Upcoming RNA-Seq Workshop

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center’s (DNALC)

Infrastructure and Training to Bring Next-generation Sequence (NGS) Analysis Into Undergraduate Education. funded by the National Science Foundation

Workshop Location: California State University, Long Beach, CA

Workshop Dates: June 22-26, 2015

The goal of this project is to prepare faculty to guide students as co-investigators in novel genome research, focusing on high-throughput RNA-Seq as a tractable entry to NGS. Several faculty participated in our Working Group Retreat held at CSHL in June 2014 and helped refine the RNA-Seq workflow. The Green Line of DNA Subway, an intuitive browser-based interface, supports RNA-Seq analysis and provides an easy biological “on ramp” to the national supercomputing highway. The NSF Proposal Summary and Narrative provides details about the project rationale and structure.

We invite you to apply to attend a 5-day RNA-Seq Workshop in June, 2015. Twenty participants will be selected for each workshop on the basis of their proposal to use and teach RNA-Seq for transcriptome sequencing and genome annotation or differential gene expression. Workshop applications require a formatted RNA-Seq Proposal (Project Proposal Guidelines), a description of course and/or research contexts in which students will be involved, and potential numbers of students involved and duration of exposures (Applicant Information Form [PDF or Word]). A support letter from the department head must be submitted along with the application that demonstrates an institutional commitment to incorporate NGS analysis in appropriate courses and to analyze RNA-Seq datasets during the 2015-16 academic year.

An exciting aspect of this project is available funding to support some faculty at each workshop to develop new RNA-Seq datasets as part of their research. Please keep in mind that the proposed organism must be eukaryotic and have a fully sequenced and annotated genome. These participants must be able to submit high-quality RNA for sequencing by March 16, 2015. The other participants in each workshop will join a funded project or work with an existing dataset. Prior to the workshop, participants can become familiar with the project by visiting the pages of this RNA-Seq website and through participation in project videoconferences.

During each workshop, participants will be guided through the bioinformatics workflow for analyzing RNA-Seq data using the Green Line of DNA Subway and iPlant Collaborative Data Store. Participants will also learn details of RNA-Seq experimental design and technology and how to teach modern genomics from expert educators. Following the workshop, participants will join in monthly videoconferences and assist with classroom evaluations to gauge the impact of student participation, and are expected to help develop curriculum and website support materials that will be used for broad educational dissemination of the project.

Non-local participants will receive travel funds and room & board on or near the campus. Applications must be received by January 30, 2015. The workshops are filling up but a number of spaces are still available. All proposals will be reviewed, as received. Please feel free to share with colleagues who may be interested in applying.

If you have any questions, feel free to send an email to dnalcworkshops@cshl.edu with “RNA-Seq Workshop 2015” as the subject.