted structure prediction enables life science researchers to address a wide variety of questions This course explores bioinformatics data resources and tools for the investigation analysis and interpretation of both experimentally determined and predicted biomacromolecular structures It will focus on how best to analyse and interpret available structural data to gain useful information given specific research contexts The course content will also cover predicting function and exploring interactions with other macromolecules This course is currently under development please check back again soon for further details You can find more information about the previous iteration of this course here... This course provides a guide to the commonly used methods and tools in structural bioinformatics to analyse and interpret experimentally determined and AI-predicted macromolecular structure data.Structural biology, determining the three-dimensional shapes of biomacromolecules and their complexes, can tell us a lot about how these molecules function and the roles they play within a cell. Data derived from structure determination experiments and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted structure prediction enables life-science researchers to address a wide variety of questions.  This course explores bioinformatics data resources and tools for the investigation, analysis, and interpretation of both experimentally determined and predicted biomacromolecular structures. It will focus on how best to analyse and interpret available structural data to gain useful information given specific...

20 October - 23 October 2026

DNA replication and genome maintenance: from basic biology to disease

Anja Groth, Helle Ulrich, Johannes Walter

OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Symposium overview There has been tremendous progress in the past few years regarding our understanding of DNA replication in eukaryotes... OverviewSponsorsAbout Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview There has been tremendous progress in the past few years regarding our understanding of DNA replication in eukaryotes. Many important questions in the field are poised to be answered within the next decade. These include understanding DNA replication at the biochemical and protein three-dimensional structure levels, how origin firing is controlled in space and time and how DNA replication is coordinated with other processes, such as chromatin assembly, epigenome maintenance, transcription and chromosome segregation. Accurate DNA replication is important for genomic stability and several human diseases, most notably cancer,...

10 November - 13 November 2026

Defining and defeating metastasis

Eduard Batlle, Andrew Ewald, Daniel Klimmeck, Samra Turajilic, Karin de Visser

OverviewSponsorsAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg with the option to attend virtually Registration is not yet open for this event If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest Symposium overview Metastasis research is a nexus for several of the most exciting areas and technical developments of current... OverviewSponsorsAboutMedia kit Overview This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Registration is not yet open for this event. If you are interested in receiving more information please register your interest. Symposium overview Metastasis research is a nexus for several of the most exciting areas and technical developments of current cancer biology and translational molecular medicine. High-resolution intravital imaging, single-cell sequencing, and integrated genomics approaches, innovative tissue modelling and co-culture systems for disease screening and patient stratification all have enormous implications for our basic understanding of the mechanisms of this deadly disease, and hold great promises for progress in its successful treatment. This symposium will cover emerging key concepts of latent metastasis and dissemination of tumor...

16 November - 20 November 2026

Genome bioinformatics: from short- to long-read sequencing

EMBL-EBI Training

A guide to the technology analysis workflows tools and resources for next generation sequencing data analysis This course will provide insights and training into how biological knowledge can be derived from genomics experiments and explain different approaches in analysing such data The main focus will be on introducing sequence informatics re sequencing differences between short and long read sequencing and variant calling during the analysis of higher eukaryotes with an emphasis on human genetic research Throughout the week more advanced topics will introduce the creation of pipelines automation and the scaling up of analysis experiments The programme is currently under development Please see the 2025 iteration for a reference of the potential content of this course... A guide to the technology, analysis workflows, tools, and resources for next-generation sequencing data analysis.This course will provide insights and training into how biological knowledge can be derived from genomics experiments and explain different approaches in analysing such data. The main focus will be on introducing sequence informatics, re-sequencing, differences between short- and long-read sequencing, and variant calling during the analysis of higher-eukaryotes, with an emphasis on human genetic research. Throughout the week, more advanced topics will introduce the creation of pipelines, automation, and the scaling-up of analysis experiments.The programme is currently under development. Please see the 2025 iteration for a reference of the potential content of this course.