Location: CNR-Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania, Italy. Organizers: MEG@CNR-ISE and Microb&co.

The eight edition of the International Course in Microbial Ecology will be held from 12 to 16 June 2017 at the CNR-Institute of Ecosystem Study in Verbania, Italy. This course focuses on how to assemble, annotate, and analyze whole metagenomic data in the broadest ecological context by targeting different operational units and specific genes and gene families. Four an a half days of direct lectures and computer based practical trainings, starting from the raw sequences obtained by shotgun sequencing to final data analyses in an ecological framework.

Topics : Metagenomic Sequencing, history, application and project planning; Assembly, Binning and Annotation: theory and hands-on training.

Keynote speakers: Jean-Francois Flot | Free University of Brussels; Andrea Franzetti | University of Milan Bicocca; Mariangela Girlanda | University of Turin; Roland Marmeisse | Université Lyon 1. Instructors: Ester Eckert, Gianluca Corno, Diego Fontaneto, Andrea Di Cesare MEG@CNR-ISE;  Stefano Amalfitano CNR-IRSA Rome; Gian Marco Luna CNR-ISMAR Ancona; Angelina Lo Giudice CNR-IAMC Messina; Grazia Quero CNR-ISMAR Venice; Manuela Coci Microb&co.

Participation is limited to 20 PhD students or early career researchers selected on the basis of their CV and motivation letter (deadline 30 April). The registration fee is 480 € per person and covers the full participation to all the course activities and social events, lunches, tutorial material, lectures and protocols of the applied methodologies.

The course treats issues in cutting-edge research fields with a strongly practical-oriented approach and it is actually eligible for recognition of educational credits by different university and institutions (for details: info@microbeco.org)

A grant participation will be awarded to the memory of Luigi Michaud. The award will go to a participant PhD student, carrying out research activities in the field of aquatic microbial ecology with dedication and passion.