Microbial metagenomics: a 360º approach

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.