BIO 680 DNA Next Generation Sequencing

Next-​generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have revolutionized many fields in biology and are changing the practice of medicine. As a joint state-​of-the-art research and training facility of the ETH and the University of Zurich, the Functional Genomics Center Zurich (FGCZ) offers a five-​day course with hands-​on practicals. The aim is to help scientists interested in NGS technologies, particularly applied to DNA sequencing, to gain a better understanding of the techniques available and their applications. This course is not meant to replace any manufacturers’ training normally supplied with an instrument.
 The practical consists of a library preparation and sequencing starting from genomic DNA, followed by short and a long read sequencing workflows using Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technologies, respectively. An introduction to the analysis of the resulting data and some exercises will be offered as well. The lectures cover existing and upcoming NGS technologies, their applications and the principles of downstream data analysis. 

The data analysis part starts off from the raw reads, as generated by the instrument, and cover pre-​processing, alignment, variant calling and several quality control checkpoints. The hands-​on sessions for data analysis does neither require a pre-​existing knowledge of Unix nor the command line environment. This course is not intended to be a training course for those solely interested in next-​generation sequencing bioinformatics.
By the end of the course participants should be able to make informed decisions about which technology and workflow to apply to solve specific research questions.

Allgemeine Informationen

Library Prep
  • DNA library generation: principles and types

Sequencing
  • Detailed description of available sequencing technologies platforms
  • Hands-​on laboratory work: preparing chips for sequencing and
  • performing sequencing runs on various platforms

Data analysis
  • Run QC: Criteria for run performance
  • Read QC: Metrics for evaluating read quality
  • Preprocessing of raw reads
  • Mapping reads to a reference genome
  • Mapping QC: Metrics for mapping of DNA-​seq reads
  • Variant calling
  • Visualization of mapping and variant calling results
  • Introduction to de novo assembly applications
  • IT and awareness of the data storage and its size
PhD students of the Life Science Zurich Graduate School.
The course is conceived as highly interactive which includes:
  • Theoretical inputs (lectures)
  • Interactive discussions on case studies (group discussions)
  • Pair and group work in the laboratory
  • Instrument handling for the practical part
  • Hands-​on activities for data analysis (computer sessions)
  • Q&A sessions, feedback and discussions with other participants and instructors
  • Flash presentations by means of whiteboards or slides
ECTS: 2.0. PhD students of the Life Science Zurich Graduate School have priority. External students can register to the waiting list and will be accepted if the course is not fully booked.

Kursdaten

Kursleitung Daten Plätze frei Standort
Maria Domenica Moccia 16 - 20 June 2025 (9:00 - 17:00) 0 University of Zurich (UZH), Irchel Campus in Warteliste eintragen