Population Genetics workshops

Infer evolutionary relationships and divergence times from multilocus genomic data while accounting for sources of misleading phylogenetic signal. The workshop examines orthologue selection, sequence-evolution models and discordance caused by incomplete lineage sorting and introgression. Lectures and hands-on exercises develop time-calibrated phylogenies and compare the assumptions of alternative inference methods. Analyses run in a prepared cloud environment so participants can concentrate on statistical methods, model choices and interpretation. Live online, 30 November–4 December, 12:00–18:00 Europe/Berlin (CET). Fee €530. Intended for PhD and postdoctoral researchers planning multilocus phylogenetic studies. Basic Unix command-line knowledge is required; familiarity with scripting is useful.

Learn how reduced-representation sequencing produces markers for population genetics, phylogenetics and association studies in non-model organisms. The workshop follows Stacks workflows from short-read quality assessment and preprocessing through de novo or reference-based locus assembly to informative variant selection. Lectures and guided exercises examine how study design changes the analysis, with time to interpret results and work on participants' datasets. Live online, 7–11 December, 14:00–19:00 Europe/Berlin (CET). Fee €530. Intended for researchers and technical staff with a biology background and familiarity with high-throughput genomic data; Unix concepts are introduced.

Study human and non-human ancient DNA from sampling and laboratory methods to computational interpretation. Lectures address degradation, contamination, extraction, library preparation and sequencing choices. Hands-on work covers preprocessing, mapping and reference bias, authentication and damage, low-coverage genotype approaches, ancestry estimation, phylogenomic analysis and admixture statistics. The programme connects these methods to evolutionary and archaeological questions while examining ethical responsibilities and limits of inference from degraded material. Live sessions: 21, 22, 25, 26 and 27 January, 16:00–20:30, Europe/Madrid (CET, UTC+01:00). Total 26 hours: 22.5 live plus 3.5 independent. English-language live online course; Fee €548 until 31 October, then €638; Ambassador rates €438.40/€510.40. VAT included. Capacity: 16. A Life Sciences degree and Linux command-line/bash experience are required. A temporary server supplies the software and datasets. Registration requires acceptance; payment follows confirmation. Recordings are provided, but live attendance is required for a certificate.

Generate and interpret genomic evidence from natural-history collections. Lectures and practicals address historical-DNA extraction, library preparation and sequencing, then mapping, damage, contamination and coverage biases. Analyses of population structure, relatedness, diversity and demographic history lead into temporal studies of adaptation, genetic erosion and genetic load. Case studies connect museum specimens with molecular ecology and conservation decisions. 2027-02-08–2027-02-12, 09:00–14:00 daily, Europe/Berlin (CET, UTC+01:00). Online course; fee €530. Basic evolutionary-genomics and population-genetics knowledge is required.

Use population genomic data to investigate structure, gene flow, demographic history and natural selection. The workshop starts with short-read quality control, alignment and variant calling, then examines supervised and unsupervised population-structure inference and introgression. Further sessions compare coalescent, composite-likelihood and approximate Bayesian demographic models, genome-wide association and selection scans, and genotype–environment associations. Landscape-genomic exercises test isolation by distance, environmental effects and barriers to gene flow. Live online, 22–26 February, 14:00–19:00 Europe/Berlin (CET). Fee €530. Intended for graduate students, postdocs and researchers with genetics and evolutionary biology knowledge; programming experience, Unix and R are expected.

This practical course combines theory and computer exercises in sequence alignment, phylogenetic inference, hypothesis testing, natural selection, divergence dating and coalescent methods. It focuses on evolutionary analysis of nucleotide and protein sequence datasets rather than genome assembly or annotation. The course particularly suits early- and mid-stage doctoral researchers with some phylogenetics experience, access to their own data and basic Linux familiarity. Participants are selected through an application process.