From September 23 to 26, the I Course on Bioinformatics Applied to the Analysis of Metagenomic Data was held, organized by the training area of CSIC-IEO in collaboration with the Bioinformatics Unit of SCBI. This event brought together researchers from various oceanographic research centers across Spain, who received specialized training in the analysis of data generated by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques.
The main goal of the course was to equip participants with the necessary tools for the metagenomic study of samples extracted from various environments, a task that is crucial in the field of environmental and oceanographic research. The course placed special emphasis on the use of supercomputing for the processing and assembly of sequenced DNA fragments, followed by their annotation and analysis.
Throughout the course, participants engaged in an extensive teaching program that covered topics ranging from an introduction to the Linux environment to advanced metagenomic data analysis. Key topics included sequence quality control, taxonomic assignment, abundance estimation, as well as techniques for metagenome assembly and co-assembly. Other important topics included gene prediction and homology search, functional taxonomic assignment, and genome reconstruction.
The course instructors were specialists Rocío Bautista and Luis Díaz, who guided participants through the different stages of metagenomic data analysis, focusing on practical application and the use of cutting-edge technologies in the field of bioinformatics.
The course organizers highlighted the high level of interest and participation from the attending researchers, who demonstrated great commitment throughout the training sessions. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to CSIC for their trust in preparing this innovative program, which will undoubtedly contribute to the advancement of scientific research in the field of metagenomics.
This course represents an important milestone in specialized bioinformatics training in Spain and lays the foundation for future editions that will continue to promote the use of advanced tools in genetic and environmental research.
#HPC #SCBI #UMA #Picasso #Bioinformatics #Metagenomics
