This course will cover the entire arc of a reference genome project; from sample acquisition and shipping, through nucleic acid extraction, sequencing, assembly, curation and annotation in public databases. It will promote the use and reuse of aquatic genomic data, build a community of researchers able to exploit these new data types, and introduce them to the theory and practice of reference quality genome sequencing and assembly. The course content will connect participants to researchers at the forefront of the biodiversity genomics revolution and meet with others worldwide who also aim to apply these new approaches to their study systems.

Participants will develop bioinformatics skills to quality assess raw genomic sequence data, identify co-bionts, assemble data into a genome build, assess and then annotate the model with biological significance.

Symbiosis lies at the heart of the origins of the eukaryotic cell, and new symbiosis events today shape much of the natural world, playing key roles in ecosystem engineering and in colonisation of extreme habitats such as hydrothermal vents. Biological understanding of symbiosis will be hugely enhanced through the deep analysis of the genomes of the interacting partners, and the Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics project is working globally to generate reference genomes for many symbints from marine and freshwater habitats.

Virtual course

Participants will learn via a mix of lectures, technical presentations, group work, and discussion 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 communication via Slack.

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 09:45-17:30 GMT each day of the course. Trainers will be available to assist, answer questions and further explain the analysis during these times.