2009 NSW Bioinformatics Research Symposium

The 2009 NSW Bioinformatics Research Symposium is the continuation of a series of successful bioinformatics symposia coordinated by Sydney Bioinformatics over the last five years. Over 150 people attended the 2008 Symposium hosted by Sydney Bioinformatics.

The 2009 NSW Bioinformatics Research Symposium will be an opportunity to showcase:

the latest bioinformatics research from universities and research institutes throughout NSW
applications of bioinformatics research in critical areas of life science research

The Symposium provides a forum for both bioinformatics researchers and life science researchers to explore the latest in bioinformatics research, how these development apply in life science research, and establish cross-disciplinary research collaborations.

This year, the Symposium will focus on next-generation sequencing, as advances in this technology begin to drive a whole new phase of bioinformatics research and applications in biological and medical research.

The 2009 NSW Bioinformatics Research Symposium is proudly sponsored by:

Registration and Symposium Details

The NSW Bioinformatics Research Symposium will be held on:

Friday October 9, 2009
from 8:50 to 5:10

in the

Law Building Lecture Theatre 101
Camperdown Campus, University of Sydney

Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

There is no charge for this event but registration is compulsory as space is limited. Please complete the registration form online to ensure you have a place at the symposium.

Dr Sonia Cattley
Level 1, Medical Foundation Building, K25
University of Sydney NSW 2008
Fax: 02 9036 3234
Email: sonia (at) sydneybioinformatics (dot) org

Keynote Presenters

Dr Lesley Collins - Massey University, New Zealand

Jumping in at the deep (sequencing) end of the data pool with Next Generation Sequencing

Analysing genes or sets of genes for either potential functional or ancestral (phylogenetic) information has become standard, largely due to the readily available choice of well-tried software and algorithmic models. Next generation sequencing (NGS) then changed the scene, allowing us the opportunity to rapidly sequence entire genomes, and sample the genetic complement of populations in a way never seen before. However, in our haste to use this 21st century technology we have merely adapted previous software, models and concepts to fit, and we can easily become overwhelmed with the data analysis task that befalls those undertaking NGS. Simply 'ramping up' from a gene to a genome scale does not often produce sensible answers and in some cases is computationally just not possible. We have to have a new mindset to go with the new technology, creating a steep and scary learning curve. This talk will touch on my experiences with working with NGS data, illustrating how we do need to think a little differently with NGS data, but we can produce some fantastic results as a result of our efforts. With a little forethought and planning, that deep (sequencing) end of the data pool need not be so scary and murky after all.