Genetic Data Analysis Course and Workshop: "ConGen-2024" Online

Theme:  Applications of Next Gen Sequencing Data in Population Genomics,
Molecular Ecology, and Conservation Genetics.

Instructors include Sally Aitken, Eric Anderson, Ellie Armstrong, Chris
Funk, Matthew Desaix, Marty Kardos, Brenna Forester, Will Hemstrom,
Gordon Luikart, Eryn McFarlane, Angel Rivera-Colon, Rena Schweizer,
Stephen Spear, Robin Waples, and more TBA.

When: August 26 - Sept 4, 2024 (with Aug. 20th pre-course lecture on
using Linus command line, R & the basics of bioinformatics for NGS
data handling)

Where: Online via Zoom

Course Objective: To provide training in conceptual and practical aspects
of data analysis for understanding the population and evolutionary
genomics of natural and managed populations.  The course covers concepts
and methods including the coalescent, Bayesian, and likelihood-based
approaches. Emphasis is on next-generation sequence data analysis (RADs,
whole genome sequence analyses, etc.) and the interpretation of output
from important statistical approaches, pipelines, and software programs.
The course includes discussions among early career researchers (student
participants) and >12 leaders in population genomics (instructors) to
help develop our next generation of molecular ecologists, conservation
geneticists, and evolutionary geneticists. Course lecture topics
include taking raw reads to genotypes (de novo and with reference),
genome assembly, Ne, GWAS, RoH, landscape genomics, assignment tests
with low-coverage-WGseq data, and more (see past course contents). New
lectures in 2024 (with hands-on exercises) will include eDNA metabarcoding
analysis, phylogenomics, and genome assembly. Past course lecture videos
will be available (e.g., RNAseq, epigenetics, Genome-QC, landscape
genetics, etc.).

For details on ConGen-2024: see
https://www.umt.edu/ces/conferences/congen/default.php

Who should apply: Advanced Undergrads, M.S. & Ph.D. students, post-docs,
faculty, agency researchers, and population biologists who have taken at
least a one-semester university-level course in population genetics and
a course in population ecology.  Participation will be limited to ~30
people allowing efficient instruction with hands-on computer exercises
during the course.  Priority will be given to persons with their own
NGS data to analyze.

Past courses: see Andrews & Luikart 2014:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.12686/abstract

Benestan et al. 2016:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.13647/full

Hendricks et al. 2018:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.12659

Rena Schweizer et al. 2021: https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esab019

Schiebelhut, L. 2023. Guidance in conservation
genomics. doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13893

Hemstrom et al. 2024. Next-generation data filtering in the genomics
era. Nature Reviews Genetics, accepted. - be on the lookout for this
relevant review!

ConGen participants-2024. A course/meeting group review, contents to
be determined.

Registration & Costs include all lectures (live and recorded) by
at least 12 expert instructors, online question and answer sessions
during hands-on exercises with worksheets and dummy datasets, copies
of lecture PowerPoint slides, along with ConGen-2022 Swag (T-shirt,
mug). Course materials are also available after the end of the course
to all students in a box repository including all recorded lectures and
class materials. $US 890 if payment is after June 15th.

Sponsors:  American Genetic Association (AGA), Journal of Heredity,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science
Foundation (NSF-USA), PacBio, NanoPore.

Journal of Heredity

gordon.luikart@mso.umt.edu

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