We are excited to host a week-long workshop on microbial community metagenomics, multi-omics, and statistics using the bioBakery this summer in Boston, June 2-6. The course will provide attendees with both instruction and hands-on experience with bioinformatics for profiling the taxonomic structure (microbes and viruses) and function of microbial communities from high-throughput molecular data, alongside statistical methods for associating those profiles with host phenotypes or environmental properties. We will focus on analysis of shotgun metagenomes, metatranscriptomes, and untargeted metabolomic data using the bioBakery: a computing environment comprising reproducible methods for microbial community analysis. Participants will need to bring their own laptops and have some basic familiarity with working at the command line, but prior knowledge of our software or microbial community analysis is not needed.
The course will be hosted and delivered by members of the Huttenhower Lab and the Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center (HCMPH). Our philosophy is to train participants in the most relevant topics in microbial community analysis in a vibrant, immersive, and inclusive environment. We welcome all skill levels for this in-person course and look forward to hosting a productive and engaging workshop! See below for an overview of the course program, its details, and registration information. Please contact Kelsey Thompson (kthompson@hsph.harvard.edu) with any questions about the workshop.
When: June 2-6, 2025
Where: 300 Binney Street, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
Instructors: Drs. Curtis Huttenhower, Eric Franzosa, Kelsey Thompson, Jacob Nearing, and other members of the HCMPH.
Registration: Eventbrite
Morning: 9am-12:30pm |
Lecture: General introduction |
Student introductions |
Lecture: Intro. to microbial community multi'omics |
Lecture: Experimental considerations in microbiome sequencing |
Lab: Google Cloud setup |
12:30pm-2pm Lunch |
Afternoon: 2pm-6pm |
Lab: Sequencing QC with KneadData |
Lecture: Taxonomic profiling |
Lab: Taxonomic profiling with MetaPhlAn |
Lecture: The Human Microbiome Projects (HMP1+2) |
Open discussion / questions / wrap-up |
Course dinner - MEX (500 Technology Square, Cambridge) |
Morning: 9am-12:30pm |
BONUS Lab: Intro to command line |
Lecture: Strain profiling |
Lab: Strain profiling with StrainPhlAn |
Lab: Tree viz with GraPhlAn |
12:30pm-2pm Lunch |
Afternoon: 2pm-6pm |
Lecture: Viral profiling |
Lab: Viral profiling with BAQLaVa |
Lecture: Functional profiling |
Lab: Functional profiling with HUMAnN |
Open discussion / questions / wrap-up |
End of day |
Morning: 9am-12:30pm |
BONUS LAB: Intro to R |
Lecture: Metagenomic assembly and applications |
Lab: Assembly and SGB creation |
Lecture: SGBs and microbial phylogenetics |
Lab: Microbial phylogenetics with PhyloPhlAn |
12:30pm-2pm Lunch |
Afternoon: 2pm-6pm |
Lab: Prioritizing bioactive genes with MetaWIBELE |
Lecture: Gene transfer in microbial communities |
Lab: Detecting LGT with WAAFLE |
Lab: Lecture: Meta'omic visualization |
Open discussion / questions / wrap-up |
End of day |
Morning: 9am-12:30pm |
BONUS LAB: Meta'omic viz in R |
Lecture: Microbial community study design |
Lecture: Statistics for microbial multi'omics |
Lab: Strain epidemiologic testing with Anpan |
Lecture: Metatranscriptomics (MTX) |
12:30pm-2pm Lunch |
Afternoon: 2pm-6pm |
Lab: Microbial community statistics with MaAsLin |
Lecture: Microbiome metabolomics |
Lab: Prioritizing bioactive metabolites with MACARRoN |
Open discussion / questions / wrap-up |
End of day |
Morning: 9am-12:30pm |
BONUS LAB: High-dim. testing in R |
Lecture: Methods for multi'omic data integration |
Lab: Multi'omic integration with HAllA |
Lecture: Meta-analysis with microbial community data |
Lab: Meta-analysis with MMUPHin |
12:30pm-2pm Lunch |
Afternoon: 2pm-6pm |
Lecture: Intro. to AnADAMA and bioBakery workflows |
Lab: bioBakery workflows |
Lecture: Reproducibility in microbiome studies (MBQC) - People's choice |
Open discussion / questions / wrap-up |
End of day |
This course will be held at the new building for the Broad Institute in Cambridge, MA located at 300 Binney in Kendall Square.
Tuition to attend: $450 (not including room, board, or transportation to the event location)
Registration: Eventbrite
(To register to attend this event please use this link to complete registration through Eventbrite)
Nearby hotels list:
- Boston Marriott Cambridge
- The Kendall Hotel
- Residence Inn Boston Cambridge
- The Fairfield Inn and Suites Boston/Cambridge
- Hampton Inn by Hilton Boston/Cambridge