We are happy to share one of these with you and to officially open applications for the workshop
“From Reads to Functions – Hybrid Workshop on Metagenomics and the Fantastic Microbes Around Us”, organized in collaboration with the KBase team.

We are reaching out to you because you are part of our community.
You may apply directly if you are a university student, or help us spread the word to students who might benefit from this experience.

 The workshop
February 2–19, 2026
Hybrid format (online + in-person sessions at the University of Milan-Bicocca, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences)Language: English.

A hands-on, intensive workshop designed to guide participants
from raw sequencing reads → to MAGs → to biological interpretation, using the KBase platform (https://www.kbase.us/).

 Why it is free
This workshop is entirely funded by the donors (in particular our gold sponsors Prebiomics and StudioAres) of the Fantastic Microbes and Where to Find Them crowdfunding campaign and by the 

Educational Research and Development grant supported by the Society of Experimental Biology.Thanks to this support, participation is completely free of charge for selected students, helping make advanced training more accessible.

 What participants will learn
With direct guidance from the KBase team, participants will work on real datasets and learn how to: assess sequencing read quality, assemble metagenomes, perform binning and evaluate bin quality, assign taxonomy and functional annotations, interpret and communicate their results.

 AgendaFebruary 2 (online) – Introduction to KBase and platform setup
February 3 (online) – QC, taxonomy, and assembly
February 16 (in person) – Assemblies, binning, and annotation
February 17 (in person) – MAGs, functional annotation, phylogeny, and presentation preparation
February 19 (in person) – Student presentations. 

 Eligibility
University students;
commitment to attend the entire workshop;
basic knowledge of biology and microbiology.

 Selectionfirst come, first served, until all places are filled.
Available places: 20
 Waitlist: 5 additional candidates in case of last-minute cancellations.

 A certificate of participation will be issued at the end of the workshop.
 How to apply
Application deadline: Monday, January 26, 2026
Registration form: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-reads-to-function-tickets-1978575289954?aff=oddtdtcreator

If someone comes to mind who might enjoy this opportunity, we would love for you to forward this email.
If you are eligible yourself, we truly hope to receive your application.

Thank you for continuing to help us turn community support into shared knowledge and discovery.

With warm thanks,
The Fantastic Microbes and Where to Find Them team