With the increase in the volume of data across the whole spectrum of biology, more opportunities as well as challenges have been created to identify novel perspectives and answer questions in life sciences. This may also include public domain data, which can provide added value to data derived through researcher’s own work and inform experimental design. This introductory course will highlight the challenges that researchers face in integrating multi-omics data sets using biological examples. The course will focus on the use of public data resources and open access tools for enabling integrated working, with an emphasis on data visualisation. This course will not include systems biology modelling or machine learning.

A major element of this course is a group project, where participants will be placed in small groups to work together on a challenge set by trainers from EMBL-EBI data resource and research teams. This allows people to explore the bioinformatics tools and resources introduced in the course and to apply these to a set problem, providing hands-on experience of relevance to their own research. The group work will culminate in a presentation session involving all participants on the final day of the course, giving an opportunity for wider discussion on the benefits and challenges of integrating data. You may refer to the previous group projects that were organised for this course in March 2023.

Who is this course for?

This course is aimed at biologists who are beginning to work on multi-omics data integration projects and computational biologists/bioinformaticians who wish to gain a better knowledge of the biological challenges presented when working with integrated datasets. 

Some practical sessions in the course require a basic understanding of the Unix command line and the R statistics package. If you are not already familiar with these then please ensure that you complete these free tutorials before you attend the course:

• Introduction and exercises for Linux: https://training.linuxfoundation.org/free-linux-training
• Basic R concept tutorials: www.r-tutor.com/r-introduction

What will I learn?

Learning outcomes

After this course you should be able to:

• Discuss motivations for working in an integrated manner
• Identify challenges for bringing different data types together
• Use a range of bioinformatics tools to analyse and visualise biological data

Course content

During this course you will learn about:

• Data curation, and ID mapping
• Quality control for data integration
• Analysis and visualisation:  Cytoscape, Multi-omics factor analysis (MOFA), Reactome, COSMOS
• Challenges and best practices for working in an integrated manner with biological data

Trainers

Please read our page on application support before starting your application. In order to be considered for a place on this course, you must do the following:

• Complete the online application form.
• Ensure you add relevant information to the ‘submission details’ section where you are asked to provide information on your:
  • pre-requisite skills and knowledge
  • current work and course expectations
  • data availability
• Upload one letter of support from your supervisor or a senior colleague detailing reasons why you should be selected for the course.

Please submit all documents during the application process by midnight on 26 November 2023. Items marked * in the application are mandatory. Incomplete registrations will not be processed. 

All applicants will be informed of the status of their application (successful, waiting list, unsuccessful) by Friday 8 December. If you have any questions regarding the application process please contact Meredith Willmott.

The registration fee of £850.00 includes:

• Catering as detailed on the course programme
• Accommodation for 4 nights (4, 5, 6 and 7 March)
• Bespoke course handbook with links to all course materials
• Use of a computer in the EMBL-EBI training suite throughout the course 
• Shuttle bus on the final course day to Cambridge train station

Accommodation 

Hotel rooms will be provided onsite at Hinxton Hall Conference Centre. Please contact them directly if you wish to arrange to stay additional nights around the course dates.

Catering

The course includes catering as detailed on the programme tab. Successful applicants will be asked for any dietary requirements and allergies upon registration. 

Course materials

The course materials from the 2023 edition of the course are now live and available for you to use. They provide a mixture of pre-recorded lectures, presentations, and practicals from the course, and will give you a snapshot of what to expect in the 2024 edition.

Posters

All participants are expected to present a poster that will be displayed during the course outside the training room. Successful applicants will be asked to submit their poster upon registration. We will print these for you and have them available when you arrive on site.

All posters should:

•          be A2 in size – 420mm x 594 mm
•          be in a portrait orientation
•          include your photograph and contact information

We expect the posters to act as a talking point between you, other participants and the trainers on the course. The posters will be displayed throughout the week so people can view them during breaks and lunch. They should give the reader an idea of the work you are engaged in, what you are planning to do next, and anything of interest that might be useful for sharing with the gathered participants.