DNA metabarcoding is now widely used to explore biodiversity patterns and food webs across diverse habitats and ecosystems. This method enables the identification of multiple organisms in complex samples, such as air, water, feces, soil, or bulk biological material, by amplifying taxonomically informative genomic regions. Significant progress has been made in developing this approach, driven by the need for a simple, rapid, and cost-effective solution. However, the successful application of DNA metabarcoding requires expertise in multiple fields, including traditional and DNA-based taxonomy, molecular biology, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, bioinformatics, and computational statistics. Poorly informed technical decisions at any stage of the workflow can compromise the quality of results. This course is designed to address the intricacies of each step in the DNA metabarcoding bioinformatic pipeline and provide guidance on best practices, while fostering critical thinking. The main objective is to equip participants with essential tools for robust data processing and analysis in DNA metabarcoding.
With a strong emphasis on hands-on bioinformatics and statistical analysis, participants are expected to bring their own laptop and have prior experience working in the Bash and R environments. The class is planned for Windows or Linux systems, so if you have a macOS, our ability to support you will be limited.
As this course focuses on bioinformatics and statistical analysis, sampling and laboratory workflows are covered only briefly. Participants interested in practical field and lab training should register on From Environmental Clues to Wildlife Monitoring: The Power of eDNA.
Application deadline: May 02, 2026
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