Microbiology workshops

This hands-on workshop introduces metagenomic analysis with MOTHUR on Galaxy Australia. Participants will explore how sequencing data reveal microbial community composition, diversity and functional potential. Practical work follows raw-read quality control, OTU clustering, taxonomic classification and diversity analysis in Galaxy’s browser interface, including filtering, profiling and visualisation. The training combines core concepts with workflows participants can use for their own microbial ecology and environmental genomics projects. The online workshop runs 10:00–18:00 AEDT (Australia/Sydney, UTC+11) on 4 November 2026, equivalent to 09:00–17:00 AEST, 09:30–17:30 ACDT or 07:00–15:00 AWST. It is free, with essential applications and limited places, and is open to Australian researchers and students in the life sciences. Familiarity with Galaxy, or completion of an introductory Galaxy workshop, is recommended; coding experience is not required. A Galaxy Australia account is needed. UQ staff and students use the UQ application route; other Australian researchers use Eventbrite.

Analyse microbial communities from shotgun sequencing using reproducible computational workflows. The workshop covers read preprocessing, taxonomic and strain-level profiling, functional characterisation, metagenome assembly and reconstruction of microbial genomes. Exercises use tools including MetaPhlAn, StrainPhlAn, PanPhlAn, HUMAnN, MEGAHIT and PhyloPhlAn, while comparing short- and long-read approaches. Statistical sessions address community diversity, high-dimensional testing, regression and classification, followed by visualisation and reusable scientific reports. Live online, 23–26 November, 14:00–20:00 Europe/Berlin (CET). Fee €530. Basic command-line knowledge is helpful; preparatory Unix material is provided.

This practical course follows microbial metagenomics from environmental sampling to biological interpretation. Advanced PhD students and early postdoctoral researchers work through DNA extraction from soil and water, library preparation and long-read metabarcoding using Nanopore or PacBio technologies. Computational training covers raw-read processing, assembly, reconstruction of metagenome-assembled genomes, functional annotation and statistical analysis in reproducible workflows. Phage genomics and single-cell methods extend the core approaches. Lectures, experiments, group work and discussions help participants evaluate study design, compare analytical resources and interpret microbial-community diversity.

Analyze microbial communities through DNA metabarcoding, from experimental design to statistical interpretation. The programme examines bacterial, archaeal and fungal marker choices, primers, library preparation, replication and sequencing coverage. Practical bioinformatics develops quality-controlled community profiles from raw reads, followed by multivariate analyses of community composition using QIIME2 and related workflows. 2027-04-12–2027-04-16, 14:00–20:00 daily, Europe/Berlin (CEST, UTC+02:00). Online course; fee €530. A biology and DNA background is expected. Prior programming is not required, although basic command-line and R experience helps.

The meeting compares bacterial and archaeal division mechanisms, integrating FtsZ-ring organization, divisome assembly, chromosome segregation and cell-envelope remodeling. Non-model organisms and FtsZ-independent systems broaden the comparative perspective, including links to the evolution of eukaryotic cytokinesis. Methods span genetics, biochemistry, live imaging, structural biology, biophysics, computation and in-vitro reconstruction.

The Society for Mycotoxin Research brings together research on fungal toxins, from their occurrence and management to the fungal biology, ecology and genetics that determine production. The workshop connects analytical methods with toxicology, exposure biomonitoring and approaches to remediation and mitigation. A travel-support scheme for eligible early-career scientists aged 40 or younger from designated developing countries accepts applications from November 1 through December 31, 2026; it requires a scientific contribution and supports in-person attendance.